Where Have All The Song Birds Gone?

[sapper756]

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[Guest Owen]

I believe that the RSPB people read our forums regularly so what I write next is for them.

It is believed that Nature will find it's own levels of species populations because there will always be a balance formed between Predator and Prey numbers. I think there is reason to trust this idea providing there are no artificial influences involved.

In regard to the balance between song birds and Predators there are serious influences which adversely affect the balance in favour of the Predators. Feral pigeons, road kill, captive bred game birds and racing pigeons are all ways that help the Predators to maintain their numbers. The result is that their numbers are higher than they could be if this source of food did not exist. Accepting that the influence of Man has created this situation then Man has to help to reduce the Preditor numbers to levels that are consistent with song bird populations. Failure to do this will obviously result in more frequent attacks of Preditors on the diminishing song bird populations. If positive actions are not taken to reduce the Predator numbers very soon it is obvious that the song bird populations will diminish at an accelerating rate resulting in species dying out completely.

[DJWa]

I believe that the RSPB people read our forums regularly so what I write next is for them.

It is believed that Nature will find it's own levels of species populations because there will always be a balance formed between Predator and Prey numbers. I think there is reason to trust this idea providing there are no artificial influences involved.

In regard to the balance between song birds and Predators there are serious influences which adversely affect the balance in favour of the Predators. Feral pigeons, road kill, captive bred game birds and racing pigeons are all ways that help the Predators to maintain their numbers. The result is that their numbers are higher than they could be if this source of food did not exist. Accepting that the influence of Man has created this situation then Man has to help to reduce the Preditor numbers to levels that are consistent with song bird populations. Failure to do this will obviously result in more frequent attacks of Preditors on the diminishing song bird populations. If positive actions are not taken to reduce the Predator numbers very soon it is obvious that the song bird populations will diminish at an accelerating rate resulting in species dying out completely.

 

the songbird numbers will drop dramatically very shortly ( its already started )

to a level unable to sustain the predators levels

thus causing the predators to die off in huge numbers

 

levels will balance themselves out for a few years till numbers start to grow again

NATURE SORTS THINGS OUT ITSELF

 

does anyone not think that the songbird levels were too high

and the predetors multiplied because of the abundance of prey

with the prey numbers dropping the predators will follow suit

[Guest Owen]

DWJa

sorry I do not agree. The birds of prey numbers are being inflated by the fact that they have artificial sources of food available to them.

There is no way that a proper natural balance can be achieved as long as this is the case. In the case of the Sparrow Hawk the males will do tremendous damage to the small birds while the females grow fat to support their breeding requirements by attacking bigger prey.

It is the same thing with birds like the Red Kite and the Sea Eagle. If they did not receive additional food from man they could not survive in the way they currently do. I am certain that the Sea Eagles will turn to killing domestic livestock as their numbers grow.

[DJWa]

DWJa

sorry I do not agree. The birds of prey numbers are being inflated by the fact that they have artificial sources of food available to them.

There is no way that a proper natural balance can be achieved as long as this is the case. In the case of the Sparrow Hawk the males will do tremendous damage to the small birds while the females grow fat to support their breeding requirements by attacking bigger prey.

It is the same thing with birds like the Red Kite and the Sea Eagle. If they did not receive additional food from man they could not survive in the way they currently do. I am certain that the Sea Eagles will turn to killing domestic livestock as their numbers grow.

 

to an extent your right owen but this is not the case with the majority of predators

they have to find/kill their own food

if even they starved then the numbers would be decimated

[Guest Owen]

DJWa

I have been having this argument with the RSPB. They say that there is enough food for Sea Eagles and Red Kites and they are right so long as people feed them. The problems will come when they out breed the food supplies or the food supplies stop.

In regard to song birds the situation is exactly the same as the situation with domestic cats. Cats are turned out to hunt by Owners who feed them which puts the birds and small mammals at a tremendous disadvantage. These animals benefit from artificial feeding and often hunt on full stomachs. Many species of Birds of Prey do the same thing as I explained earlier. The RSPB told me, and I have it on record, that the Goshawks living in the woods around here were from escaped Falconer's birds when we have clear evidence to show that they were in fact releases of birds from Scandinavia. They explained that these hawks were of a shy disposition and would live in the woodland areas. Well they were completely wrong. We have Goshawks taking poultry and frequently hunt in the open attacking pigeons both wild and racing. I see them circling around here most days. And as for them being shy, once they have attacked any creature they really don't give up and if you drive them away from prey they will return almost immediately. And there are plenty of cases of them attacking pigeons inside their lofts. I personally know of one case where the Goshawk was biting off the wings of several pigeons inside the loft.

I think that the RSPB would like us to believe that they are the only people who know anything about birds. Well I have news for them, some of us have observed birds for a very long time and know what we are talking about. And for the record I was born and brought up in the Countryside and I have been familiar with wildlife for a very long time. The only solution to the problems we have of songbirds being in decline is to control the Bird of Prey numbers and to prevent the RSPB and their mates from releasing birds that can not survive without human support. I want to see the wild grouse, lapwings and skylarks back on the mountains again and I would like to continue enjoying my pigeons without the continual attacks.

[Guest bluemorning]

songbird numbers are declining every year i posted sometime ago about migrating birds that were being trapped by lime sticks and mist nests in cyprus and urged members of this site to sign this petition for bird life international but because the rspb supported them not one member on here signed, these migrating bird are been eaten by the hundreds of thousands so hang your heads in shame members as many of these birds come from our shores, sparrowhawks will decline the most because the male is limited by the size of prey he can hold onto but the female takes magpie and jackdaw and wood pigeon and racing pigeons so less small birds for the male spar more males will die through the winter less breeding pairs for next year, the peregrine fairs better massive prey range no decline, i call myself a bird lover that includes all birds because all birds have a place in our world including bop dont hide behind the songbirds when you could have signed the bird life international petition and help to save thousands of birds but decided to sit and moan instead of taking seconds to sign up, pigeon racing also needs support and the more friends you have in this the better the outcome also raptor alliance seems to be just rasing attention to pigeon attacks by bop there are a lot more other facts and issues with bop that needs bringing to the publics attention,dont put all your eggs in one basket

[walterbmasson]

I know the lap wing in our area is almost extinct and very few sky larks ? These were in an abundance hundreds in a few miles area i used ta walk the dog on the inverallochy areo drome and the nests were every where now if you see a lapwing you take notice and same as sky larks dont here a cheap from them gone eaten by there easy prey sitting targets? blue morning i have it on face book ta save the song birds but them that lives in the cities dont see this deviation thats happening and i suppose dont even care and these idiot, bampots of polititions cant see past what they are going ta cheat us with next to attend to anything as small as our darling song birds 44 million drop from last year in the news on monday but still blaming the farmers who feed most of them you cant make it up ,,