The Birdhouse Network (And Cornell University)

[Fred Kaluza~MI]

Cornell University has a list of the 16 "most wanted" species. The way I read it, these are not necessarily the most endangered, it's just that they lack enough collected data to make good assessments. Purple Martins are on the list. Here's the link.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/ ... ost_wanted

[Sue]

Thanks, Fred. That is veery interesting.

[Fred Kaluza~MI]

As a follow up, I think it might be wise for us as individuals as well as the PMCA staff in particular to give Cornell a few words about Martin management. Given the following quote from their web page..."The Birdhouse Network will begin a concerted conservation effort aimed at educating nest-box monitors about their nesting requirements and encourage participants to erect homes for them.", I'm a tad concerned. I believe Cornell takes a "non-interference" stand as they are willing to include data on nesting House Sparrows and Starlings instead of coaching people to remove them as invasive non-native species. Citing a decline and then effectively encouraging House Sparrow and Starling population increases seems to go against what most of us have learned. Let's be sure to tell Cornell to at least ask people to visit us here and learn what's required by means of effective Martin management before they convince indivuals (or groups), to install what turn out to be breeding quarters for the enemies of the birds they're seeing declines in. Here's how to contact the folks at Cornell's Birdhouse Network "T.B.N." email to...

[email protected]

[Guest]

Fred,

Excellent points! Perhaps PMCA and other martin organizations should start using terms like 'responsible martin hosting' and 'complete martin management' to describe the entire martin hosting process. The objective would be to inseparably link proper housing designs and non-native bird control as essential parts of the whole martin experience.

As you point out, it is actually detrimental to martins for people to simply raise a martin house and not manage it. In fact, an unmanaged house raises the breeding opportunities for non-native birds.

Jeff Nelson

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

These organizations don't have the same concerns as the martin landlords have, they trap sparrows and band them, etc to get the statistics about the sparrows. I don't see many landlords releasing sparrows. Cornell is not concerned about martin populations except to monitor them so that they don't go extinct. The few martin landlords that trap & shoot sparrows do not make a dent in the overall population, but the landlord can make a big dent in the local population of sparrows, starlings, etc.

[Louise Chambers]

Fred,

I've looked at the TBN several times and in reading through the info on dealing with non-native birds/nest site competitors, they do advise controlling them, even including a link to PMCA as a source for traps for starlings and house sparrows.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/ ... non_native

They have some good articles, links, etc. I don't know if you looked at this portion of the TBN info, but it looks pretty good. I'm glad you brought this issue up, though, because if martin folks will bring these issues up, it helps educate more people both about the needs of martins and the problems caused by starlings and house sparrows.

Jeff, your ideas are good too - the martin experience includes some unpleasant situations such as the need to control hosp and starlings. It's frustrating when less hands-on landlords report that 'their martins and the sparrows get on just fine' when we all know that's just not so. Public education is mission #1; without it, we limit how much each of us can help martins.

Louise

[Guest]

Emil,

I agree with the points that you make. However, because martins are virtually 100% reliant on housing provided by man, the non-native bird management becomes essential to martin survival as a species.

It is probably impossible to totally eliminate the non-native birds. Still, I think that the practice of reducing or eliminating sparrows and starlings provide a necessary 'safe harbor' area for martins to breed and multiply. Hence the purpose of getting people to think of the total package when considering the welfare of the martin species.

Jeff Nelson

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Louise. I attempted to help a person just East of town here a couple of years ago. Nice open area. Nice pool (I believe he said Five acres). And a former PM colony. He gave me the line "My Purple Martins and House Sparrows get along just fine." By the tone of his voice, I knew I was on awfully thin ice, so I felt it was better to NOT mention the fact that what he had was European Starlings, and EHS. I didn't feel it was worth a fight. Just over a year later, he removed all the houses that were still standing. There were so many EUST and EHS that I'm sure I probably got a few here, which is about five miles away. BUT, I'm whittling into their numbers with my pellet gun. ha ha. CUL Lou

[Louise Chambers]

Lou,

Each one of us that whittles away at the starlings and HOSP in our own backyards helps make things better for all our native birds, whether we have nesting martins or not. I don't enjoy dispatching them but I do enjoy the end results: more native birds, and no martin adults or nestlings lost to competition from HOSP or starlings.

About time to set up our traps again here - I think it's helpful to start trapping about a month before martins are due back.

Louise

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Louise, the starlings got real active here about 3days ago, they are looking for nest boxes. I caught 4 in my repeating trap recently

[TreeGreenwood]

I take part in both PMCA and TBN. Both collect valuable data.

In TBN's data entry, monitors are specifically asked if and when nests of compeditors are removed. TBN doesn't specifically ask about trapping but that information can be included in comments.

The Birdhouse Network (TBN) will collect information on ALL nesting birds in North America, invasive alien compeditors as well as native species. If all goes well, their database will expand this season to include all nests found, not just nestboxes.

Take care,

Tree

[Fred Kaluza~MI]

Well Louise, I read their info on non-native control and I sense a certain amount of "tap-dancing" going on. They talk about "passive" control and "active" control but never once mention shooting or killing or any really "permanent" solution. The closest they get is talking about trapping. I still feel that most people who "trap" them will wind up releasing them somewhere. I think that as is the case with a lot of volunteer funded programs, they don't want to run the risk of alienating their audience and jeopardizing their existance. In the end, they point to groups like the PMCA and let us be the "muscle" in the effort to tell the truth about what has proven to be the only method that bears results. I guess we'll just have to see how they roll out their conservation program as was described above. The truth should be BIG, BOLD and IN-YOUR-FACE for all to see on the front page of their website...Non Native species are actively displacing Native birds at an unprescedented rate. This is true for both plants and animals. Many agencies admit invasive species are THE BIGGEST THREAT in our current environment. At one point they simply ask people who live in "infested" areas to not install nest boxes. Do you think they've looked at their own maps that show the extent of European Starlings in North America? If we followed their guidelines, there would not be ANY nestboxes in this country. Measuring the rate of descent is not going to do anything to keep the ship from sinking.

[Guest]

Fred,

Another idea would be to paint EHS's and Starlings as the rats and mice of the North American bird kingdom. We all know that if people viewed them like rats and mice that they would not hesitate a moment to do what needs to be done - namely trapping and elimination. Imagine if people would look out their window and in their minds see their bird houses and feeders over-run with rats and mice. Unfortunately, the uninformed public probably can't even positively identify EHS's and Starlings from other species of birds.

Jeff Nelson

[Louise Chambers]

Those are good points, Fred, especially when keeping in mind the ranges of starlings and HOSP (ie, they are EVERYWHERE). Although it is a touchy issue to address with those new to managing nestboxes, I prefer to be up front about it. Being straightforward and matter of fact in presenting the issue of controlling non-natives communicates that attitude, rather than avoiding it and suggesting there is something wrong with controlling them. Clog dancing, ha ha, rather than tap dancing. You are probably right in saying that many bird/conservation organizations don't want to deal with the issue up front. Unless they do a fair amount of work with cavity nesters, they don't have first hand experience. Purple martin and bluebird organizations simply can't avoid it though. I have seen good information presented at some state parks and by other public conservation organizations - a park PMCA works with displays HOSP nests along with photos of broken martin & bluebird eggs and explains the problems that come from allowing non-native species to use martin and bluebird housing.

I am very grateful for the wide range of good traps available to us today, that's for sure.

Louise

[CUL Lou~Mich]

I believe the problem is that those new folks don't have any idea what EHS or EUST do to our native birds. If the TBN were to use the K (as in kill) or E (as in eliminate) in the same sentence with "Those cute brown birds" they would be inundated with letters, and threats to "never donate" again. Even though "we" know, and possibly the TBN knows right from wrong, it's probably hard for them to put it BOLD and IN YOUR FACE, for fear of losing much needed funds. Better for them to give the information, and let each individual make their own choice. I've been to their site, and there is tons of information. I've got it bookmarked, and will spend more time as I'm able, but from what I'm seeing so far, the information is there. Now don't go trying to stone me, I'm NOT in agreement with this kind of thinking. Just that I can look at it from more than one angle, and see others side of things. Believe me. I "k" or "e" my share of both EHS and EUST. But I also know that most folks in my town probably don't know an EHS from a HOWR. They're both just "Cute little brown birds" to them. CUL Lou

[bwenger]

I too have witnessed an increase of Hosp's at my feeders the last couple of days. I have been thinking of getting the PMCA's repeating box trap. Is this good for both HS and starling's? I feel that I have made up my mind, but what is the best way of getting rid of the birds. once and for all. I thought of covering the trap up with a blanket and hooking a hose up to the muffler of my truck. It seems that that should be a humane way. Any other ideas?

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Most repeating traps work best for starlings. It is a bit difficult to set many of them to trigger on a house sparrow. The problem is that they may not reset. I can say that if the mechanism is well made, that you can catch both and it will reset.

The problem is that the sparrows are so lightweight, that the balance point is so critical, it simply is not enough leverage there to reset on many traps. Good luck on the one you buy or make, and hope it catches both.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

bwenger, the most humane way for me is to hold the sparrow in one hand and gently pull on its head with the other hand and that separates the spine in the birds neck. The sparrow simply goes limp, it takes only a second, and there is no blood. This method seems difficult for some people, but I think it is the very best.

[bwenger]

Thanks Emil, that beats yanking their heads off. I appreciate all of the advice that you and all of the other veterans of this web site have provided to all of us wannabe's. The knowledge that I have gained by reading all of the posts seem to have provided me a lot of expertise, but all I need is for the birds to stop now.

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Bwenger. I trap, using a SD-1. That's the Sparro-Door 1. It fits into the round hole of a Trio. When the English House Sparrow goes inside, the trap door flops down. Very effective, and pretty simple to use. Once I see the door down, I get myself a glass quart jar. (The kind one would can in) piece of wood to cover the jar with, and a can of starting fluid, go out, put the glass jar at the door, and open the door up. (There's a handle to do so with.) Seeing light coming through the glass jar, the EHS normally just beats a hasty retreat expecting to make a clean get away, but ends up in the bottom of the jar. Once it's in there, I quickly turn the jar right side up, and cover the top with my hand. I then take some Starting Fluid, give a second or so shot into the jar, and cover with a piece of plywood, or solid wood whichever I've grabbed. After that, it's mere seconds before the EHS is laying on the bottom dead. I then put it into a plastic bag, and tie it good, then into the garbage can. As for European Starlings, I remove them from the trap, take both legs in one hand, and wack it's head against one of the wooden poles. Very quick death. I try to get each death over as quickly as possible, since I'm NOT in it to make them suffer. I'm doing it to rid them from my yard. CUL Lou