loving art, science and creative kids

     Yellow Headed Black Birds 

        These beautiful birds are protected at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, yet they risk their lives when traveling to Mexico for the winter. I painted them last spring after taking our annual excursion to view Oregon’s migratory birds. Sorry, but the painting was sold. 

Ray took the picture of the Band-Tailed Pigeon perched on our back porch feeder. Notice the dart (or broken arrow) sticking out of it’s shoulder. This was a courageous bird that most likely managed to make the trip from Mexico north, carrying the projectile the entire distance. It made me wonder why this pigeon was treated so poorly so I did a bit of research about killing birds.

I learned that pigeons and doves are the same, though doves are usually labeled as the smaller of the two birds.  There are close to 300 species of doves and pigeons, each with their own cooing sound.  Those living in Peru sound like small ground frogs while black-wing ground doves chirp like birds. In the wild they live 3-5 years but  in captivity they often reach 12-15 years. Much has been written about about turtle doves, recognized by a ring around their necks, long colorful cuckoo doves, and plump  short tailed quail-like doves. Wild doves can not be domesticated but those who want them as pets can choose from a variety of species. Most domestic doves are banded with the year it was hatched.

Advertisers on Google promote dove hunting adventures to countries like Argentina, Uruguay, and Columbia.  Hunters are supplied with 1000 free shells, and go on 8 shoots over four days for a cost of approximately $2,600 plus tips.  High volume dove shooting is also advertised by South America Adventure Safaris where the most experienced shooters stay in luxurious lodges.  These mighty hunters face-off with ducks, pigeons, and doves. Most of the meat goes uneaten by the hunters though the organizers claim the birds supply food to the local community. Since most of birds are shot with lead pellets that become imbedded in their flesh, they are not safe to eat.  The pellets also are a hazard to birds, such as hawks, that pick up lead shot from the ground and get poisoned.  Because they are preyed upon in most countries including the United States, foreign doves have  developed an instinctual fear of humans. 

I read a blog by a horrified writer who echoes my sentiments. “ I understand the idea of hunting for food or pest control, and I get the idea of hunting for sport but what I don’t get is why someone would go and kill a thousand birds, or a couple dozen. Is it the challenge? Doesn’t seem like a big challenge if some kid can take down a thousand on a weekend? What is the appeal?”

There were many answers.

One person mentioned that doves eat grain and are considered a plague by farmers for they destroy entire crops in a night. Another boasted that their meat  is delicious and hunting is fun, for it occurs when the weather is good as opposed to hunting ducks or geese in the fall.

Another answered,  “There are a great many things I shoot and kill, yet have zero desire to eat. Moles, feral cats, nutria, rats, field mice, the neighbor's dogs, voles, starlings … of course possum, raccoon and coyote as well. Crows just aren't worth the trouble to clean (much like dove), but I hunt them anyway.”  

However, one response that did make some sense to me was, “Number 1 rule of hunting . . . you eat what you kill!  If you were hungry enough, you’d not only eat dog, you’d fight for the scraps.”

There are many other species of birds, besides doves  that are being eliminated worldwide.    The Guardian newspaper recently reported that conservationists are appalled at the illegal killing of 25 million birds a year in the Mediterranean alone. Egyptians line beaches with high nets across miles of the Nile Delta. Cypriots stop songbirds by smearing branches with glue, while the Italians kill anything that flies and the French set metal traps for small birds. Though these countries do have strong laws, they are not working. The Guardian mentioned that Italy and Egypt are the most dangerous countries for migratory birds followed by Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus where songbirds are a culinary delicacy.

I am stymied. My bird feeder attracts lovely feathered creatures that I have come to treasure. The thought of them being killed for sport is demoralizing. The fact that we are wiping out populations of birds and animals on a mass scale I believe is unconscionable. On the other hand, the idea of people going hungry is also unethical. In poor countries, entire populations of wildlife are eliminated because of food insecurity. 

What do we as a society do to address hunger as well as provide for the needs of sportsmen? Very real nutritional concerns as well as recreational desires are the main reason populations of wildlife have been exterminated. Questions of population control, agricultural practices that encourage small farmers, and sharing of resources must be considered when addressing this issue. Why can't hunters have fun shooting drones or skeets instead of living creatu

As a city girl surrounded by concrete and brick buildings, it was not until my seventh grade teacher introduced a unit on birding that I became aware that we shared space with other populations of beauty. Though I did come down with a debilitating case of poison ivy, it was not enough to discourage me from venturing forth again. And on a cold, windy day I shivered and participated in the Audubon Society's January bird count, knowing the importance of keeping track of the effect of urbanization on species survival rates.  More recently, I returned to Malheur to observe the spring migration and become immersed in the beauty of eastern Oregon.

One of the best ways to combat wildlife destruction is to encourage more people to visit a national refuge.  A pair of binoculars and a bird book are wonderful aides to enjoying nature and challenging one's ability to recognize the variety of species that share our planet.  Those who appreciate diversity are less likely to want to destroy it. 

References:

Vidal, John ,Conservationists are appalled at illegal killing of 25 m birds a year in the Mediterranean/  The Guardian, 2015/   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/26/conservationists-appalled-at-illegal-killing-of-25m-birds-a-year-in-the-mediterranean

Northwest Firearms/ Forum / 

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/dove-hunting-why.89738/

American Dove Association web site: http://www.americandoveassociation.com/html/dove-information.html

Please respond on my blog site below.