Window Bird Collisions

It’s probably happened to you. You’re enjoying the view of watching birds at your backyard bird feeding station when suddenly they spook due to a Cooper’s hawk. They burst, scattering in all directions and one bird, let’s say a white-throated sparrow, sees a small opening of sky and bushes and heads for it in order to escape. It’s a fatal mistake. Although the sparrow avoided the clutches of the hawk, the small natural opening that it thought meant freedom turned out to be the reflections of a window. The sparrow hits it with full force, partially breaking its bill and hemorrhaging its brain. You’ve heard the thud and run outside to check on it and find it dead beneath the window. But make no mistake, even if the bird has flown away, chances are it will perish from its injuries. This sparrow can now be added to an annual tally of birds that have died from colliding into windows and buildings which conservationists estimate ranges between 100 million and 1 billion birds a year; this cause of mortality ranks among the top three causes for bird decline among North American birds and may be the number one quantifiable cause.

A variation of this experience happens with larger commercial buildings. With both the use of glass in general, and the use of reflective glass as the main type, growing in popularity, many glass-facaded commercial buildings have become significant sources of bird mortality. This problem is magnified when trees are planted near the building. Migrating birds see the reflection as reality, and seeking the sky or tree the reflection presents, unwittingly fly into the glass with lethal force. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for dozens of birds to perish at problematic buildings as they navigate on migration through urban centers like New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and San Francisco. Long Island buildings pose a problem too. Fifty two golden-crowned kinglets, several warbler species and yellow-bellied sapsuckers died in one day flying into an all-glass building situated in Great Neck as they migrated south this past October. All-glass buildings at the Jericho and Huntington Quadrangles are also known to kill birds.

Fortunately, there is a technological answer to the problem. Unlike humans, birds can see ultraviolet light. Window and window film manufacturers are taking advantage of this ability by making windows and easily applied window films that reflect UV light. Windows so equipped, instead of deceiving birds, inform them that the windows are solid objects that should be avoided. And since we cannot see UV light these solutions pose no aesthetic concern.

The Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society is working with New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) to introduce legislation in the 2010 NY State Legislative session to begin to address this issue. While all the elements of the draft legislation have not been finalized, it is expected to require new public and private construction to use bird friendly window designs, and to establish a 15-member Bird Friendly Building Council charged with researching various issues relating to the problem and developing proposed solutions, including a program to retrofit existing “problematic” buildings. We’ll keep you informed as this important legislation takes shape over the next couple of months and works its way through the state legislative process.

And what to do to prevent that white-throated sparrow from becoming a victim at your home? Here are several things you can do to deal with window collisions:

• Because collisions are caused by birds attempting to fly through glass, or because they see the reflections of the sky and trees and are unable to recognize the glass as a solid object, be sure to break up or eliminate their view by placing decals on your windows, ideally one-quarter-inch wide, white, vertical stripes spaced four inches apart, or one-eighth-inch, black, horizontal stripes spaced one inch apart.
  
• If you feed birds in your yard, move the feeders and bird baths to within three feet of your window. The birds cannot gain enough momentum at this close range and you greatly decrease the chance that they will get hurt. If this is not possible, move them at least thirty feet.
  
• Move inside plants away from windows so that birds do not mistake them for outdoor habitat.
  
• Consider using screens, bars or film on your window to eliminate reflections. If you can, purchase bird safe glass to have installed.
  
• If you are landscaping your yard, try to place trees and shrubs away from your windows in order to prevent reflections in the glass that look like a continuation of your yard.

For more information on how to make your home bird friendly, please see: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1184 and ww.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/pdf/collisions_flyer.pdf

John Turner/Stella Miller

Why Cats Belong Indoors

Why Cats Belong Indoors

It’s 10am. Do you know where Fluffy is?

If you are like many people, and allow your cat to roam outdoors, there is a distinct possibility that at this moment, Fluffy is stalking an unaware bird, ready to pounce with deadly accuracy. “But wait, Fluffy is well fed”, you say. That doesn’t matter. Cats do not always hunt because they are hungry. They hunt because of an innate instinct for hunting. They hunt because it is, dare I say it, fun. “Well, Fluffy wears a bell and that will serve as a warning”, you say. No again. A bell is useless. Wildlife does not recognize the sound of a bell as a danger signal and even if they did, most cats learn to stalk and seize their prey silently, despite the presence of a bell on their collar.

Cats as our companions

Cats are companion animals, just as dogs are. They were domesticated thousands of years ago in Egypt and were brought to the United States a couple of hundred years ago. Cats evolved from wild species but are now considered their own separate species, Felis catus. Although they retain many of their wild characteristics such as appearance and the urge to hunt, they are now as domesticated as dogs are. Would you allow your dog to roam freely in the neighborhood?

Cats impact on birds and other wildlife:

You have no doubt read about the decline of our native birds. Many bird populations are in a serious and steep decline due to three major causes: habitat destruction, window bird collisions (a topic we discussed in the last issue of Killdeer) and cat predation. When you add up these losses, the math is chilling. Hundreds of millions of birds are killed by cats each year, and between 100 million and a billion die from window collisions. Factor in habitat loss and you are now looking at an unsustainable loss of these species.

Cats also kill prey animals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and other small mammals, competing with native species such as hawks, owls, foxes and other larger wild predators that depend on these animals for their survival. Statistics show that the combined numbers of birds and small mammals killed each year by cats is close to one billion. Allowing a well fed house cat to compete for wild food sources places native predators at a disadvantage. Bottom line, cats are an invasive and alien species and do not belong in our ecosystem.

The Dangers Cats Themselves Face

You may be wondering if it is cruel to deprive your cat of an outdoor life. Absolutely not. Cats that are allowed outside are more likely to lead shorter lives. Exposure to transmittable and deadly diseases (such as rabies, feline leukemia, distemper and FIV), the constant threat of being hit by a car, as well as being attacked by a dog or a larger predator such as a fox are very real and likely possibilities. In addition, there have been many publicized cases of cats found stabbed, burned and shot by humans. Letting your cat outside can also be a risk for you: cats can contract diseases such as rabies and toxoplasmosis, both of which can be transmitted to humans. Furthermore, an outdoor cat may carry parasites, such as ticks, fleas and worms into the home. Why expose your cat and yourself to these risks? Keep Fluffy inside and allow her to live a spoiled, pampered life!

What HOBAS is Doing to Help

Thanks to an Audubon collaborative grant, Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon is spearheading a Cats Belong Indoors educational campaign to spread awareness about this issue. HOBAS is coordinating a council of other like minded organizations, including the American Bird Conservancy, in order to bring this message to the public. We plan to distribute brochures to veterinarians, cat rescue groups, shelters and pet stores to help spread the message that allowing your cat outside is deadly to birds, other wildlife and to be frank, your cat.

When you really think about it, the greatest gift you can give your cat is to allow it to live a pampered, spoiled life inside your home. For more information on how to keep your kitty a happy indoor kitty, please visit the following website: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/materials/outin.pdf. Keep an eye out for a Cats Belong Indoors section on our website in the future.

One final note: if you are no longer able to care for your cat for any reason, we ask that you not release it outdoors, thinking it will fend for itself, or that someone will find it and take care of it. Chances are your cat will end up dead. Please take your unwanted cat to a local shelter or rescue organization. Think of your cat’s quality of life as well as the lives of our native species. Birds and other wildlife are already struggling to survive in a world filled with human caused obstacles. As caretakers of our natural world, why make it more difficult for them by allowing your cat to roam outside?

For the health and happiness of your cat, for the benefit of wild animals, and for your peace of mind, please, keep your cat indoors.

Stella Miller

East End Birding-11/14/10

Scoping Mecox Bay

Today Seth, Stella Miller, and I (Brent Bomkamp) headed out east to try to pick up some early waterfowl, and although numbers were low overall we were not disappointed.

We started the day at Hook Pond where things appeared to be relatively quiet.  A few Hooded Mergansers, Gadwall, Black Ducks were on the pond, along with an American Coot, a Pied-billed Grebe, and a Belted Kingfisher.  Some flocks of Canada Geese were moving overhead and I managed to pick out a Greater White-fronted Goose from one of the groups as it flew to the east.  A few minutes later I spotted yet another GWFG heading in the same direction.  We guessed the groups were on their way to one of the large fields along Further Lane, and we caught up with them there.

Greater White-fronted Goose-11/14/10

Seth soon picked out three more, bringing the grand total to 5.  This is not unprecedented, as a similar sized group was discovered last year at the same locale, when small flocks were also seen at Belmont Lake State Park and St. John's Pond in Cold Spring Harbor.  As we watched the geese a small group of American Pipits flew over the field towards the northeast.

The next stop on our trip was Sagaponack.  Unfortunately the pond did not provide much in the way of birds, but there was a significant movement along the ocean.  Large numbers of dark scoters were travelling in both directions, with small numbers of White-wingeds mixed in.  Bonaparte's Gulls were also present in large numbers, something which we surmised due to their presence on both Hook and Sagaponack Ponds.  Red-throated Loons were having a good flight, with around 75 seen.

Sagaponack Beach

Mecox Bay

Mecox proved no more birdy than Sag, aside from a small group of Dunlin sitting on a small flat that had formed there.  However, while surveying the ocean side of the beach, Stella deftly located a Semipalmated Plover, a somewhat surprising bird this late in the year.

Semipalmated Plover-11/14/10

Just north of Mecox is a group of farm fields which have held many good birds in the past.  In the early '90s a Northern Lapwing spent some time there, and Cattle Egrets are almost annual in the fall.  Today was no exception, as at least three Cattle Egrets were loafing with the cattle at the Mecox Dairy.  While viewing the egrets a pair of Horned Larks flew overhead.

Mecox Dairy, Mecox, NY

When we arrived at Short's Pond in Scuttlehole, we were struck by the sheer numbers of geese on the pond.  A GWFG was here the day before, and chances were good for an unusual goose.  Also present was a small group of Pintail, some coots, a Green-winged Teal, and another Belted Kingfisher.  After tedious inspection, I evetually found a cooperative Cackling Goose.  It remained in the open for a while, allowing all three of us excellent views, and an opportunity to examine the nuances of this bird with the larger Canadas.

Shinnecock was cold and windy, but the birds made it worthwhile to remain outside.  As at Sagaponack good numbers of seabirds were offshore, with most, save for gannets, moving eastward.  Our first new birds for the day were a flock of Common Eider just inside the inlet.  Seth, after careful scrutiny of the hordes of Bonaparte's Gulls going by, skillfully picked out an immature Black-legged Kittiwake.  Unfortunately only Stella and he were able to attain views of the bird.  A small group of Boat-tailed Grackles was present by the Ponquoge Bridge.

After a delicious lunch at Orlando's in Hampton Bays, we stopped at Eastport Pond where good numbers of Aythya ducks were visible.  It provided all three of us with looks at our FOS Canvasback, 17 in total.  Also present were more of the expected waterfowl and a Belted Kingfisher.  Just as we were getting off the Sunrise Highway, Seth noticed a pair of Cattle Egrets.  This year certainly has been a banner year for the species, with at least 10 seen on Long Island, and even more throughout the northeast.

Our final stop was at Patchogue Lake for the previously reported Eurasian Wigeon.  The striking male was quite easy to locate, but also surprising were the large numbers of American Coot, 141 in total.

Highlights of the Day-

Black-legged Kittiwake

5 Greater White-fronted Geese

Cackling Goose

Eurasian Wigeon

Semipalmated Plover

7 Cattle Egrets

American Pipit
Horned Lark

Northern Pintail

Canvasback

Field Sparrow

Northern Harrier

Long Island Hotspots '10

Long before people detect the approach of Autumn in the changing colors of the forest or in the nipping northerlies, fall migration begins for birds. The first group of birds to leave their breeding grounds is the shorebirds. By August almost all the Eastern species can be seen passing through New York. Flocks of thousands of plovers and sandpipers often stop on mudflats at places such as Mecox Bay, Cupsogue County Park, Jones Beach, and Jamaica Bay. The last especially is famed for its shorebird numbers and diversity. Later in the month more species from across the country appear, including American Golden-Plover, Western, Baird’s, and Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and Wilson’s Phalarope. Songbirds, despite having a more patent presence later in the fall, also begin to abandon their breeding grounds in August and wander beyond their normal habitat.

In September the coastal sites begin to fill with songbirds. The same warblers that passed through in spring and then often matched the hues of the newly-sprung flowers return in perplexing pastel shades that tend to again resemble the colors of the present state of the flora. The birds with Neotropical destinations, such as flycatchers, vireos, warblers and tanagers, evacuate the region first. Throughout the month they can be seen well in inland greenspaces like Prospect Park and Hempstead Lake State Park and along Long Island’s barrier beaches in parks such as Jones and Robert Moses State Park as well. By October the more local and slightly hardier migrants, like the sparrows, replace the Neotropicals in the same coastal habitats. Soon Chipping and White-throated Sparrows dominate the migrant passerine scene, but decent numbers of Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows, as well as Dickcissels, also visit these flocks annually. Something even more unusual is possible as wayward migrants from the West discover the Atlantic coastline and follow the normal commuters.

As the sparrow numbers peak in October, so does the quantity of migrant hawks. And the quantity is impressive and easily observed at places such as the Hook Mountain and Fire Island Hawk Watches. Hook Mountain is famed for viewing the concentrated passage of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks. Meanwhile, about a third of the raptors that pass over Fire Island every year are Merlin, with strong numbers of American Kestrel, Osprey, Northern Harrier, and Accipiter hawks showing as well.

The grand finale of Autumn is marked by the movement of seabirds. Sea ducks, loons, grebes, gannets, shearwaters, phalaropes, jaegers, gulls, and alcids migrate often unnoticed well offshore. However Black and Surf Scoters especially hint at the unseen migration offshore as thousands pass just within sight of land. One of the best places to see this spectacle is off Montauk Point. And like a salute to the dazzlingly colorful birds of spring, the rest of the ducks return to their favorite ponds, such as St. John’s Pond, Tung Ting Pond, and Lake Massapequa, and round off the diversity of Fall migration that can be seen on Long Island.

A Bird’s Eye View, Book Review: On Thin Ice by Richard Ellis


As usual, my reading material pile is growing faster than I can keep up. Believe it or not, I now have 12 books waiting to be read, and am looking at them in dismay, thinking, “How did I ever let this pile grow to such epic proportions?” After all, I have had plenty of time on my hands! Now that it is too hot to bird or hike, I have been able to begin tackling “THE PILE”. The first book on the list was On Thin Ice by Richard Ellis. I attended a program given by Mr. Ellis at the Explorer’s Club this past winter, which was so interesting and engaging that I immediately booked him for our September program and bought his book. Although it had taken me some time to get around to reading the book it was worth the wait! Mr. Ellis is as impressive an author as he is a speaker.

On Thin Ice by Richard Ellis

Polar bears. Who doesn’t love a polar bear? Cute, fluffy and roly poly as cubs, majestic and beautiful as adults: they are the quintessential poster child for wildlife and not many are indifferent to them. When I picked up this book, I thought I knew all there was to know about ursus maritimus. After all, bears (especially brown bears) have been my favorite animal since I was 10 and I already own 30 books about these magnificent creatures. As I dug into this absorbing book, I found myself learning about the long (and for the bear, deadly) relationship between humans and polar bears. On Thin Ice offers a remarkable glimpse into the life of the polar bear, both past and present.

Ever since man first encountered polar bears, the big white bear has received the short end of the stick. Unfairly persecuted, hunted and harassed, early explorers killed, maimed and captured bears indiscriminately. It is painful to read these accounts of the suffering mankind has inflicted on polar bears. Ellis takes these accounts and stories and weaves them into a sad but intensely interesting timeline of history. Starting in the year 1056, we journey with Ellis until present day, learning about the natural history of this great bear along the way. We also learn the detrimental impact climate change is having on polar bears and their habitat.

Globally, there are 19 sub populations of polar bears. Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway all are home to these ice bears. Scientists have studied them for many years and thanks especially to the easily accessible population in Churchill, Alaska there is much we know about the species.

Polar bears are among the largest carnivores on earth, surpassed only by another bear, the Kodiak (Ursus arctos middendorffi), a subspecies of the brown bear. An adult female can reach 700 pounds, while a male can top the scales at 1500 pounds. Because they are only found in polar regions, polar bears are superbly adapted to their icy living conditions. Thick fur, covering even their feet (for traction), along with a layer of blubber (up to 40% of the animals weight can be fat) allows this predator to be the master of its domain and reign supreme at the top of the food chain.

Because their habitat is surrounded by water, these marine bears are excellent swimmers. On land, they might look large and ungainly, but don’t let that fool you. Like all bears, polar bears are capable of running at speeds up to 35mph. Of course, in order to conserve energy and prevent overheating, the bears do not spend their time running about. When you are the biggest and baddest in the neighborhood, you can afford to relax. So they spend a lot of time sleeping. They will wait, immobile, for hours at a breathing hole, biding their time until the precise moment a hapless seal pops out to take a breath. Then, with one powerful blow of their forepaw, dinner is served. An adult polar bear is massively muscled, strong and able to haul prey over 600 pounds. One swipe of that deadly paw can easily kill a 500 pound seal. Although they will take advantage of other food sources, such as beluga whales, sea birds and their eggs, young walrus and fish, their diet consists mainly of seal. Two species to be exact: the mainstay, ringed seal and to a smaller degree, bearded seals.

Mating takes place from March through June and the female bear then experiences what is known as delayed implantation. During this process, the fertilized ovum divides itself several times and then floats freely in the uterus until, after about six months, it reattaches itself to the uterine wall to resume development. If the bear has had a poor time of it and she has not put on enough fat reserves, the embryo will not implant. Only a pregnant female will hibernate and if the embryo is viable, the cubs will be born in their den between November and January and will stay with their mothers for a couple of years.

Ellis discusses the various populations around the world in great detail. It is fascinating to learn about the remarkable relationship that many native peoples have with the bear and to learn how human impact, most notably climate change, is pushing the polar bear to the brink. Because they are dependent on sea ice as a hunting platform, as the polar ice melts into the sea, so does the bear’s ability to successfully hunt. Polar bears are excellent swimmers, but that is not how they stalk and capture their prey. They do it by waiting on the ice for the perfect moment to grab their food source as it surfaces to breathe. Because of ice melt, seals have been forced to move into more inaccessible areas, thereby depriving bears of their prey. In addition, as our temperature warms, there is less snow for females to dig dens. Currently, there are only about 22,000 bears left in the wild, down about 50% in just 20 years.

After reading this book, I thought about all the "Global Warming Naysayers" out there. I thought, how can they deny this is happening? The Arctic is one of the regions that will show the results of climate change most rapidly. It is the perfect petri dish in which to demonstrate what is happening to our planet while the polar bear is an ideal specimen, illustrating with unfortunate clarity what happens to a species when the environment that it was superbly suited for undergoes a swift and severe change. No longer the dominant species in polar regions (for man has taken on that mantle and is thus destroying its habitat, livelihood and future), the polar bear now struggles to survive.

For hundreds of years, we have harassed, killed and conquered this remarkable animal. What we are inflicting on it now, through our impact on climate, is just the final indignity. We can change this. We must change this. The polar bear is not the only animal on the edge of extinction thanks to climate change. But, he is surely one of our most well known and beloved and thus, the perfect ambassador for why we need to take action now! It is not too late, but at the rate we are going, it will not be too long before it is. This is an important as well as entertaining book and I was captivated by it. I hope you will be too.

Stella Miller

Note: Richard Ellis will be our guest speaker on September 8, 2010 at the Cold Spring Harbor Library, 7pm. Please check our program page on the website (www.hobaudubon.org) for details about the program and to read his biography. We hope to see you there!