So, according to a USA today story, when someone sets off fireworks
immediately adjacent to a night roost and causes the deaths of an estimated
5,000 birds, this is the perspective of the Arkansas Fish and Game agency,
as articulated by Karen Rowe, their ornithologist:

"But it's taught Rowe that she and other wildlife experts need to do a
better job of educating the public about the fact that wild animals die all
the time. A bird that manages to hatch and leave the nest still has only a
70% chance of making it to its first birthday, she points out."

"Birds don't go to the bird hospital and get put on life support and die
there. They just die. Mother Nature is not a nice lady," she says.

Not all of the birds were blackbirds. Some were European Starlings. But,
still, many of these dead birds are protected under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act. Government agencies go to great lengths to avoid violating the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the course of doing normal, legal activities.
So, why does a government employee, representing the agency charged with
stewardship of this public resource, feel compelled to try to get people to
"chill" because, after all, birds die all of the time. So, how does an
Arkansas Fish and Game employee react when they come across someone with a
shotgun and a dead hawk or owl who tells them to calm down and put away
their citation pad because, after all, these birds die all of the time.

Kelly McAllister

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Bill
Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2011 4:43 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Arkansas bird deaths explained

The short answer: fireworks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110105/ts_yblog_thelookout/myster
ious-bird-deaths-caused-by-fireworks

Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA.



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