Bird feeders and dangers

Nature Talk
50

Thank you, this should work in my area as well.

51

Don’t feel bad. I did the same thing a few weeks ago - I posted topic (it was about the value of non-human life) and it got out of hand. I had included some awkward phrasing, and I requested it be withdrawn, and it was. Sometimes even the most non-confrontational posts can inflame passions.

No te sientas mal. Hice lo mismo hace unas semanas: publiqué un tema (se trataba del valor de la vida no humana) y se me salió de control. Había incluido algunas frases incómodas y pedí que se retiraran, y así fue. A veces, incluso las publicaciones menos conflictivas pueden encender pasiones.

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52

cowbirds are good to support aren’t they?

53

not really they are brood parasites, so the female goes to another birds nest and throws out a egg, she then lays an egg in the nest and has the other birds take care of it, most of the time the cowbird chick is able to grow faster and stronger than the moms chicks leading them to die

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54

i think the relative value of helping versus discouraging cowbirds really depends on location and management objectives. Another example is corvids, really neat, amazing, important species but in some cases food and water resources have allowed them to expand into the desert where they didnt use to live and where they now predate on some endangered species. These are all difficult issues, or else they would be solved.

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55

A cowbird is a native species though, brood parasitism is a natural occurrence. Saying cowbirds are bad because they are brood parasites is like wolves are bad because they are predators.

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56

Over here in Cape Town we have pin-tailed whydah. Tiny bird with beak ‘dipped in blood’ to go with his attitude. First time our mixed Porterville flock saw a PTW one poor bird crashed into the window to escape. Not only a brood parasite - but he would clear the feeder so his wives could dine in peace.
https://elephantseyegarden.blogspot.com/2009/08/argumentative-littlecuss.html#more

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58

How can you not like Pin-tailed Whydahs! They are one of my favorite African species, that tail is incredible.

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60

I’m closing this topic, it has engendered too much rancor.

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