As a biologist this pseudoscientific anthropomorphic gibgerish is offensive and its consequences ecologically unpredictable. What is going on here is that there is a fad in the eastern USA over the last few years to have bluebirds and purple martins nesting in your garden (using respectively nesting obxes and hollowed-out gourds).
As a biologist you must be too busy to have learned much about Bluebirds and Purple Martins. What is “going on here” has been going on here before the white man arrived in North America – not quite a new fad that has delveloped over the past few years. Here you go:
http://www.purplemartin.org/update/Indigenous.html
http://www.arts.state.al.us/actc/articles/gourd.htm
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/MCE/Publications/PDFs/FS792.pdf
You have lost credibility in your first two sentences. I suggest further study.
This is driven by the fact that both species are having their nesting sites displaced by starlings and house sparrows - though, with populations in the 100,00 at least, neither is under any kind of real conservation threat.
What number were you trying to type? They are not under threat because we provide housing for them. The eastern Purple Martin is totally dependant upon man for housing. They do not nest in natural cavities anywhere. The western species still nests in some natural housing. Here is more about the problems that Eastern Bluebirds faced for centuries. Please note that providing housing for these birds for more than 100 years has been going on to preserve this species. No fad here either:
http://www.sialis.org/history.htm
So the good folks invest in expensive birdseed, gourds, nest boxes, feeders and doubtless electric bird baths (along with fully-furnished bird condos with ensuite jaccussi). The next step (in the race with the joneses) is to attract the martins and bluebirds. This may involve hiring a consultant and spending more $$$ (this is really true).
Since Purple Martins and Bluebirds do not eat seeds why do you mention seed and feeders, or didn’t you know this either? Please provide a source for your “really true” claim or it goes in the trash with your first two sentences.
Then those pesky aliens arrive and take over the nest - so they shoot them thus reestablishing all things to their rightful place - right? wrong. The reason why thge sparrows come is because house sparows go verywhere humand do. They are not maliciously breaking bluebird eggs - they are sim;lly followign the behavior that they have eveoved over 1000s of years. Tehy follow humans, they follow urban sprawl.
Man, I’m glad that you chose biology and not teaching spelling and grammar! Yes they follow us and we wish that they wouldn’t. Want to know more about the HOSP? Go here:
http://www.sialis.org/hosphistory.htm
I liked some of the comments:
• By 1887, some states had already initiated efforts to eradicate HOSPs. The Agriculture Library (1912) contains a chapter entitled How to Destroy English Sparrows. States such as Illinois (1891-1895) and Michigan (1887-1895) established bounty programs. According to Keith Kridler, since the bounty on "English" Sparrows was only a few cents per bird in many states, young children killed these birds to earn money for "hard candy." The children quickly learned to wait for the eggs to hatch and thus quadruple their bounty. County clerks often felt sorry for these children, and paid out the bounty on any species of sparrow.
• In 1903, W.L. Dawson wrote "Without question the most deplorable event in the history of American ornithology was the introduction of the English Sparrow." (The Birds of Ohio, 1903)
• In 1904, Chester A. Reed wrote "These birds, which were imported from Europe, have increased so rapidly that they have overrun the cities and villages of the country and are doing inestimable damage both by driving out the native insect eating birds and by their own destructiveness. They nest in all sorts of places but preferably behind blinds, where their unsightly masses of straw protrude from between the slats, and their droppings besmirch the buildings below; they breed at all seasons of the year, eggs having often been found in January, with several feet of snow on the ground and the mercury below zero." (North American Birds Eggs)
• In 1912 "The English Sparrow As a Pest" Farmers Bulletin #493, by USDA noted they eat more than ½ their own weigh in grain or other food a day. It contained recipe for house sparrows.
So, we have a bit of HOSP hating history here, too. I see that you didn’t mention that this was also a new “fad”. I can’t link to this, so I have to print it. I looked up some Michigan laws which are still on the books, but I don’t think that they will still pay a bounty on the things:
433.271 English sparrows; lawful to kill.
Sec. 1.
That it shall be lawful to kill the birds commonly called “English sparrows.”
History: 1885, Act 4, Imd. Eff. Feb. 17, 1885 ;-- How. 2259a ;-- CL 1897, 5585 ;-- CL 1915, 7258 ;-- CL 1929, 9026 ;-- CL 1948, 433.271
STARLINGS AND CROWS (EXCERPT)
Act 152 of 1941- Eff. Jan. 10, 1942 (replaced PA 57 of 1933, which replaced PA 226 of 1907, which replaced PA 29 of 1887 (which only included current sec. 1))
433.301 Starlings and crows; bounty for killing; resolution of board of supervisors.
Every person being an inhabitant of this state, who shall kill a starling or a crow in any organized township, village or city in this state shall be entitled to receive a bounty of 3 cents for each starling thus killed, and 10 cents for each crow thus killed, to be allowed and paid in the manner hereinafter provided: Provided, That this law shall not be obligatory on any county unless the board of supervisors at the October session shall adopt a resolution to that effect, either as to starlings or as to crows or both, and then only to the amount appropriated for such purpose by said board, and shall not be effective in any city or village located in any such county in case the governing body thereof shall adopt a resolution to that effect.
433.302 Starlings and crows; delivery to local clerk; certificate.
Every person applying for such bounty shall take such starlings, in lots of not less than 50, and crows in lots of 10 or more, to the clerk of the township, village or city within which such starlings or crows shall have been killed, in a state of good preservation, and if satisfied with the correctness of such claim, shall issue a certificate stating the amount of bounty to which such applicant is entitled and deliver the same to such applicant, and shall destroy such starlings and crows by burning or other effective method.
433.303 Certificate; presentation to county clerk; warrant, payment.
Such certificate may be presented by the claimant or his agent to the county clerk of the county in which such starlings or crows have been killed, who shall thereupon draw a warrant for the amount on the treasurer of said county, and said treasurer shall, upon presentation of said warrant, pay the same from the general or contingent fund of said county.
433.304 Violations of act; penalty.
Any person who collects or attempts to collect any bounty under the provisions of this act, on any bird other than starlings or crows, or who collects or attempts to collect such bounty upon any starlings or crows not killed in the county in which such collection or attempt to so collect is made, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $10.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not more than 10 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.
Meanwhile the bluebirds are used to nesting in holes in trees - often disused woodpecker holes - however the urban sprawl has resulted in less trees thus forcing the hapless birds int peoples garden nest boxes. So if you want to reduce the sparrow problem all you need to do is reduce the urban sprawl problem - and put those nest boxes far away from human habitation - that way the sparrows will leave them alone.
We would prefer to get rid of the disease than treat the symptoms, but thanks anyway.
Re the martins and the gourds, that is another tale of human interference, though more interesting...
Ya, those pesky Indians should never have started this 100s of years ago.
Finally, both species are fascinating in their own way - indeed i believe that flocking starlings is one of the seven wonders of the natural world...
And I believe that you should have kept your “flocking” Starlings.
So to answer the question - no they are not birders, they are landscape gardeners!
To that I say you are a biologist who doesn’t know anything about birds and shouldn’t comment on things that you know nothing about.
Jos, I have repeatedly said that we don’t allow discussions on the torture of birds. The posts were removed as proof of that. I can accuse you of not reading, as well.
You don’t live here and you don’t understand Martin landlords. While you are out with your spotting scope Purple Martin landlords are home enjoying the one bird that they don’t have to chase after. Different strokes for different folks.
Terry, if I did not trap and shoot S&S my Martin housing would be FULL of S&S right now. It is not and that is because I trap and shoot. Choose to believe otherwise if it pleases you.
Mark
and watch Winged migration together and regail eachother with bird stories....I would suggest Attenborough's BBC Life of Birds ... but it's probably not a good idea, he makes an effectual tribute to people who host Martins in Penn- if you happen to have the DVD pop it in the player and take a look at disk 10 part way through.
