Austin Bird Scare Delivers Interesting Quote
January 9th, 2007 by jeff
I heard about this mass bird die off in Austin today and I wondered if among the dead grackles they found a little Jim Jones-like figure head maybe with tiny little 70’s sunglasses on? Hmmm, maybe not.
At any rate, what I found most interesting was the quote at the end of the story in the Chronicle.
Grackles are common in Austin and considered a loud, messy nuisance. Like pigeons, they loiter in trees and structures, indiscriminately soiling anything or anyone unlucky enough to be below.
Alrighty, let’s take a look-see at this. Yes, they are common. In fact, grackles are city birds common in many (if not most) major cities. Yeah, they are loud. Messy, well, all animals living in the wild are messy, but no more so than we humans. They just don’t use a toilet or a trash can, but, for that matter, neither do some humans out there. Moving on.
I love how the writer said they “loiter” as if they are 13-year-old kids hanging outside the 7 Eleven with their Slurpees on their BMX bikes and the owner has to come out and shoo them with a broom. The best part is the “indiscriminantly soiling anything or anyone.” LOL! That is a classic line. It’s as if the writer has assigned this kamikaze attitude to these birds - like they have it in for us.
Just to point out an omission, grackles and their gathering in numbers in cities is our fault. How you ask? Cities have made poor habitat for many native birds, no matter what part of the country. As a result, many native birds leave the city for the suburbs or even further out into the country because the noise, smoke, pollution, lack of natural cover (i.e. trees) and lack of natural food and water sources. Breadcrumbs and water fountains don’t count as “natural.”
It is our building of the cities that pushed the birds that couldn’t adapt out and allowed only the birds able to live within its confines to thrive. The result: cities full of grackels, sparrows and pigeons. They are scavengers that can live off of what we leave behind and can nest virtually anywhere. If not for us, there would be much greater diversity of bird and animal life and we wouldn’t have to complain so much about being “soiled” by our feathered friends.
So, the next time you get irritated by a bird that drops a nice white load on your freshly dry cleaned suit, remember that our progress allowed those birds to thrive and pat yourself on the back while you’re wiping the shit off your jacket.
Did you see the “63 reasons that 63 birds died” list? TOO damn funny. Number 20, “Extreme peckishness” is still my personal favorite.