Today, an article entitled "None flew over the cuckoo's nest: A world without birds" certainly has caught my attention. This article was published on November 15,2010 in the independent.co.uk website (http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/none-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-a-world-without-birds-2134031.html. In this article the following is stated:
"According to Henk Tennekes, a researcher at the Experimental Toxicology Services in Zutphen, the Netherlands, the threat of DDT (to bird populations) has been superseded by a relatively new class of insecticide, known as the neonicotinoids. In his book The Systemic Insecticides: A Disaster in the Making, published this month, Tennekes draws all the evidence together, to make the case that neonicotinoids are causing a catastrophe in the insect world, which is having a knock-on effect for many of our birds."
"Already, in many areas, the skies are much quieter than they used to be. All over Europe, many species of bird have suffered a population crash. Spotting a house sparrow, common swift or a flock of starlings used to be unremarkable, but today they are a more of an unusual sight. Since 1977, Britain's house-sparrow population has shrunk by 68 per cent."
"The common swift has suffered a 41 per cent fall in numbers since 1994, and the starling 26 per cent. The story is similar for woodland birds (such as the spotted flycatcher, willow tit and wood warbler), and farmland birds (including the northern lapwing, snipe, curlew, redshank and song thrush)."
"Ornithologists have been trying desperately to work out what is behind these rapid declines. Urban development, hermetically sealed houses and barns, designer gardens and changing farming practices have all been blamed, but exactly why these birds have fallen from the skies is still largely unexplained."
"However, Tennekes thinks there may be a simple reason. "The evidence shows that the bird species suffering massive decline since the 1990s rely on insects for their diet," he says. He believes that the insect world is no longer thriving, and that birds that feed on insects are short on food."
To read the remainder of this article please click on the following link:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/none-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-a-world-without-birds-2134031.html
According to the article "Major Decline Found in Some Bird Groups" which was written by Washington Post Staff Writer Juliet Eilperin and published in the paper on March 20,2009, and which discusses the fact that scientists have noticed a decline of birds in the United States, (see:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902055.html
the writer states:
"The (bird) species in decline are being affected by climate change, habitat destruction, invasive species and disease, among other factors, the report said. More pedestrian threats, such as collisions with buildings and attacks by feral cats, have diminished birds' numbers in some urban and suburban areas. "
The "report" which is referred to in the above-quoted paragraph, is "The State of the Birds" report, which was created by the United States Federal Government Interior Department and outside experts.
Once again it seems a human invention, and human behaviors are being cited for threatening another species of life on the planet. Maybe humans should stop using insecticides all-together and see how Mother Nature responds towards such a behavior? Only our human species views some insects as "pests". Why should humans be allowed to use pesticides against certain insects when this may be causing detrimental effects to other forms of life on our Planet? Climate change certainly seems to be at least partially-caused by human behavior, and habitat destruction is certainly due to human behaviors on this planet! Human behaviors have to change towards our planet and its other life forms,the facts I have cited in this blog post clearly indicate this is necessary.
Source of image:http://kitchenwindowbirder.blogspot.com/2009/08/plymouth-beach-saturday.html
