The latest issue of the Ibis, the journal of the British Ornithologists’ Union, had several excellent papers. One was an overview of the impacts that deer browse has on habitat quality and subsequently bird life. I™d like to highlight some…
Environmental issues
The overpopulation of certain species, whether native or not, can cause problems. When these species are appealing to the public, their control becomes an even bigger challenge. Previously, I discussed these issues in regards to White-tailed Deer and Mute Swans….
Four-legged friend or foe? Dog walking displaces native birds from natural areas. P. B. Banks and J. V. Bryant. 2007. Biology Letters. Early online, DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0374. This paper has received a lot of press as it is on a perennially hot-button…
Bootstrap Public Service Announcement #3: Tubes used to protect young trees can trap and kill birds. Since bluebirds aren’t especially common right around home, I was not aware that they can become easily trapped in the tubes people use to…
Do you know of any signs mounted on those metal posts that have holes all down the middle? If the sign isn’t fastened in the top holes, they remain exposed and have been found to trap raptors, which get their…
What does it mean to be “carbon neutral”? There is a lot of talk lately about going “carbon neutral” by purchasing carbon offsets. You calculate (via various formulas available online) how many tons of carbon you are responsible for, based…
I am discouraged at the number of House Sparrows I see nesting in bird boxes in my neighborhood.
Recently, we have been being warned left, right, and center that avian influenza H5N1 was likely to enter the United States via migratory birds this year (or this spring, or next week, depending on the tenor of the article). I…
An interesting paper in the most recent issue of the Condor, the journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society: Miller, M. W. 2006. Apparent effects of light pollution on singing behavior of American Robins. Condor 108:130-139. The author recorded the initiation…
I wish I could talk more about birds in this space, but what with the snow (we ended up with “only” 4.5 inches) and cold, migration is pretty much at a standstill.