[Tweeters] Where Have All the Swallows Gone?

[Robert O'Brien via Tweeters]

Yes, hopefully it's a start.  I knew they were bad but not how _really_ bad
they are.
Maybe Washington and Oregon could be next to ban?
https://abcbirds.org/neonics
Bob OBrien  Portland

On Thu, Jul 25, 2024 at 9:08 PM Andy McCormick via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> Hi Tweeters,

>

>

>

> I appreciate everyone’s comments on the decline in swallows and the

> resources that have been shared. As many have noted the decline in the

> populations in swallows is evident to everyday birders and it is part of a

> wider decline in many aerial insectivores including larger birds such as

> American Kestrel which feeds on grasshoppers.

>

>

>

> However, there is a bit of good news about this problem. In the summer

> issue of *Living Bird* from Cornell Lab is news that New York State

> legislature is acting to stop the decline by passing the Birds and Bees

> Protection Act which will outlaw neonicotinoid pesticide on seed

> coverings by 2029

>

> https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/new-york-neonic-ban-crop-seed-coatings/#

> <https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/new-york-neonic-ban-crop-seed-coatings/>

>

>

>

> It’s a start. I hope it is not too late and that more states follow New

> York’s lead.

>

>

>

> Andy McCormick

>

> Bellevue, WA

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> *From:* Carol Riddell via Tweeters

> *Sent:* Thursday, July 25, 2024 10:52 AM

> *To:* tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> *Subject:* [Tweeters] Where Have All the Swallows Gone?

>

>

>

> Hi Tweeters,

>

>

>

> In general, I too have noticed a decrease in swallow numbers over the

> years. For about 25 years I have watched swallow numbers decline at Edmonds

> marsh, even though there seem to be plenty of insects. In the late 70s and

> early 80s, Barn Swallows were a summer fixture in my yard. They nested in

> my neighbor’s carport. When that house sold, the new owners eradicated the

> nests. I have not seen a swallow in my neighborhood since then even though

> there have been plenty of insects. This is a July 2014 article at phys.org

> that may be of interest to some of you. It was provided by Dalhousie

> University. Perhaps they were noticing the problem before we were. I would

> suspect that the extensive use of insecticides on commercial farm land has

> a great impact on migrating insectivores.

>

>

>

> Carol Riddell

>

> Edmonds, WA

>

>

>

>

>

> Extinction: the permanent loss of a species. It is deeply troubling—and

> scientists and birdwatchers are ringing the alarm about a bird species that

> only a few decades ago was widespread and very common.

>

>

>

> Swallows, along with other birds that feed primarily on flying insects,

> are experiencing the greatest population declines for any group of birds in

> North America, and their declines are particularly pronounced in the

> Maritimes. The Barn Swallow, for example, has seen a 95 per cent drop in

> numbers across North America in the last forty years, placing it on the

> endangered species list in Nova Scotia.

>

>

>

> PhD student Tara Imlay and master's student Sarah Saldanha are trying to

> figure out why this is happening—hopefully, a first step in reversing this

> alarming trend.

>

> "This decline is especially concerning because this type of bird used to

> be so widespread and abundant and the decline of a common, widespread

> species hints at a broad scale cause," explains Saldnha. "Although this

> decline may be attributed to changes in North America ecosystems, it may

> also be attributed to changes in the birds' wintering grounds.”

> An ecological mystery

>

> Working for the summer from a busy research station near Sackville, N.B.

> (run by Acadia University and Ducks Unlimited), the two student researchers

> are focused on the decline in Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallow

> populations in the Maritimes.

>

> "I grew up in Wolfville and I have always been interested in the

> conservation of species in the region," says Imlay, "I heard about the huge

> decline in swallows and the lack of information about the cause so I really

> wanted to investigate this question. Understanding the cause—or causes—of

> declines is vital for determining the right steps to reversing these

> downward population trends.”

>

> There are two leading theories about the decline. The first suggests it's

> driven by a related decline in insect abundance or a mismatch in the timing

> of when insect abundance is highest and swallows are breeding. The second

> theory is connected to the fact that the greatest declines have been in

> birds that migrate long distances to Central and South America. This theory

> suggests that conditions at wintering locations or during migration could

> be impacting these species.

>

> Imlay and Saldanha are examining the first of these theories: the

> relationship between daily insect abundance and the timing of swallow

> breeding. They are closely tracking a multitude of factors in the swallows'

> summer routines, including variable insect populations, the date the first

> eggs are laid, the date eggs hatch, the number of eggs laid and the number

> that hatches, and chick survival rates. This data will allow them to

> determine if insect abundance is limiting population growth.

>

> They're also looking at the foraging habits of Bank Swallows during the

> breeding season, using very small radio transmitters on the birds and

> high-tech receiving towers to monitor the birds' movements.

>

> "This is the first time automated telemetry on is being used on the local

> scale," says Saldanha. "With this technology, I am getting a much better

> understanding of how the birds are traveling and using the habitat in their

> daily lives." The number of daily foraging trips and their distance from

> the breeding colony may suggest clues as to insect abundance.

>

> *Summer field work*

>

> To test the wintering ground theory, they are using a variety of methods,

> including lightweight nets to collect feather samples from adult birds to

> determine where the birds spend the winter and their stress levels during

> the wintering period. This data will allow them to determine whether

> wintering ground conditions are also impacting populations.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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