Yes, hopefully it's a start. I knew they were bad but not how _really_ bad
they are.
Maybe Washington and Oregon could be next to ban?
https://abcbirds.org/neonics
Bob OBrien Portland
On Thu, Jul 25, 2024 at 9:08 PM Andy McCormick via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
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Hi Tweeters,
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I appreciate everyone's comments on the decline in swallows and the
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resources that have been shared. As many have noted the decline in the
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populations in swallows is evident to everyday birders and it is part of a
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wider decline in many aerial insectivores including larger birds such as
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American Kestrel which feeds on grasshoppers.
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However, there is a bit of good news about this problem. In the summer
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issue of *Living Bird* from Cornell Lab is news that New York State
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legislature is acting to stop the decline by passing the Birds and Bees
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Protection Act which will outlaw neonicotinoid pesticide on seed
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coverings by 2029
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https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/new-york-neonic-ban-crop-seed-coatings/#
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<https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/new-york-neonic-ban-crop-seed-coatings/>
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It's a start. I hope it is not too late and that more states follow New
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York's lead.
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Andy McCormick
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Bellevue, WA
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*From:* Carol Riddell via Tweeters
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*Sent:* Thursday, July 25, 2024 10:52 AM
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*To:* tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
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*Subject:* [Tweeters] Where Have All the Swallows Gone?
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Hi Tweeters,
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In general, I too have noticed a decrease in swallow numbers over the
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years. For about 25 years I have watched swallow numbers decline at Edmonds
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marsh, even though there seem to be plenty of insects. In the late 70s and
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early 80s, Barn Swallows were a summer fixture in my yard. They nested in
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my neighbor's carport. When that house sold, the new owners eradicated the
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nests. I have not seen a swallow in my neighborhood since then even though
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there have been plenty of insects. This is a July 2014 article at phys.org
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that may be of interest to some of you. It was provided by Dalhousie
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University. Perhaps they were noticing the problem before we were. I would
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suspect that the extensive use of insecticides on commercial farm land has
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a great impact on migrating insectivores.
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Carol Riddell
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Edmonds, WA
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Extinction: the permanent loss of a species. It is deeply troubling-;and
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scientists and birdwatchers are ringing the alarm about a bird species that
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only a few decades ago was widespread and very common.
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Swallows, along with other birds that feed primarily on flying insects,
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are experiencing the greatest population declines for any group of birds in
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North America, and their declines are particularly pronounced in the
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Maritimes. The Barn Swallow, for example, has seen a 95 per cent drop in
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numbers across North America in the last forty years, placing it on the
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endangered species list in Nova Scotia.
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PhD student Tara Imlay and master's student Sarah Saldanha are trying to
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figure out why this is happening-;hopefully, a first step in reversing this
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alarming trend.
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"This decline is especially concerning because this type of bird used to
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be so widespread and abundant and the decline of a common, widespread
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species hints at a broad scale cause," explains Saldnha. "Although this
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decline may be attributed to changes in North America ecosystems, it may
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also be attributed to changes in the birds' wintering grounds."
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An ecological mystery
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Working for the summer from a busy research station near Sackville, N.B.
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(run by Acadia University and Ducks Unlimited), the two student researchers
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are focused on the decline in Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallow
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populations in the Maritimes.
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"I grew up in Wolfville and I have always been interested in the
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conservation of species in the region," says Imlay, "I heard about the huge
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decline in swallows and the lack of information about the cause so I really
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wanted to investigate this question. Understanding the cause-;or causes-;of
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declines is vital for determining the right steps to reversing these
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downward population trends."
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There are two leading theories about the decline. The first suggests it's
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driven by a related decline in insect abundance or a mismatch in the timing
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of when insect abundance is highest and swallows are breeding. The second
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theory is connected to the fact that the greatest declines have been in
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birds that migrate long distances to Central and South America. This theory
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suggests that conditions at wintering locations or during migration could
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be impacting these species.
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Imlay and Saldanha are examining the first of these theories: the
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relationship between daily insect abundance and the timing of swallow
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breeding. They are closely tracking a multitude of factors in the swallows'
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summer routines, including variable insect populations, the date the first
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eggs are laid, the date eggs hatch, the number of eggs laid and the number
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that hatches, and chick survival rates. This data will allow them to
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determine if insect abundance is limiting population growth.
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They're also looking at the foraging habits of Bank Swallows during the
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breeding season, using very small radio transmitters on the birds and
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high-tech receiving towers to monitor the birds' movements.
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"This is the first time automated telemetry on is being used on the local
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scale," says Saldanha. "With this technology, I am getting a much better
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understanding of how the birds are traveling and using the habitat in their
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daily lives." The number of daily foraging trips and their distance from
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the breeding colony may suggest clues as to insect abundance.
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*Summer field work*
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To test the wintering ground theory, they are using a variety of methods,
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including lightweight nets to collect feather samples from adult birds to
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determine where the birds spend the winter and their stress levels during
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the wintering period. This data will allow them to determine whether
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wintering ground conditions are also impacting populations.
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