Birds

Earlier this year I posted a message on this forum about not seeing or hearing a whole lot of species of birds around here in west central Indiana. I can't remember when I have heard a blue jay, robin, cardinal, blue bird, finch, meadowlark, quail, kill deer, pheasant or even any sparrows. We have plenty of turkeys and buzzards along with the deer and coyotes but it seems the birds have disappeared. I know a lot of their cover has been destroyed by farming and house building, etc., and I also think that pesticides and herbicides have an effect on them but I wondered if anyone around the country has noticed this too? One comment on here last summer said that West Nile virus might be to blame but wondered if anyone could enlighten me. Thanks. Pat

No. Every species of them is in overpopulation around here.

We are lucky to have a great local radio program in upstate NY. You may want to check out online archives & submit an email question. I suspect they would be glad to answer a question from an online listener.

You may not agree with all they have to say, but it is good to get a wide view of opinions.

http://www.wamc.org/prog-backyard.html

RND

We have about everything here in central MO. I do think the Medowlark is having a rough time though. Quail are suffering, and have been for a long time, but they are a game bird. It all comes back to habitat. The face of the land has changed and they either have to adapt or move.

The Eastern Bluebird had almost disappeared here in the early 1960's. The Missouri Dept of Conservation and many other groups figured out the right prorportions for an acceptable blue bird house and we made them by the thousands. I personally had 42 houses up at one time. They also determined where and how far apart they needed to be placed. Blue birds are territorial and the houses need to be about 200 yards apart. We have bluebirds out the ying yang now.

Another thought, the Easter freeze of 2007?

And you know, with no till and the modern Genetically modified crops, herbicide and pesticide usage is way down.


Gene

We have (or had until cold weather) all the birds you mentioned, except maybe quail. Today I saw bald eagle, lots of seagulls, blue jays, red-bellied woodpeckers, gold finches, sparrows, etc. Sorry to hear you aren't seeing & hearing birds there. Mark SW Wis.

One of the largest causes for the loss of our song birds, meadowlark population has dropped by 75%, is domestic cats. Wish I could remember the website or news article I read that had all the statistics, but we are in real danger of losing the songbirds.

hey gene, can you post some info on the bluebird houses? i'd like to put some either along my timber or along the creek. i see a bluebird every now and then. this year we put up a bunch of birdhouse gourds we grew the year before, the mother in law decorated em and painted em crazy colors, never though we'd get birds in em, the wrens went nutz over em. they were all full of wrens.

Ditto!!

Mitch's daylight savings time has got them all confused and they went south a bit early ?

here in mid Michigan I noticed no birds until fall.now I got the feeder full and back in business. IN town near here the city gov. poisons them on the roof tops ,,no pigeon hundreds gone.Black squirrels moving there range south.Just my observations.
seeya
feed them all summer too the seed molded..

I think they are all at my place. My wife has bird feeders everywhere, and birds love it. Stan

Feral cats are supposedly (partly) to blame here in east-central Wisconsin. The local Humane Society wants to get a "catch, neuter and release" program going (I'm sure that will garner some colorful responses! lol).

good luck,
Bill

some of them are hanging out at my place in nm, this summer i fill a chicken feed pan full with wild bird seed, it lasts less that a hour and a half, ribins, meadowlarks, steller jays, doves orios, and several i cant identify yet, farm dogs keep farm cats close to the barn

Catch, neuter, and release---of the irresponsible cat owners I presume?

Same thing happening here in western Washington. Can't remember the last time I heard a meadowlark. Part of it may be invasive species- many starlings for the past 25 years or so, and about 20 years ago, I saw the first scrub jay here- very agressive and territorial, can't help but have a negative effect on the smaller birds.

Nancy remember that the birds that make their nest close to or on the ground also have to contend with fire ants. I have seen nests full of ants. I know you are in E T and you know all about our loved ant..HE HE


MAY GOD BLESS THE USA

Here in SW MN I have noticed over the last 5 or 6 years barn swallows don't show up in the numbers they used to and partridges have been completely gone for 15 years at least. I don't know why but Dad claims BT corn has something to do with the swallows cause there aren't as many insects like there used to be other than those blasted asian beetles.

Glenn, I'll send you a set of the plans we used. I adapted them a little. Made the house an inch deeper. Also built a predator guard out of screen wire. It is also best if you can watch their nesting and after each batch of babies flys, remove the old nest. The naturally build a new nest each time and after one or two they are so close to the entrance hole that it makes it easier for a coon to reach in.

They nest three times here in central MO. The first nest is generally a bust as it is lots of young parents, plus the weather is crappy. They will generally have anywhere from 3-5 eggs. With just a handful of house you can raise a lot of bluebirds in a season.


Gene

Complete opposite here, our place has several overgrown fields and what was pasture. There are a lot of bird species that migrate here, it's always a welcome sight, starting in late january to mid february, 1st ones to arrive back are red winged black birds and I think they flock with grackles. Same ones are first to leave in mid august. Starling population has dropped off though, used to be mile long flocks.

No pheasants for years now, though a breeding pair was here about 7 years ago, I kept those fed for awhile, and watched that male outsmart a fox from about 30 feet away, they are something, but with all the predators now, they don't stand a chance, place was loaded with them, now I think all we have is grouse.

The lush growth, seems to provide a haven for them, helps protect them against the many species of predator birds like hawks. I've recently seen a few ravens too. When all the leaves fall off, you see all kinds of nests in the brush and bushes. It's hard to figure how many species come through or nest here, but the habitat does exist. Orioles, cardinals, blue birds, blue jays are abundant, robins- usually find a stray running around, found a really cool one last summer, he was just great, got him eating and the darned cat next door somehow got him out of the cage, had just gone to eat dinner, can't ever leave em alone, I was irate about it, he would have hung around awhile after set free, would jump right up onto my hand, I've rehabbed quite a few wild birds and some are a real nice experience and memory. Had a swift, (kind of looks a like a swallow), get caught in the woodstove chimney flue, somehow I noticed the noise, he was lucky on that, let him rest up a bit, gave him a drink of water and he took off out of my hand, he actually did a complete lap around the house as if to say thanks.

We never had all these wild cats or people who let em out, things have changed in the neighborhood since I was young, so they may take a toll on birds here too.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Got a lot of interesting information. I think msb might be on to something too!

Pat

Heck - if you're good enough, you can do all three with one shot.....

great! it will give me a winter project when its too cold out to work in the barn!! i can custom build em here at the shop.

I think the birds go where the food is. I keep sunflower seed out year round and have lots of birds. I have house finch year around. They are not suppost to be here (central Texas) in the summer. Usually raise 18 to 20 blue birds every year. I have about 25 White Wing Dove at my feeder every morning. They are not suppost to be here either. I remember in the late 50s a military reservation in Arizona was the only place in the US where there were White Wing Dove.
I have counted as many as 25 male Cardinal at my feeder at once. They come and go. About 3 pair are here year around. The White Wing are here all time. I wish they would go back to Arizona, they eat a lot of Sunflower Seed.

Are they for real, catch and neuter a feral cat then release it?.neutering takes away something but certainly not their appetite for the wildlife.I like cats particularly the ones, when you lift an ear, there is daylight through to the other one.

plenty of cardinals here. sparrows and dove galore also. even got some roadrunners that have been in my frontyard for the last two years. live just outside of town on an acre, squirrels are trying to take over this year. the dove have always been plentiful, got a peanut pile in the back for hog feed and got whitewing, spanish and the reg. dove by the hundreds
l cook