Read the passage The Painted Bunting is a bright colored bird that would look more at home in the topics. The bright blue head, red chest, and green
feathers are difficult to miss for any bird watcher. Pine Bantings are migratory songbirds. Found in two distinct regions of the United States
during the spring and summer they typically migrate to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America for the winter. A few birds remain in
Florida year round. Scientists have observed a significant decrease in Fed Buntings and attribute the decline primarily to habitat loss,
parasitism and trapping. The songbirds usually breed and rest in areas with "sh scrub habitat, low-lying vegetation found in coastal regions
and forests. In 1968 volunteer citizens began working with scientists to observe and count breeding birds in a wide scale effort known as the North
American Breeding Bird Survey (885)This research has enabled Wildlife biologists to determine long-term population trends. Scientists have also
used the data to develop new management strategies for helping the one Bunting recover in areas with the sharpest decline. From 1955 to
1995 the survey documented a 32 percent anual decline in Pied Bankings. This means that there has been a population decline of
approximately 60 percent. Current conservation priorities include stabilizing Painted Bunting communities on the coastal islands of Georgia and
South Carolina as well as preserving critical habitat in zona and northwestern Mexico
How does the author show that the declining population of Feed Suntings is linked to habitat loss?
1. by stating that preserving critical habitat" is a conservation priority
O2 by indicating that the population has decreased by "approximately 50 percent"
O 3 by identifying specific habitats in different parts of the world to which the birds migrene
4 by explaining that the birds usually breed and rest in a habitat with 10w-ying vegetation