Are You Killing the Catbird Family?

I usually try to share positive zen with readers but every now and then I hear a story that just needs to be shared and our sensibilities questioned.  Like this story that was recently shared on our Facebook page by a local volunteer wildlife rehabilitator.  Read on...

"A sad story from the North Country Wild Care Hotline.....We received a call about some baby birds on the ground (we get alot of them this time of year) but what was different about this one was that when we got there, we found 3 dead babies and the parent were also dead, all within a few feet of each other, near their nest.

We questioned the finders, are there any cats?  Did they see any other predators?  And finally, had they put any chemicals on their lawn?  The finders answered 'no' to all of the above - however, their neighbor had just done some extensive landscaping and had put alot of chemicals down (weed killer, grub killer, etc).

It is nice to have a green lawn but please think about what you are using and be sure it will not cause collateral damage. Apparently the parents had fed their young some of the poisoned insects and then ingested some themselves - a beautiful family of catbirds died as a result of this incident. Personally, I would rather deal with some weeds and grubs."

A zen principle I embrace and attempt to weave through the posts I present on The Zen Birdfeeder is "Zen RESPONSIBILITY".  I espouse that "Birdfeeding comes with responsibilities to the birds and the environment we share with them."

We are content to live our lives in silos, but unfortunately the world doesn't exist in silos.  The decisions we make about the chemicals we use, the trees we cut, the coffee we drink, the purchases we make, the companies we support...I could go on and on...can impact the environment we share with the birds and other wildlife.

We love "our" birds...but we want weed-free, green lawns.  So we coat our yards with chemicals to kill the weeds, green the lawn, and eliminate the insects.  But we never stop to think that when we put poisons on the yard and the bugs, we poison the animals that forage in the yard and eat the bugs.  We're poisoning our birds.

We take the word of the lawn care "professional" that the poisons they apply will not affect wildlife or other animals that pass through the yard.  But think about this: The Gray Catbird diet is primarily insects; how long can we expect birds that weigh only 2-ounces and their even smaller babies to live after eating meal after meal of poison-coated insects?

We make choices every day that impact the birds and our environment.  And with information so readily available to us today, we cannot claim ignorance of the pros and cons of the alternatives before us. 

I have chosen, and will continue to choose, to live with the birds in a chemical-free yard.  I'll deal with the weeds; the birds will help us deal with the insects.

Comments

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

L.C.: thank you.

[L.C.Birmingham]

Yes i have to say i couldnt agree more. It really is refreshing to see a fairly complex issue explained so clearly and coherently. Many thanks i really enjoyed the read.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Kathiesbird, thanks so much for adding your voice to this issue. I guess if each of us spoke out and reached one or two people, we'd start some change. Unfortunately, I think I've been preachin' to the choir.

[Kathiesbirds]

Nancy, what a sad story and I so agree with you1 In all the yards I have lived in recently I refused to apply pesticide or herbicides for the very reasons you stated. and when I see those companies pulling up in front of my neighbor's houses and walking around with their poison hoses spraying everything in sight I just cringe! How I wish more people would care about this!

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Margaret - very well stated! Thank you!

[Margaret]

Nancy - that's one of the many reasons I like living here. I mow the weeds occasionally, enjoy my wildflowers (and the birds that pick up the weed seeds in the fall), and don't have to worry about neighbors with too much time on their hands agonizing about how much their property values will go down if I have one dandelion on my "lawn." Personally, I think monocultures are boring, and anyway what right do we have of depriving the birds and other creatures of their supermarket? If nature teaches us anything, it's that it's all about diversity.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Barbara - thank you for your thoughtful comment and actions. We can all help fight the battle in our own little ways. Actions speak loudly; don't underestimate that!

[Barbara]

Nancy that makes me so sad. We have many communities now in Canada where spraying for weeds is illegal, and I know several people who make an effort to control those they don't like by digging them out, weed by weed... I personally am not fond of thistles in my pathways, but cut them back. Like you I'll do my best to try to remind people that chemicals often kill everything - including those who use them, not just the birds. Responsibility towards our environment means responsibility for our actions, all actions, as you have clearly pointed out. Well done.

As for educating others, we can all write letters to the editor of the local paper, to magazines, ask to go on radio or local tv shows - or ask that they cover these topics in the news...tell our friends the downside. The more noise we make the better - and everyone does have a voice in some way shape or form.

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Ellen - the information is out there but there has to be a connection made in people's minds that when they use chemicals (of any type!), it impacts the environment. We're not there yet and lawn care companies aren't helping things by nonchalantly convincing people that there's no harm in it.
What a hypocrisy that Scott's Fertilizer is delving into selling birdseed!!!

[Ellen]

That is just awful! Personally, I don't understand the obsession with lawns that many people have, but I'm sure there are more responsible ways to create a "perfect" green lawn.

Whenever I see those little yellow signs indicating that someone's yard has been treated with chemicals (as required in my county), I wonder: How can we educate our neighbors - especially the non-birders - about the impact of their choices?