Amongst the books I was recently given was an old bird field guide, Bird Guide - Land Birds East of the Rockies From Parrots to Bluebirds, by Chester A. Reed. It looks like it is a reprint from 1944, originally copyrighted in 1906.
One of the first thing that struck me, while I was reading the Introduction was how many of the same threats to birdlife that we recognize now, were known then. Those threats outlined in the book are poignantly outlined by the fact that at least four of the birds featured in this small volume are extinct (well okay maybe not the Ivory-billed Woodpecker but if it still exists there are so staggeringly few of them, well..) including the very first bird shown.
Here is an excerpt from the Introduction:
It is an undisputed fact that a great many of our birds are becoming more scarce each year, while a few are, even now, on the verge of extinction... If I were to name the forces that work against the increase of bird life, in order of their importance, I should give them as: Man; the elements; accidents; cats; other animals; birds of prey; and snakes.
He goes on to detail some of the threats and again here an excerpt of a couple after Man and the Elements:
Birds are subject to a great many accidents, chiefly by flying into objects at night. Telephone and telegraph wires main or kill thousands, while lighthouses and steeples oft cause the ground to be strewn with bodies during migrations.
and
In the vicinity of cities, towns, villages or farms, one of the most fertile sources of danger to bird life is from cats. Even the most gentle household pet, if allowed its liberty out of doors, will get its full quota of birds during the year, while homeless cats, and many that are not, will average several hundred birds apiece during the season. After years of careful observation, Mr. E.H. Forbush, Mass., state ornithologist, has estimated that the average number of birds killed, per cat population, is about fifty. If a dog kills sheep or deer, he is shot and the owner pays damages; if a man is caught killing a bird, he pays a fine; but cats are allowed to roam about without restriction, leaving death and destruction in their wake. All homeless cats should be summarily dealth with, and all pets should be housed, at least from May until August, when the young birds are able to fly.
And here are the four aforementioned birds.
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