Many small birds, including European starlings and cedar waxwings, love blueberries, cherries and other fruit, and while that may give backyard birders incentive to plant berry producing plants, it can cause headaches and hardship for berry and fruit farmers. According to a story from The Packer, however, growers along the West Coast have embraced a unique solution to their bird pest problems by employing falconers to deter smaller birds from feasting.

The American Bird Abatement Service uses Peruvian aplomado falcons to chase smaller birds away from crops, and similar services use other birds of prey, such as American kestrels. Many farmers are also putting up nesting boxes for kestrels to encourage wild birds to take up residence. This type of innovative pest management problem is both environmentally responsible and humane to the birds, as it is no longer necessary to use traps or chemicals to deter the smaller birds.

Backyard birders may not be able to use falcons as a pest control measure, but there are many easy ways to be a green birder and enjoy birding in an ecologically responsible way.

Blueberry Field
Photo © manray3

The guns may be silent at the Civil War battlefield at Pea Ridge National Military Park in Arkansas, but the birds are singing. According to a story from NWAOnline.com, monthly birding walks turn up a wide variety of species, including summer tanagers, scissor-tailed flycatchers, ovenbirds, eastern towhees, hairy woodpeckers and many more.

The park’s varied habitat, including forests, ponds, streams and meadows, make it ideal for a wide range of birds, and the undisturbed isolation of the national park offer birds a safe haven on what was once a brutal battlefield. Birders can spot many species right from the park’s tour road, or they can venture along the hiking trails for a closer look, whether they are participating in one of the regular bird walks or not.

For more information about birding at Pea Ridge, visit the National Park Service.

Pea Ridge National Military Park
Photo © Nic McPhee

The Great Salt Lake is well known as a superb bird habitat. Now, thanks to an anonymous donation of more than 1,300 acres along the lake’s southern shore as well as many other acreage purchases, the Edward L. and Charles F. Gillmor Audubon Sanctuary at the South Shore Preserve will provide even more habitat for resident and migratory birds. According to a story from the Deseret News, the new sanctuary was opened by releasing water flow into a centuries-old dry channel of the Jordan River. Within minutes, a Wilson’s phalarope – a type of large sandpiper – was feeding along the newly filled channel.

The new sanctuary encompasses a total of 2,700 acres of wetland and upland habitat and has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Many organizations, including the National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited and Rio Tinto Kennecott Utah Copper contributed to the project, giving birders and nature lovers the chance to see not only Wilson’s phalaropes, but many other types of shorebirds, waterfowl and wildlife in a beautifully restored setting.

Note: There is currently no public access to the sanctuary, but private tours may be possible. For more information, visit Audubon in Utah.

Wilson's Phalarope
Photo © Dominic Sherony

This week’s top bird is a top-notch duck, the ruddy duck. With its bold breeding plumage, large head and unmistakable stiff tail, this is an easy bird to recognize. Its behavior is also fascinating as it sinks below the surface of the water to feed or dives quickly to avoid predators.

What fascinates me about ruddy ducks is their solitary attitude. While they do travel in tight-knit flocks, they often shun the presence of other ducks and geese at the same pond. This may be because they are slower swimmers at the surface of the water, or else their small size can make them feel more threatened in a group of larger waterfowl.

Are ruddy ducks part of your life list? Share your stories in the comments!

Ruddy Duck
Photo © Kevin Cole