Caring for natural habitats

Birding and natural history can teach us many things. One of the most important is the close connection between various plants and animals and their particular habitats. To look at the example provided by birds: some birds are adaptable, found in many habitats, and such birds are usually very common: for example, the American Crow. Other birds are much more specialized. Kirtland's Warbler will nest only in stands of young jack pines of a certain age, and this bird is rare and endangered, finding suitable habitat mostly in just a few counties in Michigan. Kirtland's is an extreme case, but it stands to reason that birds that rely on scarce habitats will be scarce themselves.

An area of bird habitat will have a specific carrying capacity — that is, the number of birds that can find enough food, water, and shelter there. A woodlot that supports two pairs of Wood Thrushes will not suddenly support ten pairs. This is why people who care about birds have to focus their attention on protecting habitat. If that woodlot is cut down, those two pairs of Wood Thrushes are probably doomed. They can't just move into another forest, because that habitat is likely to be occupied already.

Sometimes we do have to destroy habitat, since humans need room to live also. But we need to be aware of the value of rare habitats and the specialized birds (and other living things) that make their homes there. Some types of habitats have become particularly rare. Vast areas of marshes, both coastal salt marshes and inland freshwater marshes, have been drained or filled, and marsh birds have declined in numbers. Only a tiny fraction of our native prairies survive today; some prairie birds have adapted to pastures and farm fields, but others have become rare. Most of our old-growth forest has been cut down, and while replanting is a good idea, a tree farm is not the same thing as a real forest. The few old-growth forests that remain should be kept intact. Deserts and tundra are both fragile habitats, in different ways, and both support unique birds and other wildlife. With some careful planning, we can have progress and prosperity without losing our wildlife heritage.


Ecotourism as a force for conservation

In some cases, we can contribute to conservation just by going out to look at birds and nature, if we do it in the right way. Studies have shown that visits by bird watchers may pump millions of dollars into local economies in some places. Until recently, however, very few communities realized this. The establishment of official birding trails, with marked birding stops along a driving route, has helped to make more communities, businesses, and chambers of commerce aware of the economic impact of birdwatching. Ideally they will realize that to keep the birders coming, they have to protect habitat for the birds.

When you travel, at hotels and other tourist facilities, be sure to mention that you are visiting to see wildlife and that you appreciate local efforts to protect natural habitat. If you are lucky enough to travel farther afield and to visit ecotourism sites in other countries, such as jungle lodges, research these ahead of time and try to choose those that are locally owned in the country you are visiting, that employ local people, and that benefit the local communities there.


Shade-grown coffee

If you drink coffee, the kind that you choose can have an impact on bird populations. Traditional coffee is grown in deep shade in the tropics, and a plantation can look almost like a native forest with the undergrowth replaced by coffee bushes. These traditional coffee farms actually support surprising numbers of birds and other wildlife. Birds that can thrive in these plantations include both tropical resident species and migrant birds that nest in North America and winter in the tropics.

However, there are now cultivated varieties of coffee that can be grown in full sun. This sun coffee may produce slightly higher yields per acre, but it generally requires far more chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides), making it more unhealthy for the workers in the fields. Furthermore, sun coffee plantations support practically no birds at all - - they are essentially biological deserts. Buying shade-grown coffee for use at home, and asking for it in restaurants, may be a little inconvenient. But by increasing the demand for shade-grown coffee, we can help to support conscientious and responsible growers and we can help to maintain good bird habitat in the tropics. For more information on this issue, click here.