Passage Summary: Bird experts argue that planting more trees hasn't saved songbirds because the real issue is that the forests are being broken into small pieces, making it easier for predators to find nests.

Conclusion: Forest fragmentation is the primary threat to songbirds, rather than just the total size of the forest.

Reasoning: Reforestation hasn't helped because the new or existing forests are broken up, which lets predators get to the nests more easily.

Analysis: The claim about recent reforestation serves as a background fact that the ornithologists use to pivot to their main point. It acknowledges a potentially positive trend (more trees) only to show that this trend isn't solving the underlying problem of fragmentation. By showing that birds are still struggling even when trees are added, the author strengthens the claim that the shape of the forest matters more than the total amount of forest.