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17246 |
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Date: September 13, 2020 at 13:38:34
From: sheila, [DNS_Address]
Subject: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
URL: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/09/12/mass-deaths-migratory-birds-new-mexico-environment/5780282002/ |
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my bet is on the drought in the Western US plus the smoke, either way, it's so very sad.
Sept 12, 2020
'Hundreds of thousands, if not millions': New Mexico sees massive migratory bird deaths
LAS CRUCES - Biologists from New Mexico State University and White Sands Missile Range examined nearly 300 dead migratory birds Saturday at Knox Hall on the university's main campus.
Over the past few weeks, various species of migratory birds are dying in "unprecedented" numbers of unknown causes, reported Martha Desmond, a professor at NMSU's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology.
"It is terribly frightening," Desmond said. "We've never seen anything like this. ... We're losing probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of migratory birds."
In August, large numbers of birds were found dead at White Sands Missile Range and at the White Sands National Monument in what was thought to be an isolated incident, Desmond said.
After that, however, came reports of birds behaving strangely and dying in numerous locations in Doņa Ana County, Jemez Pueblo, Roswell, Socorro and other locations statewide.
The affected birds have included warblers, sparrows, swallows, blackbirds, flycatchers, and the western wood pewee.
"A number of these species are already in trouble," Desmond said. "They are already experiencing huge population declines and then to have a traumatic event like this is it's devastating."
On Saturday, Desmond was joined by Trish Cutler, a wildlife biologist at WSMR, and two NMSU students for an initial evaluation of the carcasses.
Desmond said her team also began catching and evaluating living specimens on Friday as residents find birds behaving strangely and gathering in large groups before dying.
People have been reporting that the birds look sleepy ... they're just really lethargic," Cutler said. "One thing we're not seeing is our resident birds mixed in with these dead birds. We have resident birds that live here, some of them migrate and some of them don't, but we're not getting birds like roadrunners or quail or doves."
On the other hand, numerous migratory species are dying rapidly and it is not immediately clear why, although the cause appears to be recent. Desmond said the birds had moulted, replacing their feathers in preparation for their flight south, "and you have to be healthy to do that; but somewhere after that, as they initiated their migratory route, they got in trouble."
"They may have been pushed out before they were ready to migrate," Desmond said. "They have to put on a certain amount of fat for them to be able to survive the migration. These birds migrate at night and they get up in the jet stream, and they might migrate for three nights in succession, they'll come down and they'll feed like crazy, put on more fat and go again."
The biologists noted that the majority of the dying birds are insectivores, but that seed eaters were sickening and dying as well.
The birds will be sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore. for further analysis. Desmond it could be weeks before results come back, and the findings could bear serious ecological implications.
"Over 3 billion birds have died since 1970. Insect populations are crashing, and this is just an unprecedented mortality," she said. "Climate change is affecting the abundance of insects, it's affecting the volatility of the fires, and the scary thing is this may be an indication of the future."
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[17249] [17250] [17253] [17247] [17248] |
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17249 |
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Date: September 13, 2020 at 18:48:08
From: Debby S, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
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"Insect populations are crashing". It's true that I had almost zero cockroaches inside this year, and fewer every year the last several years. I'm not complaining, just reporting! :) I'd catch them when I could and toss them out for insect-eating birds (like Kingbirds, swallows and Robins) to consume (otherwise I use diatomaceous earth and Roach Motels). I haven't noticed many large insects outside but haven't been out much to look. I'm sure the birds ate everything they could find. I think they ate a lot of flies as I didn't see many of them, either, or mosquitoes. All the insect eaters (including most of the hummingbirds, which eat gnats) should have headed for the southern border already or be passing through Albuquerque if the birds went north as far as Canada. Last week's storm may have caused some trouble for some birds. I'm glad that the regular/local/native birds (like Roadrunners) have not been effected much by the problems other birds may be having...
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[17250] [17253] |
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17250 |
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Date: September 14, 2020 at 11:12:33
From: sheila, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
URL: https://www.pauljhurtado.com/US_Composite_Radar/ |
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our fires here in Oregon are so huge and they were so fast moving, doubt much wildlife escaped but some probably did. We've had so much intense smoke for days now, and I know this will have long term effects on all wildlife. Our insect population was actually pretty good this summer, a few more bees than last year, lots of gnats, flies, etc. All the bees, paper wasps disappeared the day the smoke appeared. Not sure how to explain that.
The Mississippi flyway looks like many birds are migrating through there but not much action on the Western US according to the radar maps which do show migrating birds after 8pm or so, they all fly at night!
On the link which I've used for years to study migrating birds, you can click on specific dates to see the radar loops for the night. It's how birders keep track and figure out which species of birds will be arriving and when.
I looked at dates before fires, smoke started on Sept. 7th, 8th and there was plenty of activity in New Mexico, many areas of Oregon, Wa. too. Then after the 8th, it dropped by a significant amount. Wonder if all the horrid smoke everywhere disoriented the migrations?
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[17253] |
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17253 |
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Date: September 14, 2020 at 15:21:02
From: Debby S, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
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17247 |
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Date: September 13, 2020 at 14:01:06
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
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The smoke can't be good for them. I'm putting out extra
water for my birds and wildlife right now. Some are
looking a bit scruffy (and me too!).
there's a reason why they use canaries in coal
mines..they're very sensitive to the air.
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[17248] |
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17248 |
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Date: September 13, 2020 at 17:33:53
From: sheila, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: New Mexico Sees Massive Migratory Bird Deaths = millions |
URL: http://www.nativebirdcare.org/blog/wildfires-effects-what-to-do |
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you're doing the right thing according to the article on the bird blog at the link. I just got through watering the entire lawn, washing off the ash on as much of the foliage as I can since our backyard birds preen themselves in the big Rhodie bushes by our house. They ingest that ash which I figure has to be somewhat toxic due to all the homes burned and other buildings along with miles of forests which get sprayed with pesticides by the US forest service. Sure wish they'd stop that practice!
I didn't know birds have such a complicated lung system. Details at the link. Smoke so bad here still it's like reliving Mt. St. Helens all over again.
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