Rehabbing HOSP and EUST

Also see:

• Injured/Orphaned,and Wildlife Rehabbers
• House Sparrow - Passive Control, Active Control, Philosophy, General
• Problems with Starlings

From: Evelyn Cooper [mailto:emcooper"at"bayou.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 8:11 AM
Subject: Federal Legislation Could Help Control HOSP & Starlings

In the winter edition of the “Bluebird” NABS Journal, there is an article by Dorene Scriven that states that there are two identical bills before Congress that could lead to significant help on our bluebird trails.

By clarifying and extending the language in the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the bills would give additional power to state governments to make it illegal to release HOSP an Starlings and other introduced exotic species.

It states that innumerable rehabilitators and rehabilitating centers as well as humane societies across the U.S. spend money and countless volunteer hours to rehabilitate HOSP and Starlings and release them. Some large rehab centers treat and release over 500 HOSP a year.

It goes on to say that it would clarify that Act to ensure that legal protection under the act is not extended to invasive species. It states that H.R.4114 and S.2547 would restore the Migratory Bird Act Treaty so that it applies to native bird species only. Many environmental organizations – National Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League, etc. support these bills.

The article asks that you call or write your two senators and representative. Urge them to take and pass H.R.4114 and S.2547 this year.

For further information about these bills check this website. http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/summary.asp?subject=332

In my opinion, every little bit helps. I intend to do my part, how about you?

I also commend Bet Zimmerman for her letter to the editor non-native plants.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA

First, let me assure people that i am entirely for removing starlings & house sparrows. I also support & appreciate wildlife rehabbers. (KNC closed our rehab office several years ago, & i still regret its loss. I think it was a money thing, unfortunately.)

There are pros & cons to not accepting rehab starlings & house sparrows. The pros (for cavity nesters) are pretty obvious, with the bonus of having additional resources available for native animals. The cons, tho, include turning people off of caring about wildlife, & that might not be worth it.

For a lot of people, the first contacts they have with wildlife are backyard & city birds. A hurt bird can "bump up" the level at which a person cares about wild animals, from just seeing them to being concerned about them. Often, it's the children who make their parents bring the hurt animal to the rehabber.

How can we say to a child "No, we won't take that bird." Or "Yes, we'll take that bird, but by law we have to kill it." How will that instill any love of animals & nature, any feeling of connection with the larger world? Without that connection, there would be no environmental movement, no Endangered Species Act, no bluebird trails.

All of us on this list have that connection. Probably all of us are concerned about more than just the birds that nest in our boxes. How did we learn to care about the wild world? How can we encourage *more* people to care?

I *do* think that rehabbers should be discouraged from taking in animals that cause problems. Here in Michigan, it is now illegal to rehab raccoons (due to
rabies) & only a few places can take in bats (also rabies). Making it illegal to rehab animals should be an extreme step, tho, since every time a rehabber turns someone away, it's less & less likely that person will make an attempt again.

It is vital that as many people as possible care about the world we live in. Otherwise, there's no long-term hope for the human species. We'll continue to pursue short-term gains at long-term environmental losses, & eventually those losses will catch up with us.

Now i've shown my biases. I'm sorry for the length of this post.

....

Torrey Moss
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo, MI

Dear Torrey,

The problem is people (adults and children alike) not knowing that there are good birds and bad birds but just “birds.” I’d like to make what I consider a good analogy. I say there are good birds and bad birds just like there are good people and bad people. Very early in life, we teach our children not to talk to strangers. We are essentially telling them that there are bad people out there that can kidnap and kill you. What in the world makes you think that this necessary early lesson in life is less “traumatic” than telling an innocent child that a starling is a bad bird and needs to be killed?

I have no problem teaching all of the children in my neighborhood about good and bad birds and they understand very clearly and accept the premise. In fact, many of those same children are running around with pellet guns and are making their own decisions about good and bad birds by cruelly wounding and killing them themselves. I would much rather they make informed decisions at that “tender age of 10.” I assure you, they know better than to shoot native birds and will catch all kinds of holy hell if they do! One 14 year-old who paint balled one of my purple martins last year will never, ever even think about doing it again, I assure you! He went way to long without education.

We so-called birders have a responsibility to teach everyone the truth about all wildlife and the earlier, the better. People who have any compassion for a starling of a house sparrow don’t know squat about birds and need learn before making ignorant value judgments.

I know one rehabber out of about five that won’t accept starlings or house sparrows. She is compassionate to a fault and I love her dearly for her tremendous dedication to a vocation that offers little monetary reward and little thanks save the birds that can’t wait to escape her confines. Rehabbers are extraordinary human beings – especially those that know the value of a dead starling.

Kenny Kleinpeter
Baton Rouge, LA
...

I have no problem with this concept if done right. The battlecry of the bluebird community, most, not all of them, is "kill the sparrows". I just checked my book on the birds of north america, and there are 32 sparrows listed - but only one is legal to kill. Most preachers fail to mention this. I have been to several talks given by local birders and they gave the same "kill the sparrow" talk - not once did they mention the fact that it is only the european sparrow that is legal to kill.
Most of the people at the last meeting were newbies and they would have gone away thinking all small brown birds were sparrows if I hadn't stuck my two cents in. The guy giving the talk didn't describe or show any pictures of the bird he was killing. If we're going to do it, let's do it right. At the same meeting, after getting graphic descriptions of how he kills his sparrows, several of them vowed to not even try to get birds to nest. His main thing is to catch them in plastic bags and run over them with a lawn mower.

Lynn
Bernville, PA

...we had the President and Vice President of the Louisiana Rehabilitators Association to speak at our spring meeting last May in Baton Rouge. These people told us that there is absolutely "no sleep" when this season begins. In my opinion, these people need to be tending our "native"
birds as they spelled it out for us that there is not enough time to go around.

If they are obligated to take non-native birds, that means that they may have to refuse some of our native birds because they do not have enough room and volunteers to do it all. So, it is no question in my mind which is most important.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA

There is a great deal of discussion about this subject in NE IL. since we, like so many others, are facing severe budget cuts that are affecting all of our DNR entities. I think it's easy to sit back and say,"native species only" but what happens when a young child appears at a nature center with a tiny starling/squirrel wrapped in cotton in a shoe box with air holes punched in the sides? The child has cried all the way there, urging the adult who is driving him to go faster so they can get some help for the animal. And how will that child perceive the naturalist/rehabber who says, "Sorry, kid, your bird/animal doesn't count"?

Raccoons are native species as are possums. Should they be turned away since they are now plentiful? Let's keep in mind that, not too many years ago, Canada geese populations were drastically depleted and all kinds of special steps were taken to help them. And look at what we have now!

Judy Mellin
NE IL.

From: Kenny Kleinpeter [mailto:kpkmajk"at"cox.net]
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:11 PM
Subject: RE: rehabbing EUST & HOSP

Good point, Lynn. I have to give a couple of presentations in the next couple of months and I'll be sure not to assume that this "sparrow" is not anything that's small and brown. Since I consider nestbox providing to be 80% competitor control, it is critical that a thorough understanding of these competitors is possessed. We can assume nothing when we invite the general public to a birding meeting.

Kenny Kleinpeter
Baton Rouge, LA

You make a very good point in that we should teach them there are several kinds of Sparrows. My four year old grandson has a Peterson's Guide and knows what a White Throated Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow is AND the HOSP.

However, I have to disagree with you that the "Bluebird Community" hollers "Kill The Sparrows". Everything I see says HOSP. It was HOSP in the NABS article, not any and all Sparrows.

Also, these same children that should not have an injured HOSP turned away, should be exposed to the bloody carcasses of the Bluebird and other cavity nesting families. They see worse than this on TV. Come on, let's get real.

I understood this Bill before the senate to say they would not be allowed to treat and release them. I don't think they could not accept them for raptor food. That is the advice I give to anyone that cannot dispose of them.

There is one thing for sure. If a person cannot stomach what goes on when becoming a birder, he is better off not being a birder because it ain't all pretty!!! I have seen some ugly things and that made me just that more determined to help my little cavity nesting friends!!!!

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA

From: lemerich [mailto:lemerich"at"epix.net]
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 8:55 PM'
Subject: Re: rehabbing EUST & HOSP :<(

No offense Evelyn, but I've birding too many years and can't even begin to tell how many times I've heard "kill the sparrows". Occasionally someone will specify HOSP, but usually it's just plain sparrows. I've seen birders who I thought knew better, with bags full of dead trapped sparrows and less than half of them were HOSP. Many of them were finches that hadn't turned color yet. Find someone who isn't a dedicated birder and ask him/her to point out a house sparrow - bet less than half will know one. They see a small brown bird and assume it's a sparrow. In written material , yes it usually does specify HOSP, but in normal conversation and lectures given by birders, it's just sparrows.
As I said, I don't mind the concept, but lets get it right. There aren't several kinds of sparrows, there are many kinds.

Lynn
Bernville, PA

Even if the "sparrow" we kill is really a finch, at any rate, "a rose by any other name..."

I would like to add that the paint-balled purple martin had to be taken to my favorite rehabber (80 miles round trip) where I learned that the compound wing fractures were not treatable; the martin had to be euthanized. I made sure that this kid and his father knew that not only did he kill my martin but her five eggs as well and that the offense was quite punishable by law.
What really made me angry was later, when that I offered to help this so-called eagle scout with a merit badge by involving him in my wood duck box management program but he declined.

I did my best...

Kenny Kleinpeter
Baton Rouge, LA

We all have different experiences. I have never seen a bag full of sparrows but I might since Kenny has a large new trail. I have several members that have terrible woes with the "House Sparrow" and they never call them that.
They refer to it as Sparrow, but believe me they know what kind it is because it takes their Bluebird nestboxes.

I don't think that making it illegal for rehabbers to treat and release these non-native birds is going to "turn" a huge number of folks off. Like I said, if they learn the "whole story" about the HOSP, then they might change their minds.

I guess what blows my mind is we read about and see how House Sparrows will take over trails and backyard nestboxes if nothing is done and yet people want to let this little pest be treated like he deserves the nestbox.

I will do my utmost not to post anymore on this subject.

My letters go in the mail tomorrow to my senators and representatives. I sent the Message to our on-line LBBS members. Officers, board members and members were happy to receive it.

Evelyn Cooper

Haleya Priest Amherst MA
I have to agree and appreciate fine-tuning our language here. I know of one story where the person thought they were doing a tremendous job in killing the "sparrows" and it turned out they killed several white throats thinking they were HOSP!!! :-) H

From: Kenny Kleinpeter [mailto:kpkmajk"at"cox.net]
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:54 PM
Subject: RE: rehabbing EUST & HOSP

Let me be the first to welcome you back from hibernation, Judy. J

First off, lumping starlings in with squirrels confuses and distorts the issue we are discussing. If a crying brat brings me a tiny starling wrapped in cotton in a shoe box with air holes punched in the side of it then first, I tell them to lighten up and stop crying. Then, I explain that this happens to be a non-native, bad bird that makes its living killing nice little innocent bluebirds and other North American cavity nesting birds. I further explain that we need to put it out of its misery as it is an intentionally unprotected bird that good conservationists are encouraged to eliminate (kill). The sooner these hypothetical children understand that, the better.

If they bring me a squirrel in the same nice little package, we take it to a rehabber. Whole different story. Native species get rehabbed -- starlings and "HOSP" go in the garbage.

I hope that these clarifications to the Migratory Bird Act go a step further to take closer looks in a more timely fashion at specific overpopulation problems like the Canada Goose and White-tail Deer react to the terrible problems they present not only to the humans (that caused the problems in the first place) but the countless species that compete for the same limited food and space. It's a crying shame that so-called birders (purple martin hosts) are secretly practicing avian predator control in the name of their precious martins. They call it "S,S&S" (shoot, shovel and shut-up). When our trusty government is slow or out-right fails to react to usually human-induced imbalances in wildlife populations, people take the matters into their own hands. It's a different world now than in 1914 when the Migratory Bird Act was introduced.

Kenny Kleinpeter
Baton Rouge, LA

The House Sparrows may look like a sparrow but he is not a sparrow.
The House Sparrow is a member of the weaver finch family.
In all of my talks at the schools I tell everyone this. I show photos of all the sparrows and of the House Sparrows. I tell everyone if you are not sure what you have it is best to let it go.

Maynard Sumner
Flint, MI

From: Bruce Burdett [mailto:blueburd"at"tds.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:43 AM
Subject: Re: rehabbing EUST & HOSP :<(

Maynard, et al, One of the slides I use at presentations comes from the slide set I bought from, I think, NABS. It is a closeup shot, all black and vicious-looking, of the House Sparrow's big strong sharp beak. At that magnification, it looks like a very credible murder weapon. Bruce Burdett, in Sunapee

Maynard, Judy, Kenny, et al,
The blowup of the House Sparrow bill that I use in slide presentations clearly shows not only the enormous size of the finch bill, but even the weaver-bird's notch, out near the tip, which is used to weave the nesting materials.
There's no mistaking this for any sparrow's bill.

My Peterson's lists 29 different true sparrows which are NOT House Sparrows, - and that's just in the East alone. It's crucial to convince people that not all little brown birds are House Sparrows.

Bruce Burdett, SW NH

Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Rehabbers often receive young naked baby birds that will need to be fed and cared for sometimes for almost two weeks BEFORE they will know what they are.

I heard Dr. Shirl Brunnel tell about a couple who called her hysterical that a cat killed their "bluebird" parents and would she come and "save" the baby bluebirds. She drove 70 miles one way to pick up four baby blue JAYS...Another time a couple drove 50 miles to bring her orphaned baby bluebirds that grew up to be Starlings from a nestbox in their yard. It seems bluebirds were seen sitting on the nestbox, Blue eggs were seen in the nestbox and then naked baby birds hatched out and were being "harassed" by a "black" bird. What do you do with baby birds you have lovingly cared for 24 hours a day for almost two weeks and then they turn into Starlings:-)))

Rehabbers are compassionate and if parents show up with their child carrying an injured bird, even a Starling, I'll bet most will be very tactful and accept the bird even if they intend to put the bird to sleep when the people leave the driveway. Most animal shelters kindly accept cats and dogs but have a time limit on the animal staying before being put to sleep.

We ALL need to contact the rehabbers in our area right NOW before nesting season. Young bluebirds hand raised by a human and then released have little to no chance of living to breeding age. We should work with rehabbers to foster out baby bluebirds back to another bluebird family as soon as possible on our trails for their best shot at a normal life.

We should all be skilled enough to hand feed a baby bird for a few days in an emergency. This is a good time to contact your local vet clinics to offer to haul valuable birds to rehab centers. Time to get out another article in the newspaper about "safe" nesting requirements and remind people that baby birds will soon be falling to or hopping on the ground and that cats need to be inside or on a leash.

Many city or county animal shelters loan out live traps to people to reduce the numbers of stray cats, dogs and other small predators. Many shelters work with reduced budgets and could use the donation of a couple new traps each year.

If you cannot build nestboxes for your self, print out a copy of a simple nestbox plan and take it to your local High School shop class teacher. Ask them if you buy the wood could they cut out and make the boxes? Ask for one prototype to see if it will open correctly before they make 5 or more:-))) In other words get out and make contacts with others and make a difference in your area this year. KK

From: Evelyn Cooper [mailto:emcooper"at"bayou.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 9:56 AM
Subject: RE: Rehabbers and common sense

I feel certain that 100% of rehabbers would work with parents that cannot tell their children the truth and want to handle it like this. Let's not forget, however, that there are kids that have no problem handling the death of a bird they shot with a gun. Dr. Shirl addresses this situation and it is in "The Bluebird Monitor's Guide".

We have an opportunity that NABS has laid out for us and if we do not respond to it, it is our own fault.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA

From: "Shane&Emily Marcotte" <marco50"at"bellsouth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 8:45 AM
Subject: Re: Rehabbers and common sense

Great post.Reminds me of the time someone called me because a nest box had eggs and the parents werent around any longer.I'm not gonna say I drove 60 miles round trip to get the eggs and place them in a nestbox with other Bluebird eggs.I'm not saying that these eggs hatched with the others.I wont say that these all fledged.Because one time I said I did all these things and I got nothing but reminders of these actions being illegal.You would have thought that the C.I.A was going to show up at my door and arrest me for these actions.So.......since I never did this it cant be said that I did.I was just telling a tall tale.Sorry.Wonder if this REALLY happened would I do the illegal?I cant say.But luckily I do know the rehabber for my area now and if this ever happens I know who to call.

From: Megan Whitman [mailto:mlw57"at"cornell.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Rehabbers and common sense

Because those of us that host, monitor, and support those of you in this discussion group, and because we are a state and federally funded university, we are required to adhere to the law as it is stated. The Birdhouse Network was initiated with the help of federal grants and we continue to pursue funding through federal and other state agencies.

Regardless of whether or not the 'CIA is going to knock down your door' for handling, possessing, transporting, etc., migratory birds, the simple truth is that the activity described in the story below is not permitted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) without a permit.

I'll include a portion of the MBTA (and associated links) below for those of you that are not yet familiar with it. Although it is from 1918 and was initiated primarily in response to the sale and trade of migratory birds, it has been amended and updated throughout the 1900s. The resulting law has a broad functional context that scientists who work with birds abide by and take very seriously.

I understand that many of you have discussed this before at great length, so I will be brief. We suggest that those of you who want to continue discussion of activities/stories/'tall tales' that violate the MBTA to do so amongst yourselves, off list. Thank you very much for your cooperation in this matter.

MIGRATORY BIRD PERMITS

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (text) (summary) makes it illegal for anyone to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such a bird except under the terms of a valid permit issued pursuant to Federal regulations. The migratory bird species protected by the Act are listed in 50 CFR 10.13. View the list of MBTA protected birds.

As authorized by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues permits to qualified applicants for the following types of activities: falconry, raptor propagation, scientific collecting, special purposes (rehabilitation, educational, migratory game bird propagation, and salvage), take of depredating birds, taxidermy, and waterfowl sale and disposal. Migratory bird permit policy is developed by the Division of Migratory Bird Management and the permits themselves are issued by the Regional Bird Permit Offices. The regulations governing migratory bird permits can be found in 50 CFR part 13 (General Permit Procedures) and 50 CFR part 21 (Migratory Bird Permits).

More information on the MBTA can be found at:
<http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/intrnltr/treatlaw.html#mbta>
<http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/migtrea.html>

Cheers,

Megan Whitman
The Birdhouse Network
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

From: Lana Hunt [mailto:lanahunt"at"kcp.uky.edu]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 11:26 PM
Re: rehabbing EUST & HOSP

Bruce, Do you have the close up photos of the HOSP, rat finchs' bill photo? Is this something you could email? I've looked you photos of English Sparrows, but they are photos of the bird at some distance and the bill is not that clear. At least not enough that I feel comfortable in saying for sure "this is definitely an English Sparrow". Or perhaps you know a web site that has this type of photos on it? Thanks, Lana

We've done quite a bit of hashing over the possible law change prohibiting rehabbers from releasing HOSP & EUST.

I'm not sure that we have come up with any good solutions for the rehabber trying to explain to the distraught family that their bird can not be helped.

Since these birds are a menace to society, could they be released into the care of a guardian? If rehabbers had zoos, raptor rehabbers, snake breeders, etc that would take these live birds and use them in their programs, our native birds would be protected from them.

Unless the rehabber was asked by the family, he/she would not have to mention that the healed bird would be helping a raptor learn to hunt.

Of course, the rehabber's office walls could also have pictures of past Bluebird patients that needed treatment because of HOSP & EUST. Education at a non-threatening level.

Any rehabbers in my area could drop off recovered HOSP & EUST at my house. I would be glad to use them as decoys. They would have all the amenities that a pet store sells for pet birds.

Since I'm not a rehabber, I don't know if these would be a viable alternative.

Dottie Roseboom
Peoria IL (central - zone 5)

[Note from webmaster: See Remainder of thread (discussion of good vs. bad birds) under HOSP Philosophy Part 14]

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