Audubon Article Link on Decline of Backyard Birds (NO Photos)

[EdV]

Just thought you all might find this article interesting. Maybe there aren't fewer birds; they're just all at Mitch's on his magic sticks. :lol::lol::lol: But note: even the Common Grackle is on the list.

For me, I am finding it tougher to find birds to photograph. Went out last night and never took the camera/tripod off of my shoulder.

Anyway, here is the link.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/14/bird.decline/index.html

[canonloader]

HAHAHA, hell Ed, they have to go somewhere. I haven't seen a Bob White here yet. And only one Grackle. But I think that if more people did what I am doing, it would lessen the strain on these species. I mean, look at the Peregine Falcon, once almost gone, now making a strong comeback on the 17th floor of downtown buildings, eating Pigeon every day. If we give them the chance, they can learn to live with us. At least to tide them over until humans get ahold of the idea of birth control so we don't crowd every other species off the planet. ;)

[pttenn]

I've gone out in the woods looking for birds, and not even heard one. Seems strange. But my feeders attract all kinds and a lot, including grackles :(. I hope this doesn't mean there is a decline. I daily watch trees cut and farmland being turned into subdivisions..hate it but not much you can do. The deer and birds are rapidly losing their habitat, esp around this area. At least it is not the "Silent Spring" that Rachel Carson identified, when DDT was destroying the bird population.
Karen

[ZeroFiveOne]

I read this article today while at work. It did bring back memories of my childhood, hearing an occaisional Whipporwill right about dusk. I remember being fascinated with it's constant calling, breaking the silence of the forest in my backyard. Man, those were the days.:(

It saddens me to know I may never hear one again.

-John-

[kolok]

All the birds are congregating on Mitch's backyard truck-stop/bird feeding station. :p

All seriousness though, unfotunately, bird population will decline or even shift as long as the native habitat and nesting/wintering sites are razed for unabated commercial/residential development. Some cities do promote (and sometimes offer incentives) tree/shrub planting, which is good for a number of reasons ranging from attracting birds (many of which serve as natural insect control) as well as reducing heat retention in agglomerated areas due to the cooling effect of greenery.

We could all do ourselves a favor and plant a tree or shrub native to our area - doesn't require extra watering or attention and the hardiness of many native plants resist bug infestations but also attracts various birdies as well - provides nesting areas - particularly in suburban areas. ;)

[kenyc]

Just thought you all might find this article interesting. Maybe there aren't fewer birds; they're just all at Mitch's on his magic sticks. :lol::lol::lol: ....


Yep that's exactly it. Mitch has cornered the market with his grape jelly. :eek:

KAC

[canonloader]

As it turns out, the only two birds who like the grape jelly are the Orioles and Catbirds. Kind of a waste putting it out just for them. ;)

[sarahbn]

That was a very sad article. I checked out the last 3 cbc bird counts for my area and the loss in grackle population is astounding!

[canonloader]

From 1993 to now, the American Goldfinch population declined to 40% of it's previous population due to a lung and eye disease, and nobody noticed. They are coming back though.

Truely, the only way to keep things as they were is for us to get a grip on our over breeding. Do we really need 7 billion humans on this dirtball, most of whom go hungry, and whos lives are pathetic, brutal and short?

[pttenn]

Truely, the only way to keep things as they were is for us to get a grip on our over breeding. Do we really need 7 billion humans on this dirtball, most of whom go hungry, and whos lives are pathetic, brutal and short?[/quote]


Amen to that!
Karen

[kolok]

C'mon... breeding is fun and good! Biggest problem is our sprawl and our lust for everything new, shiny and clean - and worse: we just want more of everything, especially land. Sure there's a lot of it, but we don't have to inhabit every square inch of this planet.... That's just not right. :rolleyes:

[EdV]

we just want more of everything, especially land. Sure there's a lot of it, but we don't have to inhabit every square inch of this planet

And the developers around here are the worst. They never met a piece of land that they didn't want to pave over. That is one of the main reasons why we think our backyard birds are way down. The fields and wooded areas that were nearby are, for the most part, gone.

Like I said previously, we pulled out some ornamental grasses and basic green shrubby stuff and planted a bunch of native flowering shrubs as well as alot of plants that ended in "WEED" as in Butterfly WEED; MilkWEED, etc.