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Wildfire smoke linked to fewer birds in New York (Level A1) — birds flying over the lake during sunset

Wildfire smoke linked to fewer birds in New YorkCEFR A1

17 Jul 2026

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Adapted from U. Buffalo, Futurity • CC BY 4.0

Photo by Samantha Kennedy, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
1 min
55 words
  • Smoke reached New York and filled the air.
  • The air was smoky for weeks.
  • Birdwatchers saw fewer birds that season.
  • People compared air and bird records.
  • Many forest songbirds became harder to find.
  • Some species seemed to appear more often.
  • Fewer sightings may not mean fewer birds.
  • Scientists want to study smoke and birds more.

Difficult words

  • birdwatcher — A person who watches wild birds.
    Birdwatchers
  • sighting — A time when someone sees an animal.
    sightings
  • species — A group of similar living animals or plants.
  • record — Written or saved information about events.
    records
  • forest songbird — Small wild birds that live in forests.
    forest songbirds
  • scientist — A person who studies nature or animals.
    Scientists

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Have you ever seen smoke in the air?
  • Do you watch birds or nature where you live?
  • Have you seen fewer birds in one season?

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