Skyscrapers and building are killing many birds each year.

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Comments

  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,473
    edited April 2019
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    Don't be disappointed by the people here. There isn't anything they can do about it, which is more what you're seeing I think than simple apathy. Frankly, I think it's more likely that the birds will have time to evolve to avoid death by skyscraper than it is the buildings will be adjusted to somehow prevent bird deaths. I mean, apparently house cats are much more harmful to the bird population than these building are. People can only get upset about so many things. Me, I would like for the birds not to die by flying into buildings, of course.... That's about all I can say or do about it though, and that is useless. So now what?
    FWIW, the university I work at puts birds of prey stickers on many of the windows that seem likely to draw bird strikes. So there you go. Some people are doing something.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    PJ_Soul said:
    brianlux said:
    This is just sad.  I hope this news gets around and someone comes up with a way to reduce the number of avian deaths.  This has to stop.  Birds are hugely important.  They keep ecosystems in balance.  Birds have been referred to as "the voice of nature".  Their status is a barometer to the health of the planet. 



    That doesn't sound right. If it said that was worldwide I MIGHT believe it.
    Yeah, I don't know about the numbers.  But as I later said, whether it's millions or billions, it's A LOT and it's not just sky scrapers.  All structures with glass are potentially lethal for birds.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    PJ_Soul said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    Don't be disappointed by the people here. There isn't anything they can do about it, which is more what you're seeing I think than simple apathy. Frankly, I think it's more likely that the birds will have time to evolve to avoid death by skyscraper than it is the buildings will be adjusted to somehow prevent bird deaths. I mean, apparently house cats are much more harmful to the bird population than these building are. People can only get upset about so many things. Me, I would like for the birds not to die by flying into buildings, of course.... That's about all I can say or do about it though, and that is useless. So now what?
    FWIW, the university I work at puts birds of prey stickers on many of the windows that seem likely to draw bird strikes. So there you go. Some people are doing something.
    I was disappointed early in the thread because it seemed like there was little concern for the actual issue.  I should have just laughed at the early comments and waited for the more serious posts to pop up.

    Cats- yes, the are BAD NEWS for birds and reptiles.  Exactly why we keep Annie indoors.  She gets screened open window/door time for sniffing the great outdoors and I'm looking at building an outdoor enclosure for her as well. 

    Cool that your university buts up prey stickers.  They do help! 

    Oh, and I am soooo envious that you work at a university.  I like what I do but I miss the atmosphere of universities as both a student and an employee.  I need another life time or two to get it all in!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,121
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    They go to the same place where the squirrels take poops.  An alternate dimension.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,473
    Jason P said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    They go to the same place where the squirrels take poops.  An alternate dimension.
    I'm going to guess that most birds go and die in their nests... and I actually hardly see any nests around either, so they must be really good at hiding them in the crooks of trees and in hollows, etc. And any birds who don't die "at home" are perhaps scavenged pretty quickly by crows, possums, raccoons maybe, rats, etc. As for the squirrel poop... I sincerely never thought about that. I've got TONS of squirrels running around my place all year 'round, and I don't even know what squirrel poop looks like! Wtf?
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,094
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




  • oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,821
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    You’re mostly right, I think. Most birds are likely to die by predation, or if they die from an injury/accident, like running into a window, they will probably quickly be eaten by scavengers. Birds don’t go back to a nest when sick or injured because the nest is only for laying and incubating eggs; it isn’t a place to hang out the rest of the time. Like most wild things, they may try to hide if they’re hurt, but it would probably be in a tree or bush. 
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 30,587
    I feel badly for the ones that slam into our porch windows.  Happens about one time every few months.  They usually self-revive and take off.  Once in a while I have to scoop 'em.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?
    hippiemom = goodness
  • oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,821
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?

    House cats, especially in the quantity that they exist, aren't natural predators, and there is a significantly outsized effect on the bird population. 
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,121
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?

    House cats, especially in the quantity that they exist, aren't natural predators, and there is a significantly outsized effect on the bird population. 
    You have been reading too much Garfield.
  • oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,821
    Jason P said:
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?

    House cats, especially in the quantity that they exist, aren't natural predators, and there is a significantly outsized effect on the bird population. 
    You have been reading too much Garfield.

    That would be an outsized effect on the lasagna population.
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?
    Yes, but are cats natural predators?  They are a domesticated animal, and even though that was first done around 10,000 years ago, the fact is, they are still domestic animals, not wild.   I don't think of cats as natural predators any more than sky scrapers!  Considering a house cat to be a natural predator is like say corporations are people.  And look where that got us! 

    Are you following my logic?  Oh good, because I think it got a bit whirlybird there somehow.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Meltdown99Meltdown99 None Of Your Business... Posts: 10,739
    It matters little whether a cat is a stray or has a home in which he/she is well fed...cats are predators.  Once outdoors a cats instincts take over and they become predators, but they are also prey as well.  


    Give Peas A Chance…
  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,094
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    pjhawks said:
    mace1229 said:
    brianlux said:
    1000's of birds die flying into windmills...anything erected up in the sky will kill birds.  And is it only American skyscrapers that kill birds?  Making birds in other countries smarter than American birds.  What about planes? Automobiles?  
    Yes, sadly that's true also.  And house windows.  There are things that can be done to prevent that- bushes in front of windows, owl stickers in windows, etc. 

    What I'm suggesting is looking at solutions to the problem.  I'm not seeing any concern here- so far at least- about the situation.  That's just disappointing to me. 
    I have to admit I get immediately turned off when I read stats that can no way be near to true. As JasonP said, we'd notice if 1 billion birds were flying into buildings. If his number of skyscrapers was right, that is over 4000 birds, per building per day on average. Even taking the low end of the estimate of 100 million that's still over 400 a day. I think people would notice walking over a wall of dead birds when entering the building. 
    The same article later mentions some studies put the number at 90,000 in NYC. 90,000 in our biggest city seems plausible, but honestly I'm just questioning everything about this article when they lead off with the 1B number.
    So at least for me, thats why you won't see a big concern from this article. But if there is a wy to fix it, we definitely should.
    only sort of on this topic but i've always wondered where birds die. i mean in spring and summer i will see thousands of birds flying around and yet maybe once a year do i ever see a bird dead on the ground.  shouldn't there be a hell of a lot more dead on the ground? i wonder where they die.

    i've also wondered if most states have birds, and most birds fly south for the winter, wouldn't the southern states be overrun with birds in the winter? how can southern states handle almost all the countries birds during the cold months? weird things i think about...




    Easy solution for those with outdoor cats is to put a small bell on their collar.
    Why aren’t natural predators ok?
    Yes, but are cats natural predators?  They are a domesticated animal, and even though that was first done around 10,000 years ago, the fact is, they are still domestic animals, not wild.   I don't think of cats as natural predators any more than sky scrapers!  Considering a house cat to be a natural predator is like say corporations are people.  And look where that got us! 

    Are you following my logic?  Oh good, because I think it got a bit whirlybird there somehow.


    Cats, even the house variety, are considered super predators. In many cases they are also an invasive species.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_predation_on_wildlife
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 28,867
    edited April 2019
    People in here don't know that cats hunts birds?
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,094
    People in here don't know that cats hunts birds?

    People were wondering why we don't see more dead birds. The answer could be because they wind up as food
  • pjhawkspjhawks Posts: 12,171
    i hate cats...and squirrels.  
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 28,867
    edited April 2019
    People in here don't know that cats hunts birds?

    People were wondering why we don't see more dead birds. The answer could be because they wind up as food
    Why do you never see pigeon babies?
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    pjhawks said:
    i hate cats...and squirrels.  
    I hate birds and snakes....and mosquitos. 
    hippiemom = goodness
  • oftenreadingoftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,821
    People in here don't know that cats hunts birds?

    People were wondering why we don't see more dead birds. The answer could be because they wind up as food
    Why do you never see pigeon babies?
    Because they’re not out of the nest until they’re mature enough to fly?
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    It matters little whether a cat is a stray or has a home in which he/she is well fed...cats are predators.  Once outdoors a cats instincts take over and they become predators, but they are also prey as well.  


    For sure.  I don't classify domestic cats as "natural predators" but they are for sure predatory.  And, as yo say, prey.  For both reasons why our Annie is an indoor cat.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    pjhawks said:
    i hate cats...and squirrels.  
    I'm sorry to hear that.  Maybe this will help:


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Meltdown99Meltdown99 None Of Your Business... Posts: 10,739
    brianlux said:
    It matters little whether a cat is a stray or has a home in which he/she is well fed...cats are predators.  Once outdoors a cats instincts take over and they become predators, but they are also prey as well.  


    For sure.  I don't classify domestic cats as "natural predators" but they are for sure predatory.  And, as yo say, prey.  For both reasons why our Annie is an indoor cat.
    Is your cat declawed?  In Ontario, many vets refuse to perform that procedure anymore.

    Personally stray cats provide a useful service...they help keep the rodent population under control.  Cannot really see them causing great loss to wild birds...only the birds that are on the ground would be potential victims...
    Give Peas A Chance…
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    edited April 2019
    brianlux said:
    It matters little whether a cat is a stray or has a home in which he/she is well fed...cats are predators.  Once outdoors a cats instincts take over and they become predators, but they are also prey as well.  


    For sure.  I don't classify domestic cats as "natural predators" but they are for sure predatory.  And, as yo say, prey.  For both reasons why our Annie is an indoor cat.
    Is your cat declawed?  In Ontario, many vets refuse to perform that procedure anymore.

    Personally stray cats provide a useful service...they help keep the rodent population under control.  Cannot really see them causing great loss to wild birds...only the birds that are on the ground would be potential victims...
    Declawed- no way!  If she were to get out, she would need them for self defense.  She isn't 100% natural, however.  She has been spayed.

    I though about getting some barn cats to keep the rodents at bay around here but didn't want too many birds killed as we do get lots of birds in low shrubs.  But good luck came our way when we discovered a family of fox in the neighborhood, the rodent population decreased quickly!
    Post edited by brianlux on
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    So I did a little further researching and found a number of articles that confirm that as many as 988 million birds die each year from hitting windows in buildings.  What ever the real number- it's a lot, too many. 

    An Audubon article does not single out skyscrapers but, rather, refers to "structures".  Audubon suggests that besides stickers in windows, netting by windows helps as does turning off lights at night, particularly during migration season will help (something worth teaching in school so people will learn enough about nature to know when birds migrate or even are aware that they migrate). 

    Audubon also state that free-range domestic cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds a year (these numbers are almost impossible to verify- the point, it is A LOT!)  Maybe consider making yours an indoor cat or attaching a bell to its collar. 


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,473
    edited April 2019
    I can believe "buildings". I was just questioning the claim that a billion birds died from hitting skyscrapers. I mean, a bird hit my own balcony door last week. Apparently it seemed intent on flying right into my fucking face. It seemed fine though. It was a robin.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,594
    Another reason to have an indoor cat:  Urban (and likely rural) coyotes eat pets!


    High-cat diet: urban coyotes feast on pets, study finds

    (Also, notice the the finicky among us, I changed the thread title to be more accurate.  You're welcome!)


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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