Being a bird probably is pretty cool — mainly due to the whole flying thing (eating worms, not so much). But being a bird has its downsides, namely all the manmade stuff they crash into. And then there are the cats.
Here are the non-natural causes of bird deaths each year as estimated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Note that Donald Trump’s concerns about wind turbines causing bird deaths has validity, but pales in comparison with other types of bird deaths (of course if we built a lot more turbines there would be more bird deaths).
Surprised by the number of deaths by cats? I know, right? Here’s a related IFOD on cats and their killer nature: Cats – The Predator Next Store
Interesting negative secondary effect wind turbines have on bird populations. Many species of birds will not nest within sight line of turbines. Wind turbines have displaced the nesting grounds of an endangered species of bird in the Midwest, lesser prairie chicken. The best wind source region in the Midwest is in the heart of the last protected nesting grounds.
How is the annual bird death census conducted? Are there census takers everywhere? How many birds die of natural causes each year? Are cats getting a bad rap? Luv2Nap
Never mind – I should have read “Cats – the Predator Next Door” first, to learn that the majority of the animal deaths are by un-owned cats (meaning barn cats, feral cats, or community fed cats.
I’m surprised by the number of deaths by cats simply because I assumed that I was in a small minority of people who had outdoor cats (you can’t adopt a cat unless you tell them that it will be an indoor cat). It’s not unusual for me to find a dead bird on my front porch – presented to me by my cat.