News: Woodpeckers, Nuthatches & Chickadees

[Kinderchick]

Well said, carly & bcf!

[birdcamfan]

Yes, I agree with you. But I don't see the sacrifice of these 2 birds as any different than the sacrifice of millions of animals every day for human consumption. There's an alternative to that too. Until humans recognize all living beings as having a right to live, the alternatives won't be pursued by the majority of us so called "higher beings".

[carly]

My husband heard on the CBC news today that these 2 woodpeckers were shot. It's too bad. I guess they felt that they had run out of options.

 There is always another option if you really look for it and if you place equal value on all species - sadly
some' humans tend to think their value is more than that of their fellow inhabitants.  Two little tiny birds being shot for something materialistic vs something that is a wonder of nature - the birds themselves, what a pathetic species we have become, we deserve to become extinct.

[birdcamfan]

My husband heard on the CBC news today that these 2 woodpeckers were shot. It's too bad. I guess they felt that they had run out of options.

[Kinderchick]

That's a great idea, that someone is interested in building a few nestboxes, sami.

[sami]

We have someone interested in making some boxes. There is another pair in the vicinity but so far they haven't shown any interest in attacking the steeple. But the nest boxes would be a precaution, even though in all the years the church has been there this hasn't happened before (built in 1837). There aren't any carpenter ants - or other insects that have been found - the behaviour seems to be the result of trying to hollow out a nest area, not an attempt to find food.

[des]

The solution - nest boxes. If large nest boxes, similar to the bluebird ones you see along highways, are erected - one for each bird - are erected, the birds will leave the buildings alone. There were pictures of a row of nestboxes, each with a pileated looking out. So there may well not be any insects, since that's not what they're looking for - they're just trying to hollow out spaces for themselves to roost in at night. Guess what we will be doing now?
And for the record - we simply asked conservation for help - it was their decision to shoot.

So you are going to try nest boxes - and, I assume, get rid of the carpenter ants?

[The Peregrine Chick]

The solution - nest boxes. If large nest boxes, similar to the bluebird ones you see along highways, are erected - one for each bird - are erected, the birds will leave the buildings alone. There were pictures of a row of nestboxes, each with a pileated looking out. So there may well not be any insects, since that's not what they're looking for - they're just trying to hollow out spaces for themselves to roost in at night. Guess what we will be doing now?

The nestbox idea sounds neat - if St Peters does do something like that to be proactive in case birds come back, you will have to keep an eye on it for us Sami!  Heck, might even be a great idea for a webcam!

I hope your church manages to get a handle on the insect problem, the damage pileateds (heck all woodpeckers) can do is significant, and having been through it once, it wouldn't be fair for your church to have to go through it all again!  Don't need for it to be a no win situation for the church and congregation as well!

[sami]

Someone from the area sent us an article that originated (I think) with Texas Wild LIfe about woodpeckers, specifically pileated. They said there are three reasons the birds peck - forage (not the usual reason for what they do), mating, and roosting. Apparently they like to roost in large holes that they hollow out in trees. For some reason, even when there are plenty of suitable dead trees, they attack buildings - and keep on attacking because they are unable to hollow out the space they are trying for. Included was an article about a house that was attacked. The homeowners tried everything, but nothing worked. Painting or spraying the building with a variety of substances diden't work because the birds weren't tasting anything - they were just ripping off chunks of wood. They even got inside the house (more damage).

The solution - nest boxes. If large nest boxes, similar to the bluebird ones you see along highways, are erected - one for each bird - are erected, the birds will leave the buildings alone. There were pictures of a row of nestboxes, each with a pileated looking out. So there may well not be any insects, since that's not what they're looking for - they're just trying to hollow out spaces for themselves to roost in at night. Guess what we will be doing now?
And for the record - we simply asked conservation for help - it was their decision to shoot.

[Kinderchick]

... Basically, its was a no-win situation from the start for the woodpeckers... 

 

[The Peregrine Chick]

. The news report indicated that Manitoba Conservation suggested the only solution would be to shoot the birds. Too bad. But it doesn't sound as if there is anything else that can be done to preserve this historic site.

 If Manitoba Conservation thinks the only answer is to kill something..then they need to drop the 'conservation' from their name. 

It's a building...wood and materials..nothing of substance like an animal with a beating heart and a warm touch. No offense but memories are in the heart, the mind and the soul not enshrined in wood or brick or mortar.  Pretty sure the guy in the sandals was opposed to buildings like that and in fact I"m certain there's some lengthy discussion about people missing his whole point by thinking that a building or a spire is what matters in life.     

I agree with Carly.  I personally think it is horrble that they feel the  only answer is to kill the woodpeckers.

Who thought the only answer was to kill them?  Conservation or the Church Committee?  Conservation has no problem with the birds eating through the Church - that's what these birds do.  The Church wanted them away, but these birds are territorial.  Removing them would mean that they birds would be back faster than the folks from Conservation.  So what do you do, keep removing them, stressing them to death (literally in some cases, figuratively in all cases) and/or possibly physically injuring them in the process - then the bird(s) are subjected to additional stress of veterinary care but most probably euthanized.  So what is the ideal?  Quick regrettable death or repeated removals, stress and possible injury that could result in death?

From a purely technical standpoint, it gives the Church time to fix its insect problem so that when woodpeckers are looking for new territories later this year (they don't migrate), they hopefully won't find one at the church and everyone will be able to live in harmony.

Basically, its was a no-win situation from the start for the woodpeckers.  Sometimes its all about how we deal with a no-win situation.  And they are far from the only woodpeckers shot this year by joe public, they are just the only ones who made it into the news.

[birdcamfan]

Perhaps these birds actually saved the building. If there are carpenter ants there, the steeple may have weakened in an undetected way and fallen onto the roof of the church doing even greater damage. Kind of a sad story really.

[sami]

Interesting, since we had originally assumed that it was an insect problem, but were assured that there were none when the steeple was inspected. who do you believe? At this point, the steeple needs a lot of work, as it is in danger of being toppled in a high wind. Once it is down on the ground, a more thorough inspection should give the whole story.

[Moonstar]

. The news report indicated that Manitoba Conservation suggested the only solution would be to shoot the birds. Too bad. But it doesn't sound as if there is anything else that can be done to preserve this historic site.

 If Manitoba Conservation thinks the only answer is to kill something..then they need to drop the 'conservation' from their name. 

It's a building...wood and materials..nothing of substance like an animal with a beating heart and a warm touch. No offense but memories are in the heart, the mind and the soul not enshrined in wood or brick or mortar.  Pretty sure the guy in the sandals was opposed to buildings like that and in fact I"m certain there's some lengthy discussion about people missing his whole point by thinking that a building or a spire is what matters in life.     

I agree with Carly.  I personally think it is horrble that they feel the  only answer is to kill the woodpeckers.

[The Peregrine Chick]

For those of you wanting to read the piece in the paper ... http://c0002468.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/SelkirkRecord0317.pdf

The Selkirk Record is a paper-only publication, no electronic version I'm afraid.  The story is on page 10.

Heard from my friends at Conservation, they said they had had an inquiry in February about the birds and what could be done.  The woodpeckers were attracted to a food source on the exterior of the building but that the danger of collapse was due to insect damage to the interior structure of the steeple/spire.  And while pileateds are not a species-at-risk, they are still a protected species but that Conservation can remove individuals if absolutely necessary and its not a permanent or long-term solution.  Apparently whomever is responsible for maintaining the church (individual, committee, whatever) has been informed that without treating the problem (the insects that are attracting the woodpeckers) they will be faced with the same problem in the future: birds will move into the now empty territory and they will find the same food source. 

On a personal note, most of the NROs I know and have worked with, hate the idea of having to remove an animal simply for doing what its designed to do.