Bye-bye birdy : Global warming suspected as reason for a declining blackbird population in Arkansas.

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/68875/

Bye-bye birdy : Global warming suspected as reason for a declining blackbird population in Arkansas.

By Eleanor Evans Staff Writer ! [e-mail]

Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008

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The blackbirds in northwest Arkansas once were a late-fall staple - but this year, the blackbirds just haven't been coming out in the same numbers.

Thurman W. Booth, state director of Arkansas Wildlife Services in Sherwood, has made the same observation, and said blackbirds have declined over the past decade in Arkansas. Booth said climate change may be the largest reason for the decline. "As global warming progresses, and the warming cycle is making winters warmer we believe (the birds) are wintering north. In the last 10 years, we've seen a distinct pattern that Arkansas has far fewer blackbirds and starlings than we had, say, in the 1970s," he said.

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Dan Scheiman, Bird Conservation director with Audubon Arkansas in Little Rock, said he hasn't seen any reports of fewer blackbirds in Arkansas, with the exception of the red-winged blackbird. However, he did note that a number of common birds in Arkansas have declined over the past 60 years. He noted that year-to-year fluctuations in bird populations should not be an issue of concern. "It's long-term changes we have to be concerned about," he said.

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When asked if observed bird population declines should be of concern to the average citizen, Scheiman said yes because birds indicate the state of the environment. "Birds are more sensitive to changes in the environment. When they start to decline, that's a warning signal to us that we need to look into it and address the problem," he said.

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[hlthe2b]

1. I thought it was the KKK

:evilgrin:







Ok, Ok, not funny... I DO consider climate change to be of the utmost importance.... Just a little release, ok?