Today's letters: Readers comment on declining bird populations, George Floyd's murder and more Ocala Star-Banner The edge of extinction May 8 is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Global Big Day. It's a great opportunity to contribute to the ongoing study of the health and welfare of birds globally. Here in North America, we’ve lost one third of our bird population in the last 50 years. More than 3 billion birds — gone. And now 389 species of birds are on the edge of extinction. This critical situation increases the importance of citizen participation; the destruction of one species affects all species. That includes all of us.