In the Philippines, plows clear cut the rainforest to make room for humans. In South Asia, farmers treat their livestock with an anti-inflammatory drug. In the Arctic, temperatures are slowly warming. In Idaho, invasive cheatgrass is crowding out sagebrush.

All these activities have one significant connection - they’re killing raptors in all corners of the globe. The numbers of more than half of all raptor species are falling and 20 percent of them face extinction.

The loss of these birds can be devastating to ecosystems and are an indicator of larger environmental issues around the world.

Dr. Chris McClure is the Executive Vice President of Science and Conservation at The Peregrine Fund and he’s been working to track and protect raptors through the Global Raptor Impact Network or GRIN. The Golden Eagle Audubon Society is hosting his State of Raptors of the World talk on March 19 at the Boise Library at Hillcrest and he joined Idaho Matters for a preview.