[TN-Bird] Re: north american bird mortality
- From: David B Coe <davidbcoeauthor@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: TN-Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 16:55:26 -0500
Thanks for the links, Kenneth. I certainly can see the point about scale.
(Although I have to admit to being slightly amused by the thought of millions
of tourists spishing in GSNP. I think the birds would be laughing their tails
off at us all . . .) In any case, I appreciate the good discussion and your
contribution to it.
I realize that I didn’t leave my location and name earlier.
David B. Coe
Sewanee, Franklin County
*****
David B. Coe
www.DavidBCoe.com
www.dbjackson-author.com
Now Available:
THIEFTAKER, by D.B. Jackson
THIEVES' QUARRY, by D.B. Jackson
Coming Soon: A PLUNDER OF SOULS, by D.B. Jackson
On Jun 6, 2014, at 4:49 PM, Mcdonald, Kenneth <kenneth_mcdonald@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> I think the operative point is scale of risk. The example given at the
> beginning of the thread was areas that see a lot of pressure from birders. My
> own example was the Smokies: it's America's most visited National Park. The
> NPS looks at both individual and cumulative effects - the risk of one person
> performing an act and the risk of millions of people repeating the act. The
> same can be said of areas frequented by large numbers of birders each year.
> There is the impact I, as an individual might have ...then there is the
> aggregate, cumulative impact of many people on the same area. I present some
> literature below that touches the surface of how casual human encounters can
> shape the behavior of individual birds and the structure of avian communities.
>
> Gill, Jennifer A. "Approaches to measuring the effects of human disturbance
> on birds." Ibis 149.s1 (2007): 9-14.
>
> Cresswell, Will. "Non‐lethal effects of predation in birds." Ibis 150.1
> (2008): 3-17.
>
> Fernández-Juricic, Esteban. "Can human disturbance promote nestedness? A case
> study with breeding birds in urban habitat fragments." Oecologia 131.2
> (2002): 269-278.
>
> Miller, James R., and N. Thompson Hobbs. "Recreational trails, human
> activity, and nest predation in lowland riparian areas." Landscape and urban
> planning 50.4 (2000): 227-236.
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 4:35 PM, David B Coe <davidbcoeauthor@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> As I understand it, there is no law concerning spishing or recordings. The
> Migratory Bird Act protects birds from direct harm. And specific localities
> have banned these activities, as is their right. But there is no law against
> spishing, and outside of breeding season I’m really not convinced that it is
> a harmful practice. Using recordings might be somewhat more intrusive, and I
> think that discussing the ethics of both is a worthy use of this forum. But
> I think that Stephen raises an excellent point about the relative harm that
> spishing might do. And I also think that the point Rick raised about any
> foray into a natural environment being a disturbance is an excellent one.
> How many of us have accidentally flushed an owl or hawk only to have that
> bird mobbed by crows as a direct result. I know that I have, perhaps to the
> detriment of the owl. So am I to give up birding? Of course not, and I
> realize no one is saying that I should. But I just think that there is a
> balance to be found between being aware of the harm we can do on breeding
> grounds and endorsing blanket rules that are beyond what is necessary to
> protect wildlife.
>
> *****
> David B. Coe
> www.DavidBCoe.com
> www.dbjackson-author.com
>
> Now Available:
> THIEFTAKER, by D.B. Jackson
> THIEVES' QUARRY, by D.B. Jackson
>
> Coming Soon: A PLUNDER OF SOULS, by D.B. Jackson
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 6, 2014, at 4:26 PM, Mcdonald, Kenneth <kenneth_mcdonald@xxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>> One is still a violation of the law, though.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 4:22 PM, David B Coe <davidbcoeauthor@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>> And I have to say that I would be utterly shocked if the number of deaths
>> caused by spishers and birders using recordings came anywhere near the upper
>> end of Stephen’s estimate.
>> *****
>> David B. Coe
>> www.DavidBCoe.com
>> www.dbjackson-author.com
>>
>> Now Available:
>> THIEFTAKER, by D.B. Jackson
>> THIEVES' QUARRY, by D.B. Jackson
>>
>> Coming Soon: A PLUNDER OF SOULS, by D.B. Jackson
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jun 6, 2014, at 4:09 PM, Carole Gobert <cpgobert@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> oil spills, habitat degradation/destruction, natural predators,
>>> pesticides... it's a wonder there are any birds left
>>>
>>> Carole Gobert, Knoxville
>>>
>>> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 17:02:59 -0400
>>> Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: north american bird mortality
>>> From: wgpu@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>> To: SStedman@xxxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>> Windmills and desert solar arrays.
>>>
>>> Bates Estabrooks
>>> Anderson Cty.
>>>
>>> --- Original Message ---
>>>
>>> From: "Stedman, Stephen" <SStedman@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: June 6, 2014 4:56 PM
>>> To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: [TN-Bird] north american bird mortality
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by free-roaming cats in North America: 1
>>> billion per year.
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by bird-strikes against windows in North
>>> America: 100 million per year.
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by bird-strikes against structures other than
>>> windows in North America: 10 million plus per year.
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by illegal shooting in North America: 5
>>> million plus per year.
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by collisions with automobiles in North
>>> America: 1 million plus per year; but automobiles are a net plus for birds
>>> because of all the bird predators that are also killed by collisions with
>>> automobiles.
>>>
>>> Estimated bird deaths caused by spishers in North America: 1000-10000 per
>>> year; I pulled this figure out of the air but I doubt it is out of touch
>>> with reality by much.
>>>
>>> Now where should those enforcing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 be
>>> focusing their attention?
>>>
>>> Stephen J. Stedman, Ph.D.
>>> Professor Emeritus
>>> Tennessee Technological University
>>> 2675 Lakeland Dr.
>>> Cookeville, TN 38506
>>>
>>> 931-528-3820
>>>
>>> http://iweb.tntech.edu/sstedman/birds.htm
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kenneth W. McDonald
>>
>> Energy Biologist
>>
>> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
>>
>> 446 Neal Street
>>
>> Cookeville, TN 38501
>>
>> Office: 931.525.4990
>>
>> Fax: 931.528.7075
>>
>> kenneth_mcdonald@xxxxxxx
>>
>> Energy and persistence will conquer all things
>> - Benjamin Franklin
>
>
>
>
> --
> Kenneth W. McDonald
>
> Energy Biologist
>
> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
>
> 446 Neal Street
>
> Cookeville, TN 38501
>
> Office: 931.525.4990
>
> Fax: 931.528.7075
>
> kenneth_mcdonald@xxxxxxx
>
> Energy and persistence will conquer all things
> - Benjamin Franklin
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