[Tweeters] swallow declines

[pan via Tweeters]

Tweets,

I, too, have noticed a decline in swallows in my time in Seattle (32 years).  For example, a couple nights ago I was at an evening concert at Volunteer Park, and saw a total of four Violet-greens plus one swift.  Ten or more years ago, there would have been a constant feeding flock of Barn and Violet-green, and swifts, with occasional other species.  Swimming regularly at Medgar Evers pool, I'd see flocks of Barn and Violet-green constantly feeding low over the adjacent playfield as recently as ten years ago.  A few years ago, that declined to 2-4 Violet-greens, nesting in a nearby building.  Then it was none.  I could go on.  

But don't take my word for it.  E-bird has trend maps for 2012-2022.  Go to
https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/species/barswa/trends-map?regionCode=USA
for the Barn Swallow example, and zoom in a bit.  Then check all our other swallows.  All show mostly or only red.  Red being population declines to various degrees.  And that's just the last ten years.  If the data were available for longer periods, I'm sure the declines would be greater.  

(House Sparrow maps show blue (increases) for much of North America, but red for west of the Cascades, Portland to BC.)  

Alan Grenon
Seattle
panmail At mailfence Period com

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