Birds are our watchdogs

The stunning diversity in nature means there are a nearly impossible number of ecological factors to consider in determining the health of an environment. For that reason, apple-to-apple comparisons in conservation measures are often difficult to characterize and apply. Around the planet there is such a wide variety of habitats, from tropical forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans to deserts, mountains and island habitats. These environments feature millions of species of fungi, plants and trees, and must provide food, water and shelter for animals, insects and bacteria. Furthermore, these organisms have different relationships to each other — there is the predator-prey dynamic, as well as symbiotic relationships, parasitic dependency, mutualistic associations and, of course, competition between organisms. These habitats are subject to both natural and human aspects, which can alter or endanger them. Nature can impact habitats through events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, fires, hurricanes and tornados. While these can be devastating to a particular area, nature is skilled in their approaches for recovery. Humans, meanwhile, threaten habitats through urbanization, development, fragmentation, agriculture, mining, pollution, pesticides and climate change. Unfortunately, nature has had less time to perfect ways to deal with us. Nature is quite complex, with many perspectives, interests and motives. What everyone should care about is the health of our ecosystems and its future viability. Researchers will sometimes look to certain species as representatives of the ecological system — either in terms of definition, protection or health. For example, there are umbrella species, foundation species, keystone species, flagstone species and indicator species. The first four are perhaps more similar as protective and predictive, whereas an indicator species is more result oriented. Indicator species may alert scientists as to how a particular ecosystem is performing, informing researchers to changes in the ecosystem, or provide areas of concern. So what makes a good indicator species? In the article "Birds as Indicators of Ecosystem Health," of the Avian Report, by Alfredo Begazo, he lists a few important criteria: A species should be sensitive to changes in the environment to serve as an early warning. A resilient species not sensitive to environmental changes would offer little information about what is happening in the environment. The species needs to respond to changes in a predictable manner. If it responds erratically to change, this will make it hard to interpret the underlying environmental causes of the changes that are observed. It should be easy to compile and interpret data on the species to inform policy decisions. Very rare species would make poor indicator species because it would be hard to find and study enough of them to draw any meaningful conclusions. Similarly, it would be difficult to gather data on species that have very cryptic life histories or are generally poorly understood. He then considers the specific characteristics that make birds such good indicators of environmental changes. Birds are colorful, conspicuous, and relatively abundant. They vocalize and are easily observed or detected in their habitats. They are mostly diurnal and richly variable in size, structure and behavior, which make them easily identifiable. Birds have a rapid metabolism and occupy a high position on the food chain, which makes some species in each ecosystem sensitive to minor habitat changes. Birds can fly and migrate on global scales and in great numbers. Their migratory movements linked with the seasons have the potential to shed light on issues on a global scale. There are lots of species of birds which can be found everywhere, many of which we know a lot about their biology and life cycles. In local presentations, when I discuss "why birds matter," I like to mention their importance as indicator species. So which species of birds are important indicator species and what do they tell us? Dr. Roger Lederer provides a few examples in Birds of Indicator Species for Orithology.com. "The Western Meadowlark, although still fairly abundant, has been declining due to habitat loss and pesticide use. The American Dipper requires a habitat of clear, mountain streams, but has declined due to the siltation of streams caused by land development and forest fire runoff. The Gray Jay has become less common in southerly parts of its range, apparently because its food supply has been affected by rising temperatures due to global warming. Greater Scaup and other tundra-breeding birds are declining as the permafrost melts earlier and more temperate predators move north in response to global warming." Some others include red-shouldered hawks of floodplain forests, yellow-breasted chats in restored riparian areas and the wood stork, which serves as an indicator species for the Everglades ecosystem. The hope is that the changes to ecosystems demonstrated by these indicator species will create awareness and inspire environmental changes — it is important to understand that concern with an indicator species means that many other species are also suffering (including possibly our own). Begazo summarizes, "Birds are incredibly useful as environmental indicators. The intimate linkages between some bird species and their habitats make them useful for identifying ecosystem health. As such, they can be indicators of deteriorating habitat quality and environmental pollution, as well as metrics to determine the success of restoration efforts." Backyard bird watchers do this all the time. I read a lot of social media posts and get many questions from people who notice when birds, or a particular species of bird, stop showing up at their bird feeders. They grow concerned and wonder if something is wrong, if something has happened to them — such as changes to the weather, food supply or a viral breakout. Thus, for these backyard birders, birds are even an indicator of the health of their very local ecosystem. In "A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds" by Scott Weidensaul, similarly, describes migratory birds as indicators, "The world is changing around us, in ways that we barely understand and show little ability to control, and birds — especially migratory birds — are our best and most compelling window into those changes." Weidensaul will be coming to speak to Black River Audubon in March, and I will review his remarkable book in more detail in another column, but he shares the concern of many: "(These changes) tell us, with frightening clarity, how very badly we've mangled our shared world. Birds are sentinels and bellwethers, the victim of our follies — but also, if we are heedful of their needs, guides to a more sustainable future for ourselves as well. Their future, for good or ill, lies in our hands." Backyard Bird Count While the presence or absence of a particular species at one person's feeder can be random for lots of reasons, there is a collective value. That is one of premises behind the Great Backyard Bird Count which starts on Feb.17, in which backyard birders may count and report the birds they see at their feeders over the course of a weekend. That information is collected and analyzed to see if there are any trends or factors — positive or negative — that is affecting backyard birds. More information on how to participate is available at blackriveraudubon.org. Bluebirds 101 Feb. 25, 2 p.m., Columbia Branch Library, 13824 W. River Rd. North, Columbia Station. Penny and Fritz Brandau, members of the Black River Audubon Society and the Ohio Bluebird Society, will give a presentation about Eastern bluebirds. This program will focus on how to choose the right bluebird habitat, what features to look for when choosing a bluebird nest box and how to monitor your nest box. They will also talk about bluebird predators and competitors and will show video of the family life of bluebirds. Please join them for a relaxing hour and learn how to welcome bluebirds into your life. Since class size is limited, registration is requested by calling (440) 670-3684 or (440) 236-8751. If preferred, registration can be done online at LorainPublicLibrary.org/events to reserve your spot. Black River Audubon Field Trip Feb. 18, 9 a.m., Rocky River Nature Center, 24999 Valley Parkway, North Olmsted.