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starlings ana nouse sparrows compete witn native species for food and nesting with the result that Red-headed Woodpeckers and Bluebirds have declined.
Cats — both feral and domesticated — have upset the balance with the result that populations of many species are in decline; some of them alarmingly so.
Bobwhites and Whip-poor-wills have disappeared from much of the southeast where they were once abundant. Both of these birds — so much a part of the wild spirit of America — nest on the ground and incubate for up to 21 days. When the young hatch, they are flightless for weeks. Cats roaming the fields and woods take a heavy toll on these two species.
Some birds have learned to exploit the drastic changes man has made in this world and, not only survive, but increase their populations. Mockingbirds thrive because of the introduced and ever-spreading multiflora rose. This plant provides safe nesting in its thorny tangles and the fruits are consumed by the birds.
Because so many of us keep bird feeders stocked with sunflower seed, Cardinals survive cold winters to nest in tangles of Japanese honeysuckle, another introduced plant.
Both species are much more common today than they were when Europeans first settled the New World. These birds thrive in the shrubs around our homes and alternate their diets from insects in summer to fruits and berries in winter.
The bright rbd of the Cardinal and the vocal gymnastics of the Mockingbird are happy and cheering additions to our days. Who wants a world without these two species?
Their stable and increasing populations are some comfort until one remembers the other birds that are not around anymore.
The individual often feels helpless with so much disheartening news on the decline in bird populations. “What can I do?” people say.
I repeat: keep cats indoors.
Readers may write to John Trott PO. Box 59, Washington, Va., 22747.
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