Subject: The primary cause of declining native species?
Date: Jan 12 00:50:50 1999
From: Jack Bowling - jbowling at direct.ca


Michele wrote:

<snip>
>House Sparrows and Starlings etc. are highly adaptive and seem to thrive
>where human activity provides easy food and nesting "habitat." So it seems
>to me that human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the resulting
>habitat loss/degradation are among the primary factors that cause declines
>in native species.

In almost all cases, what is bad for one species is good for another. When
humans move in, the loss of habitat is bad for native warblers, sparrows, etc.,
but good for robins, House Sparrows, crows, and starlings. And yes, humans
create their own habitat, a feat matched by the busy beaver.

>I'm interested to learn more. Does anyone have any information and/or
>examples of where introduced Sparrows and Starlings cause problems in our
>remaining WILD areas where human activity is not in close proximity? I
>would presume that most farmland wouldn't be included as a wild area as it
>is often modified from a pre-existing natural state, or at the very least,
>disturbed.

No doubt there is evidence somewhere. I am willing to bet that problems are
more rampant in southern latitudes, though. At the northern edge of their range
in Canada, both starlings and House Sparrows are so tied to human habitation
that their zone of influence on surrounding birds is negligible.


---------------------------
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca