Wildlife Inside My Window



Gabriel



I write primarily about wildlife that frequent my home allowing me the opportunity to take in nature up close. But what I rarely mention is the wildlife living in my home. Oh yes, I am the proud caretaker of cats; those wild four-legged animals who pretend to be domesticated so we dopey humans will feed, shelter and provide them with all the affection they want. Unlike dogs, cats are independent, stubborn and despite their generations of domesticity can stalk and kill a bird or chipmunk without notice.

Having grown up as a dog person, it was as much a surprise to me that I became a cat person. (I have been called a crazy cat woman, a title I proudly wear). It started with a stray kitten many years ago and over time I have cared for sixteen different cats. They were all strays in one form or another: some came from shelters, others moved in from the neighborhood. Males, females, tiny kittens, full grown adults, in all colors, hair lengths and sizes, I have loved them all.

My veterinarian has told me on numerous occasions that my cats are the best behaved felines she works with. From the time they first arrived in my home, I have treated them like dogs. None of this typical feline aloofness is allowed; they get handled, cuddled and wrestled with just like I would with a dog. Plus establishing myself as the alpha cat, it doesn’t take much to break up a territorial scuffle or herd them downstairs for dinner and bed.



But I don’t kid myself. Inside these outwardly playful cats lies a cunning killing machine. On one such occasion, Gabriel, my overweight, lazy male escaped out the door, grabbing a squirrel by the neck killing it instantly. I was appalled and ordered him to drop the dead rodent. Gabe immediately obeyed and I carried him inside without incident. Now, I watch the door closely as I come and go, fully aware that in a moment of opportunity, my placid indoor cats can bolt out and cause harm to the wildlife I treasure.

Domestic cats have been blamed for the decline of songbirds and small mammals. Proponents from both sides of the outside cat issue make compelling pleas for their positions. Many bird lovers and wildlife organizations demand that feral and outside house cats be killed on sight; that their very presence is cause for extermination. Others in the trap, neuter and release corner (TNR) believe that the answer to excess cat populations is spaying and neutering feral cat populations allowing the communities to die out naturally.  Both sides have valid points and instead of pointing fingers at each other, need to sit down and work together.



But the impact on bird and small mammal populations by feral and house cats is not the only issue here. The Humane Society of the U.S. estimates that 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized annually in shelters. That number doesn’t include the untold number of animals that are cruelly dumped along roadsides and farms for others to care for or to fend for themselves.

It all comes down to responsible pet ownership. Pets, be it dogs, cats, hamsters, parakeets whatever, deserve to be cared for humanely and responsibly. They are not inanimate toys to be discarded when the initial puppy or kitty appeal disappears or dumped in shelters when old age brings on senility or incontinence. I get angry when I hear some person tell me that they want their children to experience the birth of kittens when I know that millions of unwanted pets are killed. Are we that selfish or uncaring to believe that giving your child the chance [albeit a slim one as most pregnant animals hide prior to giving birth] to view the birth experience justifies adding to an already excess pet population?

As I write this, I feel my outrage coming to the surface. My love and respect for animals drives me to the belief that people are the dumb animals, not the wildlife and pets that some of my fellow humans hold in neglect and contempt. We all share this planet and have responsibility to live in concert with each other. That includes being responsible pet owners who bring animals into their homes, fully aware of the costs and work involved in caring for that pet for its entire life. Is that too much to ask?

Background Information on Above Posting



Pet Overpopulation

The Humane Society of the United States

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulation_estimates.html

Feline Fatales

Ted Williams, Audubon Magazine, September 2009

http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0909.html

Alley Cats Allies – National Advocacy Group for the Protection and Humane Treatment of Cats including feral populations, TNR information

http://www.alleycat.org/

A Report on Trap/Alter/Release Programs

(c) 1995 Karen Johnson
National Pet Alliance, PO Box 53385, San Jose, CA 95153, 408-363-0700

http://www.fanciers.com/other-faqs/feral-trap.html

What is Clear to Us isn't Always Clear to Others

Every so often, a bird hits the dining room window. Most of the time the bird flies off, a little dazed but okay. Other times, I find the bird alive, on the ground stunned. Knowledgeable in how to treat wildlife in shock, I provide the bird with the necessary environment to rest and within an hour, the bird regains her bearings and I release her back into the wild.

Much of has written about the effect of birds and manmade structures. Estimates ranging from 100 million to 1 billion birds are killed annually in the United States by window collisions. Most of the dead birds are passerines such as the American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Cedar Waxwings, Chickadees and Sparrows.  (a)

The architectural trend towards large areas of glass in office buildings and homes has escalated the number of collisions. In the Audubon Magazine March 2004 issue, it stated that at the McCormack Place Convention Center in Chicago more than 26,000 birds were killed over a 20 years period. If that one building alone can cause that many known deaths, I cannot fathomed the number of bird kills throughout the world with all of the tall glass structures built and being built here in the U.S. and in China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and other rapidly growing metropolitan areas.  (b)

The danger with large window areas is two-fold. The first is the obvious nature of glass that allows us to see through it unobstructed. That quality which is beneficial to us gives the mistaken illusion to birds and other wildlife that no barrier exists. The result is collisions that can injure or kill the animal who tries to pass through it.

Secondly is the light that projects outward from windows at night. Developed countries use lighting for safety and esthetic purposes and the prolific use of lighting in urban settings creates daylight environments even in the middle of the night.  Many birds use constellations (the moon and stars in particular) to navigate during the nighttime hours. Artificial lighting confuses the internal navigational senses and has the effect of directing birds into unsafe areas such as buildings, towers, boats and other structures.

There has been much research in how to prevent bird collisions. Here are some things as homeowners we can do to reduce the risk of window collisions:

1.       “Move bird feeders, bird baths and perches to within 3 feet of your window — you’ll see the birds better and they can’t fly fast enough to get hurt.

2.       Collisions are caused by birds trying to fly through glass or because they see reflections from the outside — so do what you can to break up or eliminate this by placing decals or strings on the outside of your windows, separated by no more than 4 inches vertically and 2 inches horizontally.

3.       Use screens, films or other coverings on your windows that eliminate reflections — or use bird-safe glass.

4.       If constructing new windows, consider angling them 20 to 40 degrees from vertical.

5.       When installing new landscaping, consider placing trees, shrubs, water features, and other bird attractants well away from windows.” (c)

There are organizations that work with architects and companies to develop new ways to reduce the effect of buildings and wildlife. FLAP, Fatal Light Awareness Program, a Canadian based organization, collects data and research on bird kills and educates the public on how to reduce this number. For more information on FLAP, see www.flap.org

Sources:

(a)    February 2010 Nature Conservancy - Window Glass: Silent Bird Killer?, Dave Mehlman;

http://blog.nature.org/2010/02/window-glass-silent-bird-killer-nature-conservancy/

(a)    House windows kills 22M Canadian birds a year: survey; Tom Spears, The Ottawa Citizen October 2, 2012;

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/House+windows+kills+Canadian+birds+year+survey/7333261/story.html#ixzz28FKATPT0

(b) Clear & Present Danger, David Malakoff, Audubon March 2004

http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/features0403/alert.html

(c) Window Glass: Silent Bird Killer?, Dave Mehlman; Nature Conservancy February 2010; http://blog.nature.org/2010/02/window-glass-silent-bird-killer-nature-conservancy/

Squirrel Invaders

I love squirrels. To me it doesn’t matter which variety: the persistent greys, the noisy reds, the tufted-ear fox, the flyers, Northern and Southern. I encourage them to steal seeds from my bird feeders. I have nest boxes for winter habitats and when I did wildlife rehabilitation, squirrels were my specialty.

But over the past year, I have read a number of articles discussing the environmental impact from the invasion of grey squirrels on the European mainland and the British Isles. Native to the United States, the grey squirrels were brought to England and Europe as diplomatic gifts. Through accident or intentional release, the grey squirrels multiplied and now threatens the survival of the native red squirrels.

So when I read about a proposed culling to eradicate grey squirrels from Great Britain, I was dismayed and angry. My concern was increased after reading today’s Wildlife Disease News where the feature article is about how the red squirrels of Northern Italy have been wiped out by grey squirrels introduced into the region.  [Wildlife Disease News - October 1, 2012 - referenced to the following article in The Guardian 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/27/red-squirrel-population-northern-italy ]

I am an advocate of the removing of invasive plant species and have participated in numerous work bees where I have pulled out, cut down and herbicide treated glossy and common buckthorn, thistle and the lovely oriental bittersweet. I have no disagreement with the proposed closing of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canel to fence out the Asian and Silver Carp. But when it comes to the killing of invasive animal species, I cannot reconcile my love of animals to the proposed solutions to combat invasive wildlife. In the case of the nonnative Mute Swans, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has an application process where landowners can destroy mute swan nests and eggs. Captured mute swans can be euthanized following protocols approved by the DNR. Feral swine, another invasive animal, can be hunted during any open hunting season by licensed hunters, theoretically every day of the year.

What troubles me is that we humans caused these situations by thoughtlessly introducing animals and plants into areas where they do not belong. Then, when these “invasives” create problems for us and our habitats, our response is to kill them on sight. It is an arrogant attitude that somehow people are smarter than nature and that we are not held to the same natural rules that every other plant and animal must abide by. If there is anything I have learned over the years about nature is that what I know is minuscule to the intricate complexity that is the ecosystem. Does that mean we should do nothing when confronted with an invasive species? No, but I believe the onus is on us to make better decisions about what plants we sow and the practicality of possessing wildlife who really should be allowed to live their lives in the wild where they belong.