It would be great for folks to get involved in their local Christmas Count event with their local Audubon Society chapter. Fun community birding and important citizen science to help track the trends in these populations.
Love to see you making videos out in nature Ben. What a beautiful RT as well. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and insight. I definitely need to look more into WNV and the avian flu.
I have noticed a drop in red tailed hawk numbers here in central Texas, but the red shouldered hawks remain the same, possibly even more abundant than before. I have also noticed a significant drop in inca doves, now I am lucky to see more than a dozen in a week.
Im in central Ga.This year and last year there was a decline in passage rts.But north of me there was an exceptional amount in an area that was only 60 miles from me.We trapoed 6 birds,kept three.These birds were all within a square mile crossing back and forth in theses grown over fields.Most passage redtails ive ever seen in one area.
In Maryland it seems like the Redtailed Hawks population is down but the Red Shoulder hawk population is about the same. Others have noticed this as well.
In NoVa and Southern Maryland Red-shouldered Hawks easily outnumber Red-tailed hawks. This is more of a habitat thing as there's an abundance of swampy, marshy wooded habitat which favors Red-shouldered hawks. You'll also often find Barred owls in the same habitat and of course the generalist Great Horned owls.
Hi Ben sadly much the same in the uk. Rabbits in many areas have completely disappeared 😢, bird flu to has taken a massive toll on some species, but the biggest is modern farming techniques some 60% of all bird populations have disappeared since 1979 some 66 million birds. We are indeed on the verge of the next mass extinction of species very sad times indeed
We are in the same area in central Utah, but I've also noticed a drop in bird numbers of all species. I've also noticed the drop in smaller species when in the mountains and surrounding areas as I generally watch for wild things.
I’m in the Rio Grande Valley hunting and doing falconry. I don’t have precise numbers for these species, it’s more of frequency of encounters for me personally and these are just some of the local resident species so take as you will: Starlings are up from the last two years House sparrows are up from the last two years Grackles are holding steady Kiskadees seem like they’re up Kingbirds seem like they’re up Woodpeckers had a good year and seem to be up Mockingbirds are holding steady Doves and pigeons seem slightly down Gray hawks bred well this year and dispersal looks good Harris Hawks are holding steady Cooper’s hawks seem to be down Caracaras are holding steady I’m seeing less vultures I’m running into more Pygmy owls
Normally this time of year we are seeing hundreds of blue wing teal. That is why my state has an early teal season. But so far this year we have not seen ANY !
Each year here in SW Germany Vogelpest (Avian flu) is a topic and when it crops up in various territories we have to think about ending the hawking season early or continuing because it's always a risk. The minds are split here. What do you do, Ben? West Nile virus has, I believe, just been found in one of the other states, so we will need to start talking about this as well. Apparently there's a WNV vaccine for horses available, which in a smaller dose has been approved in the US for raptors. Do you know if this is true? I don't think it's officially approved or widely available in Germany yet. I've just started looking at the European "management guidelines" for WNV.
I don’t live in the USA but here in Scotland a lot of small bird species numbers have severely plummeted. House and hedge sparrows numbers are down, we used to see huge flocks of green finches in autumn and winter where now we only see the odd couple here and there but on a positive note most predatory bird species are well up. We have peregrines in towns where 20/30 years ago they were extremely rare all over the country. Red kite numbers are up, Goshawk numbers are up although still quite low, theres Ospreys on many lochs where years ago they was only one breeding pair in the country. White tailed sea eagle numbers are well up as are buzzards and all owl species. I put this down to just the numbers naturally bouncing back after years of persecution and poisoning has more or less come to an end.
The grasshoppers usually bring in thousands of magpies to the Nature Center… not this year… And the trees filled with crows are almost nonexistent in my area. I noticed, but didn’t think it was west Nile/bird flu…. you’ve got me super worried now. 😮
This was such a necessary video for my falconry right now, I am an apprentice and just had a coopers hawk go down on my land that we found to have west Nile through an avian vet, don't worry I handled it with proper ppc and an abundance of care but I do wonder if you might be able to give some advise on how to identify it in BOP if I am in the field?
Last week (first week of September, 2024( I saw a dead crow on the property of a property I own in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. I called the county health office to see if they wanted to test it for West Nile virus. However, they never called back. I learned later that they no longer do that test on dead birds found.
It would be great for folks to get involved in their local Christmas Count event with their local Audubon Society chapter. Fun community birding and important citizen science to help track the trends in these populations.
Love to see you making videos out in nature Ben. What a beautiful RT as well. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and insight. I definitely need to look more into WNV and the avian flu.
I have noticed a drop in red tailed hawk numbers here in central Texas, but the red shouldered hawks remain the same, possibly even more abundant than before. I have also noticed a significant drop in inca doves, now I am lucky to see more than a dozen in a week.
I'm in the northern most part of Utah and I haven't noticed a difference, in fact today I saw a group of 7-8 magpies in my neighbor's yard.
Im in central Ga.This year and last year there was a decline in passage rts.But north of me there was an exceptional amount in an area that was only 60 miles from me.We trapoed 6 birds,kept three.These birds were all within a square mile crossing back and forth in theses grown over fields.Most passage redtails ive ever seen in one area.
Two of my Hawks caught West Nile. Thankfully they both survived but it does make me worry
Glad they made it. So scary how easily it can spread and how fast it can take out a bird
In Maryland it seems like the Redtailed Hawks population is down but the Red Shoulder hawk population is about the same. Others have noticed this as well.
In NoVa and Southern Maryland Red-shouldered Hawks easily outnumber Red-tailed hawks. This is more of a habitat thing as there's an abundance of swampy, marshy wooded habitat which favors Red-shouldered hawks. You'll also often find Barred owls in the same habitat and of course the generalist Great Horned owls.
Hi Ben sadly much the same in the uk. Rabbits in many areas have completely disappeared 😢, bird flu to has taken a massive toll on some species, but the biggest is modern farming techniques some 60% of all bird populations have disappeared since 1979 some 66 million birds. We are indeed on the verge of the next mass extinction of species very sad times indeed
Sad to hear that the trend is happening elsewhere as well. Thanks for giving your insight
We are in the same area in central Utah, but I've also noticed a drop in bird numbers of all species. I've also noticed the drop in smaller species when in the mountains and surrounding areas as I generally watch for wild things.
I’m in the Rio Grande Valley hunting and doing falconry. I don’t have precise numbers for these species, it’s more of frequency of encounters for me personally and these are just some of the local resident species so take as you will:
Starlings are up from the last two years
House sparrows are up from the last two years
Grackles are holding steady
Kiskadees seem like they’re up
Kingbirds seem like they’re up
Woodpeckers had a good year and seem to be up
Mockingbirds are holding steady
Doves and pigeons seem slightly down
Gray hawks bred well this year and dispersal looks good
Harris Hawks are holding steady
Cooper’s hawks seem to be down
Caracaras are holding steady
I’m seeing less vultures
I’m running into more Pygmy owls
Normally this time of year we are seeing hundreds of blue wing teal. That is why my state has an early teal season. But so far this year we have not seen ANY !
Good to note. It is crazy!!!!! There are serious changes happening in the wild right now
Each year here in SW Germany Vogelpest (Avian flu) is a topic and when it crops up in various territories we have to think about ending the hawking season early or continuing because it's always a risk. The minds are split here. What do you do, Ben? West Nile virus has, I believe, just been found in one of the other states, so we will need to start talking about this as well. Apparently there's a WNV vaccine for horses available, which in a smaller dose has been approved in the US for raptors. Do you know if this is true? I don't think it's officially approved or widely available in Germany yet. I've just started looking at the European "management guidelines" for WNV.
Also Usutu has been talked about to affect BOP now in Germany. I am very worried at this stage
I don’t live in the USA but here in Scotland a lot of small bird species numbers have severely plummeted. House and hedge sparrows numbers are down, we used to see huge flocks of green finches in autumn and winter where now we only see the odd couple here and there but on a positive note most predatory bird species are well up. We have peregrines in towns where 20/30 years ago they were extremely rare all over the country. Red kite numbers are up, Goshawk numbers are up although still quite low, theres Ospreys on many lochs where years ago they was only one breeding pair in the country. White tailed sea eagle numbers are well up as are buzzards and all owl species. I put this down to just the numbers naturally bouncing back after years of persecution and poisoning has more or less come to an end.
That’s wild!!! Seems like so many changes are occurring in the wilds right now
it think all the chem trailing adds to the morbidity of bird populations as well and we know the windmills kill a lot of Goldens
The grasshoppers usually bring in thousands of magpies to the Nature Center… not this year… And the trees filled with crows are almost nonexistent in my area. I noticed, but didn’t think it was west Nile/bird flu…. you’ve got me super worried now. 😮
This was such a necessary video for my falconry right now, I am an apprentice and just had a coopers hawk go down on my land that we found to have west Nile through an avian vet, don't worry I handled it with proper ppc and an abundance of care but I do wonder if you might be able to give some advise on how to identify it in BOP if I am in the field?
And also perhaps what you would do for such a case other than keeping it away from other animals for their protection
Are rabbit populations still down in Central or Northern Utah?
The most obvious change in the Willamette Valley has been the crows, down by probably half from just a few years ago.
That’s wild!
Last week (first week of September, 2024( I saw a dead crow on the property of a property I own in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. I called the county health office to see if they wanted to test it for West Nile virus. However, they never called back. I learned later that they no longer do that test on dead birds found.