birding-aus

decline in swifts

To:
Subject: decline in swifts
From: John Leonard <>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 08:40:48 +1100
Michael Norris wrote:

"Over the last decade Fork-tailed Swifts have not appeared here
at all and White-throated Needletail numbers have been low.

So what's happened ?  One guess is that our "pesticides" have
had a huge ecological effect (that would also explain how
difficult it is to see small bats around here).  Another is that
- despite CAMBA etc. - circumstances between here and China (eg.
burning of forests = killing trees, understorey, insects...in
Indonesia) have decreased swift nos.

The ecological time-bomb is ticking and insect-eaters like these
swifts - the fastest birds in the world in level flight - are
victims ?"

Yes, sounds like it, but then so are we too, ultimately.

John Leonard







^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
John Leonard (Dr),
PO Box 243,
Woden, ACT 2606,
Australia


http://www.spirit.net.au/~jleonard
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


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