We are excited about the potential of Habitat Haven, our backyard certification program, to help…
Debbie Schlenoff
“Birds of a feather flock together.” This old saying applies to both birds and humans. The benefits of flocking for birds are many: They use mobbing to chase off potential predators, even when the predator is larger than they are. They flock together when eating, roosting, and nesting. Who among us does not wish to be able to understand their communications when they gather for “information exchange?” Flycatcher pairs communally defend their nests from predators and issue alarm calls to rouse their neighbors for help. In one study, researchers prevented a flycatcher pair from aiding their neighbors when an artificial predator was placed in the area. When that pair alarm-called in the next round, the neighbors did not respond. Apparently, birds take note when others don’t pull their weight in a group. It pays to cooperate.
Debbie Schlenoff
“Birds of a feather flock together.” This old saying applies to both birds and humans. The benefits of flocking for birds are many: They use mobbing to chase off potential predators, even when the predator is larger than they are. They flock together when eating, roosting, and nesting. Who among us does not wish to be able to understand their communications when they gather for “information exchange?” Flycatcher pairs communally defend their nests from predators and issue alarm calls to rouse their neighbors for help. In one study, researchers prevented a flycatcher pair from aiding their neighbors when an artificial predator was placed in the area. When that pair alarm-called in the next round, the neighbors did not respond. Apparently, birds take note when others don’t pull their weight in a group. It pays to cooperate.
We at Lane County Audubon Society also appreciate the power of numbers and often join with other groups to sign on to letters addressed to members of the Obama administration, Congress, fish and wildlife agencies, and other decision makers. Below is a sampling of some of our most recent joint efforts.
Congressional funding is essential to conservation programs. An impressive number of organizations—over 1600—have signed on to a letter to Congress in support of conservation grant programs such as the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, Forest Legacy Program, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. More information is available at http://teaming.com/news/press-release-save-funding-protects-fish-wildlife-and-their-habitats
We have joined with 277 other organizations to urge legislators to support the conservation compliance and sodsaver components of the 2013 Farm Bill. These items ensure that the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on crop insurance will protect grasslands, wetlands, healthy soil, and clean water. As the Farm Bill makes its way through Congress, we will continue to follow developments to encourage important conservation efforts.
We have joined with several regional and national groups to request protection in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. This coalition works to protect the old-growth forest from logging and to protect important habitat areas in the Arctic from oil and gas development. Oregon’s Senator Wyden chairs the US Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources.
Several recent reports in the United States and Canada have highlighted the devastating effects of outdoor cats on native birds and other wildlife, as well as the dangers to the cats themselves. Considering that domestic cats are now the leading lethal threat to birds in the country, better policy is necessary to reduce harm to birds and cats. A letter to the Secretary of the Interior asks the Department of the Interior to develop a clear management strategy to address the issue.
New research has highlighted the importance of forage fish—sardines, anchovies, herrings, and the like— for the health of marine ecosystems. Small forage fish are eaten by larger fish (including those that we commonly consume), marine mammals, and seabirds such as the Sooty Shearwater and the endangered Marbled Murrelet. We have joined with organizations throughout the region to ask the Pacific Fishery Management Council to judiciously plan for this important component of the food web.
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