Re: “Birds aren’t just declining. They’re declining faster, new study finds” (Feb. 27, Nation & World):
Thanks for that includes the difficulty of declining chicken populations. Local weather change is a severe issue. Warmth waves can kill nestlings, whereas warming temperatures result in extra extreme storms that impression migration.
Agriculture’s impression on birds is many-faceted. Along with pesticide use, massive fields of only one crop might effectively feed folks however don’t feed as many insect species as native habitat. Farmers needs to be urged to plant native habitat strips to help insect, pollinator and chicken populations.
Nonetheless, the article didn’t seize the scope of the risk that cats pose to birds. In keeping with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the U.S. is residence to roughly 100 million stray/feral cats and one other 50 million owned cats. Between them, these cats are accountable for killing a startling 1.3-4 billion birds a yr! That is based mostly on the low estimate of every cat killing 30-48 birds a yr, lower than one chicken every week. Seventy % of birds are killed by feral cats, however that also means 30% are killed by pet cats with entry to the outside. Thirty % of 1.3-4 billion is a distinction of 390 million to 1.2 billion birds yearly. Please preserve pet cats indoors.
Zephyra Burt, packages coordinator, Tahoma Chook Alliance; Kathleen Snyder, South Sound Chook Alliance president; and Grays Harbor Audubon Society
