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Re: Update on bluebird chick interloper



Tom et al.,

I'm willing to continue this discussion until Will decides to cut us off...
:)

1) Cowbirds are parasitic not only on Bluebirds, but on many other species
as well, including warblers, etc.

2) Cowbirds are invasive/nonnative in the East - they're essentially avian
Japanese Honeysuckle, to some extent.

3) As long as we humans continue to create edge habitat and fragment our
forests (Cowbirds do not like deep unbroken forest cover), we are tilting
the balance further away from the species native to this region and towards
edge-dwellers such as the Cowbirds.

I would respectfully submit that, given the above, removal of cowbird
eggs/nestlings is and will continue to be appropriate.  Keep in mind that,
were it not for wholesale control (i.e. killing) of Cowbirds in Michigan,
we'd likely no longer have *any* Kirtland's Warblers...who knows which
species is next?

Best,

-Sandy

-- 
Sandy Cash
Durham, NC

"The time for change is here and here we are, we're just for you!" -
Funkadelic