FYI...

Peter Sullins

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Melius <mmmelius at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <AUDUBON-CHAT at LIST.AUDUBON.ORG>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 11:06 AM
Subject: Bird feeding according to Audubon


> The latest Audubon magazine has an article on feeding
birds. The article
> can be summarized thus: Not much is known about the
effects of feeding, but
> it appears that it is not essential to the birds fed,
while it does expose
> them to some risks (diseases, cats, collisions with
windows). It serves to
> bring wild birds closer to people.
>
> No mention is made of that fact that the birds are
federally protected
> species. If it were any other group of people doing this,
say hunters,
> birders would be having a fit about it. Feeders are
luring birds
> unnecessarily to their deaths, basically for the
entertainment of birders.
>
> An important aspect of bird feeding that wasn't discussed
is where all the
> "billion pounds of birdseed" are grown. A lot of that
feed, to use a
> chicken farmer's term, is grown on what used to be
prairie. You don't see
> many "WatchList" species at feeders. Meanwhile, many that
are on the list
> once nested where birdseed is now grown. Next time you're
birding in SD,
> let me know and I'll show you millet fields where
Long-billed Curlews used
> to nest.
>
> I've heard that 5% of the sunflower acreage goes for
birdseed. I'd bet the
> percentage is even higher for millet. We can pretend
those percentages are
> insignificant, or we can act on their existence, and seek
to reduce our part
> of that consumption.
>
> It won't be easy. Speaking for myself, bird feeding was
addictive. It's a
> feel-good activity with lots of people promoting it and
profiting from it.
> I am asking birders to join me in desisting from feeding,
for the sake of
> the birds and for the sake of the land, the habitats, lost
to grow the seed.
> That would send a message, a fine example, to the rest
of the world about
> the connection we make between consumption and the
environment. If we
> don't, we're just like most people, and don't want to be
bothered with the
> ecological effects of our actions.
>
> Bobolinks don't nest in sunflower fields. Let wild be
wild. Those are my
> rallying cries.
>
> Michael Melius
> HCR 89 Box 275
> Hermosa, SD 57744
> 605.255.4766
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>