Brown Headed Cowbirds...W.D.Y.D?
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Fred Kaluza~MI
- Posts: 606
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:40 pm
- Location: Port Huron, Michigan
- Martin Colony History: Tried and tried and had some visitors but...not enough good insects around here to keep them interested.
Well, it's certainly acting like Winter here despite the calendar date, so why not bring up a topic on a slippery slope? Seeing as how Starlings and House Sparrows are not historically "native" to the Americas, I have no problem with eliminating them at every turn. However, I get Ring-Necked Pheasant around here and they come from China so strictly speaking, they're non-native also. I don't however "eliminate" them although I'm sure in their own way they're displacing Grouse and Quail which I've never seen, but used to be here. So, I ask, "What do you do", regarding Brown Headed Cowbirds? Yes, they're native to North America but not really in the Eastern Half. They're not known to pester Martins but for our other songbirds "Kirtland's Warblers" in particular, they've been devestating. Yes, nature is dynamic but I'm just asking if B.H.C.B. are on your personal "hit-lists". Oops, I forgot to mention that I think just like any other migrating songbirds, B.H.C.B. are protected by law so if that's your stopping point then I understand. Speaking of that, does anyone know if an exception to this protection was made for the B.H.C.B. in Michigan? Officially I only know about HOSP, STARLINGS and PIGEONS but that's at a national level. Do some states have their own allowances? I've heard a lot about Cormorants and Swans and maybe the D.N.R. is allowed to trap & kill but private citizens are not?
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
B.H.C.B. are being trapped by some wildlife people, but as an individual, we are not allowed to trap & dispose them. I am fairly sure that some people do queitly eliminate them whenever possible. I doubt that you would get fined if you did get caught when you eliminate them.
My neighbor saw some cardinals that were raising a BHCB, its sad to see that happen.
My neighbor saw some cardinals that were raising a BHCB, its sad to see that happen.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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starling shooter
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:43 pm
- Location: Central MO
Let's face it. Our neotropical songbirds are in trouble. From habitat loss here and in Cent and So America, antennas, feral cats, windows, pesticides, cowbirds on and on.
So, every nest I run acorss, I check for BHCB eggs. If I see them in a nest...
The male BHCBs get a free pass........
They come back in the spring in huge flocks. They could easily be trapped with decoys and recordings. You could also put a bounty on the female BHCBs. It is just not the warbler you mentioned that is in trouble and BHCBs are a big cause in reproductive success. I rarely find a chipping sparrow nest w/o BHCBs.
So, every nest I run acorss, I check for BHCB eggs. If I see them in a nest...
The male BHCBs get a free pass........
They come back in the spring in huge flocks. They could easily be trapped with decoys and recordings. You could also put a bounty on the female BHCBs. It is just not the warbler you mentioned that is in trouble and BHCBs are a big cause in reproductive success. I rarely find a chipping sparrow nest w/o BHCBs.