Subject: Cliff Swallows
Date: May 13 11:12:04 2000
From: WAYNE WEBER - WAYNE_WEBER at bc.sympatico.ca


TWEETERS and OBOLinks,

In the last 24 hours, there have been questions on both TWEETERS
and OBOL about the legality of removing Cliff Swallow nests. If I am
correct-- for species like Cliff Swallows which reuse their nests year
after year-- it is illegal to remove the nests whether or not the
birds are using them. It is CERTAINLY illegal to remove Cliff Swallow
nests when they are occupied by adults and when there are eggs and/or
young present, which might be killed by removal operations.

I recall seeing a brochure about Cliff Swallows put out by the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service a few years ago, but I do not have a copy
handy. Is there anyone from the Fish & Wildlife Service on TWEETERS or
OBOL who can clarify federal legislation and policy as it relates to
Cliff Swallow nests?

The concerns expressed by Linda's friend about histoplasmosis are
unfounded. Histoplasmosis (a potentially severe respiratory ailment
caused by a fungus associated with bird droppings) is widespread in
the eastern and southeastern U.S., but to the best of my knowledge, is
unheard of or at least rare in Washington and Oregon.

Continent-wide, there are probably more Cliff Swallow nests on
structures (including barns, bridges, etc.) than there are on cliffs.
Michelle is absolutely right that we need to educate the public to
accept that birds have a right to build nests on our buildings, and if
that seems a bit "messy", too bad. The only case I can think of where
nest removal might be justified is if the birds are building nests on
a hospital or other building where there are patients with respiratory
problems that might be allergic to the droppings or something in them.

In my province of British Columbia (where bird protection laws are
a bit different than in the U.S.), the provincial Ministry of Highways
has been charged several times for illegally removing Cliff Swallow
nests from highway bridges when there are eggs or young in the nest.
It is getting pretty ridiculous when one branch of the government has
to lay charges against another branch for destroying wildlife. Now
that the Ministry of Highways has hired a couple of biologists to
advise them on environmental issues, the practice of removing Cliff
Swallow nests has stopped.

Sincerely,

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops, B.C.
wayne_weber at bc.sympatico.ca




----Original Message-----
From: Linda B <llbart at scn.org>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 11:18 PM
Subject: Cliff Swallows


>From: Linda B <llbart at scn.org>
>To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>Subject: Cliff Swallows
>Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 10:06 AM
>
>A lady has just phoned me for advice & I'm wondering if anyone out
there in
>Tweeterland has had any experience with an interesting situation like
this.
>Seems this lady lives in a 2-story condo next to "The Lakes" in the
Kent
>valley, and she has 18 cliff swallow nests in various stages of
construction
>along one side of her house. She returned from being out of town on
May 2nd
>when she first noticed them. She has a neighbor with a completed
nest that
>has the tube-type opening at the bottom--hers aren't that far along
yet.
>
>Altho she thinks the cliff swallows are beautiful birds and doesn't
want to
>hurt them, she says they really do not want the messy droppings that
are
>accumulating on the house below and, secondly, she has had a history
of
>childhood histoplasmosis which she understands is carried by bird
droppings.
>
>An exterminator will remove the nests for $300 and will put up
screening for
>$2,000 to prevent future nest building which she finds excessive.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Linda B.
>Kent
>
>
>