By Jim Cubie, J.D. resume with footnotes below
“The recent report warning of a “stopover crisis” demands a refocus of bird conservation efforts away from urban lights to protecting these weakened birds where they are compelled to stop to feed and rest,” warned Jim Cubie, an independent conservation program expert. Report summary at https://www.audubon.org/news/spring-shifts-earlier-many-migrating-birds-are-struggling-keep Citation at footnote 1.
Because of climate change, bird migration timing is out of synch with local food sources. Birds at these feeding-resting sites (stopover) – weakened by lack of food- are even more vulnerable to window collsions and cat predation.
Improving one yard will affect the climate very little, but we can make a big difference in our yards where these migrants are in danger by controlling cats and installing bird window collision prevention.
Feeding site safety is far more effective than urban light reduction because –
- At feeding-resting sites birds face more threats – both cats and window collisions.
- Cats and window collisions are the greatest human related causes of bird death (after habitat loss.)
(3) Birds spend more time at these sites than they do flying. One to 14 days. (footnotes 2,4)
(4) Hunger, which brings them to these sites, is much stronger than attraction to lights.
(5) More birds rest in suburban rather than urban areas.
Protecting birds at feeding-resting sites is scientifically sound, light reduction during flight is not. Sound strategies protect more, not less.
Early morning foraging, not night flying, is most dangerous time. “…. Collisions occur most frequently when birds are active… near dawn… while “foraging.” (footnote 2.)
Feeding-resting sites suburban, not urban More migrating birds rest in areas with vegetation than in fields or cities. (footnote 2.)
A light-based strategy is not a scientifically sound conservation strategy because in flight there are fewer causes of mortality, birds spend less time in flight than at feeding resting sites, and there are fewer birds at urban feeding-resting locations.
How to prevent bird-window collisions — see “Consumer Guide to Bird Window Collision Prevention” https://ornithologycenter.com/sdm_downloads/consumerguide/
Fn. 1 “Decoupling of bird migration from the changing phenology of spring green-up”
Ellen P. Robertson et al 121 (12) e2308433121
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.230843312 PNAS-20240311-10505970
Fn. 2 Living Bird https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-tired-birds-choose-where-to-stop-during migration/#:~:text=These%20stopover%20sites%20play%20a,ground%20than%20in%20the%20air.
Fn. 3. Multi‑scale temporal variation in bird‑window collisions in the central United States
Corey S. Riding et al. 2021.
Fn. 4 https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=etd Abstract
Footnote 4. https://www.audubon.org/news/spring-shifts-earlier-many-migrating-birds-are-struggling-keep
Jim Cubie: An Independent Voice for Avian Conservation
* Mr. Cubie worked in the U.S Senate for 12 years in various positions. He was the Democratic staffer responsible for evaluating the policies and programs of 7 Federal agencies, including EPA and NSF. In that position he succeeded in adding funds for the early basic research on global climate change which developed the scientific basis for the present policy. He then served as Chief Counsel of the Senate Agriculture Committee where he was responsible for all legal matters, including evaluating new legislative proposals. During his tenure there was a major reorganization of the Department of Agriculture in which he played a major part. He specialized in farm conservation matters. He developed the Wetland Reserve Program and secured over a billion dollars to restore 3 million acres of drained farmland. After leaving the Senate he organized a non-profit which developed innovative solutions to conservation barriers. One proposal, to reduce the risk perceived by farmers when they changed nutrient management systems, was approved by the Board of the Federal Crop Insurance program. He was also responsible for the energy and environment policy development for a presidential campaign. He can be contacted at jimcubie1@gmail.com 843-991-1059