Where Did All the Birds Go?
by Most people have noticed a drop in song birds in their area, especially folks in the northern hemisphere who regularly put out winter feeders for the birds. Many people quickly turn to blame their neighbours kitty cat for killing the birds, but in fact the majority of the avian population decline is due to human activity, not feline.
Photosource http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/KillingRainforest.jpg Wikimedia commons
Only a Mild Toxin
World wide pesticides and herbicides are being used on crops. Pesticides are made to kill insects, and since many birds depend on insects for a majority of their diet, they are either finding it harder and harder to find food, or are eating tiny bits of pesticide every time they eat an insect. Studies have shown that ingesting pesticides kill birds either directly or by making their egg shells so weak they are unable to produce viable eggs. Some pesticides have been banned from use, but only in some countries. So the birds elsewhere may still be at risk.
Herbicides are chemicals used to kill weeds, but they enter the birds as well. Many weeds are a food for many insects, and the herbicide also falls on the plants the birds do eat. While herbicides are considered safer than pesticides, they still have enough risk to them that we recommend washing all our fruits and vegetables before we eat them. Birds to not have that luxury.
Other Factors
Of course there are other factors too, air pollution, oil spills, and climate change, are all taking their toll on our feathered friends. It is up to us to make a difference, and stop blaming cats.
Photosource http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Demonstrations_in_Victoria9.jpg
Wikimedia Commons
Changing Us
It is time we stopped blaming the cats and started taking responsibility for our own hand in reducing the population of birds in our world. There are many things we can do.
If you work in an office tower, turn off all lights at night.
In our homes we can prevent birds from smashing into our windows by applying stickers or hanging things in the window.
Be careful when eating out, or buying beef. Many restaurants and fast food places are serving up rain forest beef, unless they advertise that is is local beef (or from a particular country) you may be contributing to the problem.
If you drink coffee, opt for a “Shade-Grown” coffee blend. Being grown in the shade means there is encouragement to keep the forest intact.
Some products are marketing themselves as being “rain forest” friendly. Keep those in mind, or try to select locally grown and made products instead.
If you live near a lake, pond, or other body of water, do not use chemicals to keep your lawn green.
If you own your own home, plant trees, shrubs, natural grasses, things to provide birds with habitat, rather than turning your yard into a football field of grass only.
Do not use pesticides to control insects, there are alternatives. You can purchase lady bugs to control aphids, and by encouraging birds in your yard, they too will eat the insects. Chickens are great at controlling flies, and grasshoppers.
If you start feeding the birds in the winter – you should continue to do so through out the season, because they come to expect the food to be there when they need it most. The same hold true for if you feed humming birds in the summer, you have to keep it up all summer.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, shop locally, buy organic, or grow your own food, if we can reduce pollution, we improve the world not only for ourselves, but our feathered friends too.
Finally, if you do have a cat, having a bell on the cats collar does not really help, because cats can learn to walk without making the bell ring. The best thing is to either keep your cat indoors only, or not to feed birds in your yard, thereby tempting fate.
Ultimately also it is our responsibility to remind others that cats are not the main killers of birds, we are.
Photo by B Nelson and used with her permission.
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Post CommentBrenda Nelson
On January 10, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Good article Mark.
Clay Hurtubise
On January 10, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Yes, we feed out birds year round. It is amazing how many we have visiting us.
Our society will kill off many species, and some song birds are sure to be among the victims.
Good article.
Thanks,
Clay
James DeVere
On January 10, 2009 at 7:36 pm
One of my bosses refused to put a bell on her pet cat – as a way of alarming birds to its’ presence – because she thought the bell would deafen the cat!
Also, introduced species of birds, like the Indian Mynah bird do a lot of damage but evicting native speicies from their nests.
I like the new improved format and layout of your article.
Best . j
Jasin
On January 10, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Great article, we never take responsibility for our actions.
papaleng
On January 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm
a very interesting article. somehow we humans had to take the blame for birds diminishing population.
nobert soloria bermosa
On January 10, 2009 at 11:07 pm
poor birds and other creatures,
CHAN LEE PENG
On January 10, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Excellent read here, thanks!
Sotiris
On January 11, 2009 at 8:18 am
We are responsible for that situation! Well written!
Mark Gordon Brown
On January 11, 2009 at 10:35 pm
In response to James, comment #3, very good point about introduced species, here in Canada and USA, we have a problem with the Starlings who were introduced from China, they are killing songbirds by laying their eggs in the nests of the song birds and their young are bigger and stronger so out compete the real baby bird.. thus it often dies. Again though, this is human caused, as we introduced the Starlings years ago.
Ruby Hawk
On January 12, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I notice we don’t have near as many birds as we used to.I have a feeder on my deck that birds never come to anymore. My son has bird feeders that birds flock to. I don’t know what the difference is. I’m afraid our apt. owners spray poison though I have never seen them do it.
Louie Jerome
On January 18, 2009 at 3:43 am
I am from England and where I live we had serious flooding four years ago (I mean 12 feet of water in the City centre!). Much of the parkland (and there is a lot) was flooded for a long time. We lost lots of trees, so there are fewer birds. The local bird population doesn’t seem to have recovered.
Stacey T Pollock
On February 17, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Also with the increased weather changes we had in Holland last year, the birds could not handle the heat, many falling to the ground dying from fatigue. They are not used to the temperature changes with global warming as well. It also impacts greatly their natural time clocks and breeding cycles.
Interesting aricle, thankyou for sharing.
bremerton roofing
On July 24, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Such an interesting article. It is very very sad and I think our climate changes and what we are doing to the enviornment is the trigger. Global warming is such a big factor. Great article.
Pro
On August 16, 2011 at 5:45 pm
My first thought would have been cats with the neighbors cat leaving dead birds on my pouch. I know there are other variables that cause the over all population drop though.
Ryan @ Size Labels
On December 30, 2011 at 11:52 am
I am here in Arkansas and remember when hundreds of birds fell from the sky. This happened a year and a half ago. Strange deal.
Jianna Gonzalez
On January 14, 2012 at 11:36 am
Interesting blog, People need not litter so much
drvaughandabbs
On March 20, 2012 at 10:13 am
Excellent information. This site definitely explains essential concepts to its readers. Thanks for continuing to write such wonderful articles.