a. Starlings are declining in Europe also, apparently due to farming practices (no grain lying around? hedgerows?). But if you want to look for some “black bird” related explanations, check out the USDA site to see how many “nuisance” birds were killed using Avitrol on big feedlots where a LOT of those pesky birds eat grains….feedlots=where our breeding populations gather in the winter. The USDA takes responsibility proudly for 1-2 million a year.
b. When BU puts out pelletized lawn feeder/weed killer, there are usually some dead robins. c. The deer problem is solvable (less deer and ardent replantings) but it will take many generations. Maybe you have heard my grad student Justin describe his research. There are basically no understory nesting warblers and other species in the Nature Preserve now. For instance. And understory takes a long time and replanting to come back after decades of being eaten. d. Data is still out, of course, but wind farms at least appear to be the largest problem for larger birds…eagles, hawks, vultures. Yes, there are things that can be done to make them safer—studies done and published and ongoing. Wind farms probably won’t turn out to be biggies (my thought), but much of this decline happened over the previous 4 decades, not just since wind farms got big. e. Migrants are also definitely being hit in their wintering grounds….remember the Amazon fires, as an ongoing example. I don’t want to think about how many tamarin and other small mammal species we have lost forever in those…but burns don’t leave lots of habitat to return to after a summer up here. Thats only one kind of habitat loss. The Bahamas wasn’t trivial. so many many hits.. > On Sep 19, 2019, at 8:03 PM, David Nicosia <daven102...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > 1. Why are european starlings declining? That is crazy but concerning when a > seemingly adaptable invasive specie is dying off. > 2. Could it be related (in part) to West Nile Virus? > https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/11/west-nile-virus-still-wiping-out-birds-across-north-america > > <https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/11/west-nile-virus-still-wiping-out-birds-across-north-america> > 3. Grassland birds have been declining for decades and will continue unless > farming practices are changed and more bird friendly. In the northeast U.S, > we have lost many farms and they have reverted back to woodlands. I see this > in many areas of Bradford Co. PA where I grew up. I remember a lot of field > birds in places that are now full of saplings 30 feet tall. > 4. Rampant deer populations destroying undergrowth for many ground nesters. > The DEC locally needs to find a solution here. This is manageable! > 5. Pesticides and herbicides (especially the lawn treatments) which are so > common. I always wonder how this affects Robins and other birds that forage > on the ground. I never use this stuff on my "lawn" and it has a lot of weeds. > So what. I could care less what people think. > 6. Spruce budworm population cycles in our boreal forests. This could explain > decline in warblers since there was a massive outbreak of budworms in the 70s > and 80s. Many warbler's populations are tied to these cycles. The 1990s and > 2000s there was a lull and now they are on their way up again. This could > explain a more natural cycle in warbler populations independent of vireos. > (this is speculation). > 7. More towers and wind farms? If a wind farm and tower are lighted properly > does it kill that many songbirds at night? The FCC has new guidelines which > supposedly reduces tower kills. > https://abcbirds.org/article/communication-tower-owners-change-lighting-protect-birds/ > > <https://abcbirds.org/article/communication-tower-owners-change-lighting-protect-birds/> > Not sure if this is working but hopefully so. > 8. Invasive species. Look at the wholesale changes when all of our ash trees > die, hemlocks and others. Also invasive fish, plants etc. > > There is probably many others which is sobering. > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 19, 2019 at 4:21 PM Purbita Saha <bitas...@gmail.com > <mailto:bitas...@gmail.com>> wrote: > Adding Audubon magazine's coverage on the Cornell study as well, not for > shameless promotion but because it has a helpful graphic and also does a > by-habitat breakdown of the declines. > > https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says > > <https://www.audubon.org/news/north-america-has-lost-more-1-4-birds-last-50-years-new-study-says> > > > Just spent my lunch at a hawkwatch and was at least happy to see many chimney > swifts. > > Happy birding (and conserving), > Purbita > > On Thu, Sep 19, 2019 at 2:28 PM Andrew Baksh <birdingd...@gmail.com > <mailto:birdingd...@gmail.com>> wrote: > And on that note. A call on Bronx Birders to please contact Margarita > Eremeyev at mereme...@gmail.com <mailto:mereme...@gmail.com> > > She is doing extensive research on the possible adverse effects the planned > paving of the Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx May have on > wildlife. For example, the Rusty Blackbirds that have utilized the wetland > area near Tibbets Brook might be affected. > > There have been quite a few of us enjoying some of the birds being reported > from that borough as of late. Please take the time out to contact Margarita > to see if you could be of assistance. > > Thank You > > -------- > "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule > of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ > Frederick Douglass > > 風 Swift as the wind > 林 Quiet as the forest > 火 Conquer like the fire > 山 Steady as the mountain > Sun Tzu <http://refspace.com/quotes/Sun_Tzu> The Art of War > <http://refspace.com/quotes/The_Art_of_War> > >> (\__/) >> (= '.'=) >> (") _ (") >> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device! > > Andrew Baksh > www.birdingdude.blogspot.com <http://www.birdingdude.blogspot.com/> > > On Sep 19, 2019, at 2:19 PM, Richard Guthrie <richardpguth...@gmail.com > <mailto:richardpguth...@gmail.com>> wrote: > >> >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: The Washington Post <em...@washingtonpost.com >>> <mailto:em...@washingtonpost.com>> >>> Date: September 19, 2019 at 2:01:29 PM EDT >>> To: richardpguth...@gmail.com <mailto:richardpguth...@gmail.com> >>> Subject: News Alert: North America has lost 29% of its birds since 1970, >>> study finds. Experts blame habitat loss, pesticides, light pollution and >>> cats. >>> Reply-To: The Washington Post <em...@washingtonpost.com >>> <mailto:em...@washingtonpost.com>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/3f15b/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/0/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c> >>> Democracy Dies in Darkness >>> >>> News Alert Sep 19, 2:01 PM >>> >>> North America has lost 29% of its birds since 1970, study finds. Experts >>> blame habitat loss, pesticides, light pollution and cats. >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/18211f5/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/1/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c> >>> A massive study of bird populations, using decades of survey data as well >>> as weather radar readings of migratory flocks, shows the United States and >>> Canada have lost 3 billion birds in the past 50 years. The declines have >>> hit sparrows, finches, warblers, thrushes, swallows and many other familiar >>> groups. >>> >>> Read more » >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/18211f5/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/2/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c> >>> ADVERTISEMENT >>> >>> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=130184&li=&m=78075d14a6d514e886406aa107f7f544&p=5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf> >>> >>> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=130185&li=&m=78075d14a6d514e886406aa107f7f544&p=5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf> >>> >>> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=130186&li=&m=78075d14a6d514e886406aa107f7f544&p=5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf> >>> You received this email because you signed up for news alerts from The >>> Washington Post. >>> Manage my newsletters and alerts >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/3f15d/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/6/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c>| >>> Unsubscribe >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/wp-unsubscribe/alerts?nlsendid=5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf&bem=cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D&wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_news__alert-hse--alert-national> >>> Privacy Policy >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/3f15e/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/8/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c> >>> | Help >>> <https://s2.washingtonpost.com/3f15f/5d83c26be6e81b11e354edbf/cmljaGFyZHBndXRocmllQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D/9/10/cf733b20f45284e101109f40923c3c5c> >>> ©2019 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071 >>> >> -- >> NYSbirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >> Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! >> -- > > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> > Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> > Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
