Pines & Limes

Where them birds at?!

Brids are little mircales- Amy Tan

Where them birds at? Well, birds are everywhere you look: in trees, on poles, on rocks, in bushes, all over the place. You may even have a bird as a pet. There are approximately 11,000 birds recognized today. They show up in every environment on Earth, from Antarctica to Africa. They come in all shapes and sizes, from hummingbirds, which weigh roughly 0.06 ounces (1.6 grams), which is less than a penny, to the Common Ostrich, which weighs up to 346 pounds (156.8 kg). In this post, we will cover facts about birds. This will be a part of a series of posts about different species of birds. Come along with me to learn about birds, what problems they face, and what we can do about them. 

Birds play a huge role in how we live and in how plants and other animals get their food and nutrients. Birds are natural pest control; it is estimated that birds will eat roughly 400 to 500 million tons of insects each year. In Europe, birds are so good at pest control that they put up bird nest boxes to encourage them to help with pests. A single family of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) can eat approximately 3,000 rodents in a single breeding season! 

Birds of prey are amazing custodians of nature! Vultures show up within a few minutes of an animal dying. Vultures and other birds of prey are very important to nature, especially in the cleanup of dead animals. In my September blog post, I will cover more about birds of prey and how important they are.

Birds are also extremely good at spreading seeds due to the fact that they fly long distances. It is said that in New Zealand, 70% of plants have been spread by birds. This is because birds eat fruit, and the seeds are kept intact because most birds do not chew and break the seeds apart. Birds keep a balance between plants & herbivores, and predators & prey. This ability to keep the environment in balance is one of the reasons birds are so important, but birds face real problems. 

With the world changing- buildings getting taller, weather patterns changing, sea levels rising- birds often feel this effect. In North America, there are 5 major threats to birds: habitat loss, pesticides & chemicals, Invasive species & cats, collisions, and the current climate crisis. Let me give you a brief rundown on those five, but know I will get more into it in my posts about different species of birds and the biggest effects to there popoulation. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to birds. For decades, with wide spread agural culture and home development, birds have lost more homes each year. Along with habitat loss, agriculture has started an increased use of chemicals and pesticides, which affects everything from soil to water quality that lasts in these sources for years. Invasive species, cats, and collisions have caused the most damage; cats alone are one of the biggest killers of birds in wild and suburban areas; collisions are also a major cause of death in birds due to man-made structures (buildings, cars, wires, and other structures). Lastly, the climate crisis we have going on world wide causing temperature changes, rainfall changes, and rapid impacts to habitats. I will get more into how these birds are impacted as I start my series.

Next month we will be learning about Waterfowl! Ducks, Gulls, and so much more.

Until then, remember, get out there and have fun!

~ Flora 🌸