[TN-Bird] coyotes help control Canada geese in suburban settings
- From: "Reese, Carol" <jreese5@xxxxxxx>
- To: "tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:57:43 +0000
A column of mine from several weeks ago that may be of interest to birders. The
first three lines are headline options for the editor.
Wait! Was that a bit of wilderness trotting down the alley?...or
Coyote is not only wily, he may be our unwitting ally...or
Coyote serenade certainly a sweeter sound than city traffic...
I rather like to hear coyotes. The high keening stirs something in my heart,
but I don't get to listen for long. My dogs are also stirred, but in a
different way. They listen only long enough to take a deep breath and answer
forcefully.
I imagine their reply means something like this in canine language. "We are
here, we are many, we are mighty. Don't you even think about coming this way.
Hear our strong voices?"
It's amusing to think of it in these terms and amusement is at a premium when
the howling erupts during the wee hours. I have tried to shout the dogs down
before they hit full chorus, but the usually failed effort frustrates me,
making it more difficult to go back to sleep once howling has subsided. I've
found it more soothing in the long run to listen appreciatively, and try to
focus on picking out the best "singers". Spider's voice is impossibly,
thrillingly high pitched, while Tadpole's is more like the mournful cooing of a
dove. The beagles' baying seems rounded and full while Abe, the big black lab,
adds drawling dark bass notes.
I just float with it, occasionally throwing in a howl of my own just to let the
dogs know I support them. Feeling like a member of the home team makes sleep
return more easily.
I learned recently of coyotes in Chicago fitted with radio collars to keep
track of their wanderings. The study began in 2000, and has collared about 250
coyotes and recorded their whereabouts more than 40,000 times. This covered
only a fraction of this urban coyote population, which has turned out to be
mostly invisible and mostly beneficial. While coyotes are reported to kill
small dogs and cats - and these attacks get lots of press - for the most part
they live off rodents and rabbits. They are also credited with helping to
control two species of animals that have become noted suburban pests, Canada
geese and deer.
I was tickled reading the article about coyote predation on Canada geese. The
researcher setting up the cameras at the nests apparently had to suffer many
attacks from aggressive geese. Coyotes were less tolerant, and would kill the
defending goose, then take the eggs. Interestingly, they didn't always eat the
eggs then and there, but would carefully carry them for a bit before burying
them in a cache for later consumption. You may enjoy the article, found at this
link: http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/fall2005/stakeout.html
Coyotes did not kill adult deer, but did take fawns, in some areas up to 80% of
them. This makes the coyote an unexpected ally in areas where overpopulation of
deer has become a major problem, resulting in destruction of both native
habitat and suburban landscapes. In some cemeteries, roses left at grave side
are often eaten by deer before the day is out.
"There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot."
- Aldo Leopold<http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/43828.Aldo_Leopold>
Carol Reese
Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District
University of Tennessee Extension Service
605 Airways Blvd.
Jackson TN 38301
731 425 4767 email jreese5@xxxxxxx<mailto:jreese5@xxxxxxx>
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