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Songbirds: Numbers are dwindling for Mother Nature's little monitors
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me | 6:41 p.m. June 24, 2009
I have seen and heard more songbirds this year than I can remember anytime in
the past.
I also have noticed a super rise in the bee population. What does it all mean?
I also have noticed a super rise in the bee population. What does it all mean?
Too many house cats | 6:54 p.m. June 24, 2009
My neighbor has many house cats and they kill birds everyday.
Comments continue below
jd | 7:31 p.m. June 24, 2009
Predators. Wake up, I have even seen hawks fly into nest and take chicks.
Take the Robbins please | 7:55 p.m. June 24, 2009
Please take all the Robbins from my yard. I am tired of loosing about 1/3 of my
fruit crops to them year after year. They seem to like all fruits and even take
dog food right out of the dog dish. The Starlings are almost as bad.
WyoMom | 9:10 p.m. June 24, 2009
They are probably freezing their little butts off and moved somewhere where
it's warmer!!!
Bob Tait | 9:39 p.m. June 24, 2009
If we'll get rid of the parasite Starling that was illegally imported from
England we would see a reversal of the trend of songbird depletion. Starlings,
if you don't already know, take over nests that have been build by other
birds. There should be a national campaign to eliminate them from the face of
the earth.
Coal Mine | 11:53 p.m. June 24, 2009
As the birds go, so go we.
Timj | 4:28 a.m. June 25, 2009
Two problems:
First, starlings. Get rid of them, and things go better for a wide variety of other birds.
Second, preserve our wetlands. Much of the Jordan River has been sacrificed in the name of development, to the detriment of everyone but the developers. Other areas have suffered similar fates.
First, starlings. Get rid of them, and things go better for a wide variety of other birds.
Second, preserve our wetlands. Much of the Jordan River has been sacrificed in the name of development, to the detriment of everyone but the developers. Other areas have suffered similar fates.
Kevin | 6:07 a.m. June 25, 2009
I'm sure there are many reasons, but I think the magpies have had an
effect. Those repulsive, screeching things massacre songbirds.
A Thought... | 7:08 a.m. June 25, 2009
If house cats were really housecats would they be outside killing birds?
Ann | 7:26 a.m. June 25, 2009
What about magpies? I have heard the cries of baby birds as they pluck them from
their nests and fly away with them.
Climate change | 8:01 a.m. June 25, 2009
This is just the beginning.
Knowwhat | 8:01 a.m. June 25, 2009
I have watched a hawk take 6 birds in mid-air in my backyard. I know he enjoyed
it and I did too. Nothing like a well honed predator.
Bird Boy | 8:08 a.m. June 25, 2009
Starlings are aggressive, but aren't actually going to use songbird nests.
They are opportunists, and thus have had a great deal more success breeding in a
wider range of developed areas, including urban areas, whereas songbirds in
general are not as tolerant and can be sensitive to all sorts of pollution,
including light pollution. Generally speaking, if there isn't an
overpopulation of starlings, they won't damage a garden, but can actually
help keep the bugs off.
Look at what has changed. | 10:45 a.m. June 25, 2009
If the songbirds are declining, we should look hardest at what has changed.
Native predators: stable or declining. Not the problem. They have always been around, some are even declining with the songbirds.(If you don't like hawks picking off your feeder birds, maybe you shouldn't bait them in for the hawk).
Imported predators: increasing. Cats, yes they are a significant problem, but probably not the only problem. Starlings: mostly affect birds that nest in cavities and competes with food for birds in urban areas. House Sparrows and Pigeons also compete but mostly in urban areas.
Diseases: increasing. Some diseases our birds haven't encountered before are taking a toll. Example- West Nile Virus: affecting ravens, hawks and magpies the hardest.
Migration hazards: increasing. Tall structures from skyscrapers to powerlines take a significant toll on migrating birds. Loss of habitat to feed in while migrating. Light pollution confuses migrating birds.
Riparian habitat for nesting and migration: decreasing. Dewatering and loss of riparian plants due to invasive plants, overgrazing, or fire all take a toll.
Pollution, pesticides, other environmental hazards: increasing. They likely all take their toll on their food sources and affect the health of birds.
Native predators: stable or declining. Not the problem. They have always been around, some are even declining with the songbirds.(If you don't like hawks picking off your feeder birds, maybe you shouldn't bait them in for the hawk).
Imported predators: increasing. Cats, yes they are a significant problem, but probably not the only problem. Starlings: mostly affect birds that nest in cavities and competes with food for birds in urban areas. House Sparrows and Pigeons also compete but mostly in urban areas.
Diseases: increasing. Some diseases our birds haven't encountered before are taking a toll. Example- West Nile Virus: affecting ravens, hawks and magpies the hardest.
Migration hazards: increasing. Tall structures from skyscrapers to powerlines take a significant toll on migrating birds. Loss of habitat to feed in while migrating. Light pollution confuses migrating birds.
Riparian habitat for nesting and migration: decreasing. Dewatering and loss of riparian plants due to invasive plants, overgrazing, or fire all take a toll.
Pollution, pesticides, other environmental hazards: increasing. They likely all take their toll on their food sources and affect the health of birds.
A question for "me" | 10:51 a.m. June 25, 2009
You say you've seen a lot of birds this year. Good.
What are your numbers? What were your numbers last year? What time of day were you counting? How many species did you see each time? How long did you look this year and other years? Where did you look this year and other years?
What kind of bees? Did you plant different flowers this year? How often do you look for bees? Are you looking just in your backyard?
If you are presenting evidence different than the combination of many different studies that have been going on for years, I'd be interested in seeing your data.
What are your numbers? What were your numbers last year? What time of day were you counting? How many species did you see each time? How long did you look this year and other years? Where did you look this year and other years?
What kind of bees? Did you plant different flowers this year? How often do you look for bees? Are you looking just in your backyard?
If you are presenting evidence different than the combination of many different studies that have been going on for years, I'd be interested in seeing your data.
wallofvoodoo | 12:14 p.m. June 25, 2009
Human caused songbird declline is a myth perpetuated by the left to force
socialism on all of America.
Anonymous | 12:21 p.m. June 25, 2009
Why didn't the article present numbers...is the decline 1%/year, 0.1%/year,
0.0001%/year? Hard to know how excited to get when there's no reference as
to how serious a problem it is.
Justin | 12:28 p.m. June 25, 2009
It's gotta be global warming...
Doug S | 12:43 p.m. June 25, 2009
I'm sure the declining number of songbirds has *NOTHING* to do with the
number of birds being injured by flying into these nets that biologists insist
on stringing up everywhere . . .
observing | 12:52 p.m. June 25, 2009
It isn't just songbirds; it's birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish,
insects, everything that isn't human. WE are wiping out the other species
as we take over every inch of land to build our homes and our industries and use
to plant our crops and pasture our animals. MAN is all supreme, but he
isn't being the steward over the earth as he was instructed to be. If we
don't stop trying to wipe out everything that tries to co-habitate with us,
we are going to look around and everything we say we value, everything we enjoy,
everything that stands for nature will be gone. And then US. Bees and birds
are affected strongly by pesticides. Responsible farmers and gardeners should
consider using non-toxic pesticides and herbicides. And that includes products
for keeping a green, lush lawn. Just think about it, please.
The Rock | 1:04 p.m. June 25, 2009
We had a cold winter this year. I live in the Seattle area and had 10" of
global warming in my driveway for nearly 2 weeks and that just never happens. I
understand that Utah has had it's share of cold weather.
I think it is global cooling that preceeds the coming ice age.
There are too many starlings. We need some good recipies for starling. By the time Washington redistributes my income I may very well be pleased we have so many starlings as my usual forms of nutrition may be out of my reach.
I think it is global cooling that preceeds the coming ice age.
There are too many starlings. We need some good recipies for starling. By the time Washington redistributes my income I may very well be pleased we have so many starlings as my usual forms of nutrition may be out of my reach.
Aaron | 1:57 p.m. June 25, 2009
Songbirds require large wooded areas to nest and they require quite a bit of
spacing between nests. Smaller woodland areas mean less nesting birds.
Farmland and cats | 2:47 p.m. June 25, 2009
We live on farmland. There are songbirds, not many, but they are here. At
least until one of the neighbors three cats to them. They've killed a
family of songbirds and a dove (who mate for life, so now there's a dove
without it's mate again) just in the last week, right on our property.
It's extremely tempting to put some tainted tuna out for them. They simply
kill these birds for sport. It's sickening. Don't go after the
stupid ravens, crows, or magpies, but they kill the very birds we want and need
around. Eagles and hawks leave them alone, but cats left to roam the
neighborhood by irresponsible owners kill. People need to take responsibility
and keep their cats indoors, or not have them.
Meoooow! | 6:08 a.m. June 26, 2009
@farmland: Maybe you can convince some larger owls and eagles to go after the
cats... :)
A horse of course | 6:58 a.m. June 26, 2009
EEEK!! The birds are dwindling! It must be the evil humans!! Kill them all and
the birds will thrive. Don't let the evil humans do their nasty things to
the earth, and the earth will live on in peace. Tax them into submission, reduce
the energy available, make energy economically unaffordable, and all those evil
humans will be killed off by Mother Earth, only good humans will survive, and
peace will reign.
What a crock.
We do take care of things. This is a knee jerk reaction - like global warming - to what is more than likely a natural cycle for songbirds.
But then, even natural cycles are evil when humans exist.
What a crock.
We do take care of things. This is a knee jerk reaction - like global warming - to what is more than likely a natural cycle for songbirds.
But then, even natural cycles are evil when humans exist.
Summersnow | 9:11 a.m. June 26, 2009
When we bought our home 35 years ago, we specifically set out to make our yard
bird friendly by planting plants that feed and shelter them. We have been
rewarded by yearly visits form hummingbirds, Western Tanagers, and Robins. What
a beautiful way to start a day by listening to the chants of the Tanagers first
followed by the Robins as they welcome the day. For the past few years we have
also been priveledged to have a family of Robins fledge their young in the
confines of our yard. This year, as I was planting some flowers I even had one
youngster advance to within 2 feet of me as it called to it's parents and i
talked back to it.Ir will be a sad day if we never hear or see another songbird.
Folks, they need our help. If we do what we can to encourage them, just maybe
our quality of lives will be more peaceful. I wonder just how many insect pests
Robins, Tanagers and other birds eat per bird per year. I for one do not wish to
find out by being overwhelmed by the pests when the birds dissappear.
Anonymous | 2:26 p.m. June 26, 2009
I do personally think that this is a little bit of an overreaction ... I
don't know how much, since, as has been pointed out, there aren't
specific stats in the article, just emotional arguments.
That said, it is true that humans have a responsibility for the beauties of the Earth. One idea: make your backyard and front yard gardens. They're more child-friendly that way anyway. And if you have flowers and trees, the bees and the birds will come. And it nice for human relaxation too, and for teaching your kids how to work.
That said, it is true that humans have a responsibility for the beauties of the Earth. One idea: make your backyard and front yard gardens. They're more child-friendly that way anyway. And if you have flowers and trees, the bees and the birds will come. And it nice for human relaxation too, and for teaching your kids how to work.
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"Although there are approximately 200 million starlings in North America, they are all descendants of approximately 60 birds (or 100 [1]) released in 1890 in Central Park, New York, by Eugene Schieffelin, who was a member of the Acclimation Society of North America reputedly trying to introduce to North America every bird species mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare."
The Starling should be reduced or eliminated. They may very well be what is causing the problem. Robins, Meadow Larks and others have a great deal of problem with them. Why not the riparian song birds?