When you’re thinking about birding, the first places that come to mind are probably remote nature preserves, large expanses of marsh, or maybe even national parks like Acadia. You might not spend your time watching the pigeons that nest in the eaves of your neighbor’s house or the Chipping Sparrows that sing from that lone oak in the middle of a dog park. Yet, if you step back and take a walk around an urban center, you’d be surprised how many bird species you’ll find.
Join me for an Urban Bird Ecology Walk on Saturday, May 2, 2 pm
Meet at the Bangor Waterfront, South end parking lot
Come celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with us at Fields Pond Audubon Center on Saturday, May 9
Full schedule of walks, workshops, and sales here >
While cities and neighborhoods can feel like ecological dead zones, it’s important to recognize the unique ecology of species that not only survive but thrive in these unique environments. Take the American Crow for instance. Crows are something of a habitat generalist. When I was part of a birding club at the University of Maine, we analyzed every birding list from outings near and far at the end of the semester and found one thing in common: they all featured at least one crow. And it makes sense. These smart birds are omnivores and can scavenge food from pretty much anywhere. They’ve been documented dropping nuts and other hard-shelled food items onto highways to use human power to crack them open. I hope the phrase “clever as a crow” catches on the same way some of the less accurate animal sayings have (think “blind as a bat” . . . did you know most bats can see just fine?).
In contrast, a bird widely regarded as, well, less than clever is everyone’s favorite two-twig-nest wonder: Rock Pigeons. These animals are so common in cities across the globe that they’ve earned the nickname “sky rat,” which I think does them a disservice. Many see them as a nuisance, vandalizing vehicles with their droppings, but I see them as a story of lost connection.
Pigeons aren’t native to Maine, but unlike other nonnative inhabitants they’re considered “feral” rather than invasive. Humans used to keep them widely as pets, and even the famous Charles Darwin kept and bred showy pigeon varieties. One reason for the colorful variety pigeons exhibit is the leftovers of selectively bred genetics floating around in the gene pool that get expressed every now and again. You’ve probably heard of carrier pigeons. Some pigeon varieties were specially bred to capitalize on their impressive ability to find their way back home, and were a quick way to get a message delivered in the time before mail delivery vans. Nowadays, most of these pigeons have been abandoned, a domesticated species now scavenging to survive after a lot of their best survival skills were bred out of them. The next time you get fed up with the cooing outside your window, remember that they didn’t ask to be here either.
Pigeons manage to survive in cities so well in part because they used to nest in rocky cliffs reminiscent of tall city buildings (hence the name “Rock Pigeon”), but they’re not the only cliff-dwellers who have found refuge in cities. Peregrine Falcons are listed as endangered in Maine, yet some of the best places to find them are the bustling cities you’d have instead thought contributed to their decline. It always makes me chuckle that people drive right by Bangor on their way to Acadia, eager to catch a fleeting glimpse of this magnificent bird. Yet an hour in Bangor can yield a great look at a peregrine, perched on top of a company logo downtown. They often nest under bridges and snack on pigeons. What a life.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Where there are cities, invasive European Starlings and House Sparrows breed. These birds were intentionally introduced from Europe to American cities to make them feel “more like home.” These species displace natives, being aggressive nest pirates who’d gladly kill a chickadee or nuthatch (including their young) for a good piece of nesting real estate. Huge flocks of starlings dominate all varieties of human-altered landscapes, from parking garages to power substations to agricultural fields. House Sparrows have found their own niche inside airports and garden centers at big box stores, but are no less guilty of murder. While it’s not exactly their fault, their impact has been profound.
Cities can be dangerous for native birds in other ways. It’s estimated that in the U.S. alone, outdoor cats kill almost two and half billion birds each year. Window strikes are also a huge point of fatality, especially during migration. This is exacerbated by light pollution, which draws birds toward these dangerous places and increases building collisions. Vehicle traffic kills birds in numbers as well, including raptors like Barred Owls that hunt along open highways. Perhaps most profound is the complete loss of habitat in some areas, including the conversion of vulnerable habitats like grasslands into sterile lawns or, even more sterile, parking lots. Invasive plants, escaped from gardens and parks, dominate what little fertile soil can be found between tall concrete buildings, stifling the native plants that support the bugs that feed the birds.
Still, I walk around neighborhoods and cities and I find hope. Yellow Warblers sing from the few maples and aspens along the Penobscot River in Bangor. Herring and Ring-billed Gulls forage in fast food parking lots and nest atop buildings. And it’s amazing how one small patch of native habitat can support a wide variety of species. One of the best birding hotspots in Bangor is a marsh visible heading south on I-95, hosting a huge diversity of native species both breeding there and stopping over in migration, all within city limits. It gives me faith that we will continue to find better ways to coexist with our avian neighbors, and that birds will continue to find new ways to overcome the challenges we throw at them.
As we approach World Migratory Bird Day, remember that every bird—and every person—counts.
Join me for an Urban Bird Ecology Walk on Saturday, May 2, 2 pm
Meet at the Bangor Waterfront, South end parking lot
Come celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with us at Fields Pond Audubon Center on Saturday, May 9.
8-9:30 am: Bird Walk with Penobscot Valley Chapter members
10 am-12:30 pm: Forestry for Maine Fish Workshop with Sally Stockwell
1-2 pm: E-Bird Workshop with Nathaniel Austin
2 pm: Beginner Family Bird Walk
All day: Binocular sale and bird-related items sale. (Optics sale is 15% off for members and nonmembers alike.)
