User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Birds MIA

The Eu Doves and House Finches are MIA. Wonder where they went?

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

In my area, Cowbirds can be a problem. Over the years, I have seen the garden bird parents busily feeding cowbird fledglings — house finches, cardinals, mourning doves ... Recently, I saw a Song Sparrow feeding a cowbird fledgling that was same size.

Are there Cowbirds in your area? I have read that, as the name suggests, they actually flock around cows and cattle, though there are none of those around the immediate area here.

User avatar
digitS'
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3923
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

Over the years, I have noticed changes in bird populations. The arrival of starlings in the 1960s and of those EU doves about 10 years ago were dramatic. But, there are not so dramatic changes every year. Powers of observation plays a role, too.

One thing, I learned that I live on more than one border. The house finches don't live much further north or higher. That meant that a bird that I felt was quite common a few years ago, disappeared from my observation for a couple of years until I see a few of them in 2018. Vultures ... I didn't see them the first 40+ years I lived here. They showed up for a few years recently but are MIA again this year.

Meadow larks used to be common here . I haven't seen one in decades. Even song sparrows ... they were always in my gardens. I waited months this year to see the few that are now around. The American goldfinch might not be breeding here this year. I see them but not a single male, fully decked out in his breeding plumage. Good heavens! About two years ago, one garden was almost chaotic because of all the goldfinches.

Steve

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have noticed that I don't see as many house sparrows. The doves, cardinals, bulbuls, and finches are not native birds and they are territorial. I think they just take over and the other birds disappear because they cannot compete. The mejiro still comes around. For such a small bird, it is pretty feisty. The golden plover should be arriving soon. It flies here from Alaska every year to spend the winter. It is the real "snowbird".



Return to “Wildlife - Gardening with Local Critters in Mind”