Dead birds

[Napper]

In the last week have discovered 2 dead grackles along the path to my bus stop in Milton..

Not eaten, Just Dead

I know that the ministry only checks for West Nile in Crows and  Bluejays.. I cannot find a list of birds affected by the virus..

can someone point me in the correct direction....


Napper

 :lol:

[Julia]

No actual scientific info to back me up, just off-hand pop-sci observations, but it seems to me that grackles filled the niche left empty when the bluejays and crows disappeared (ie eating baby birds and eggs, etc) and there were a lot more of them recently, so I don't think they're west nile victims.  Maybe they got into some tainted food source in the area? Pesticide, maybe?

Julia

[Napper]

thanx for the reply

I was trying to find the specifics about the species that are affected by WN . I read somewhere that 130 or so bird species  were affected but I cannot find that info..

Your correct, there are alot of grackles around..  We still have Jays and Crows though.  This year there is a greater variety of birds here where I Live..

Napper  :lol:

[Napper]

Tonight as I was hopping over the back fence I was met by my wife in the back yard. She had a sad face . I thought some critter had destroyed one

of her flowers again.  She pointed at a tiny little sparrow hiding under a flower. It looked like it was in shock and roughed up about the head not

moving at all. My wife said she noticed a Grackle attacking a sparrow in the yard ran outside and scared the Grackle away. She was very disturbed

by this. When I walked near the feeder I found another Sparrow with its head missing.  So I most likely will  have to revise a few of my post here  I.E

"one less mourning dove".  She said the Grackle landed on the fence beek wide open and then flew away. My Son tried to give the sparrow some

seeds but it flew away. We, (sorry my wife)disposed of the other Sparrow over the fence..  About a month ago I noticed a fight between two Grackles

that went on for more than 10 minutes it was quite violent.  Yesterday I noticed a really beatup looking Grackle with no tail feathers under the feeder.

Napper :?: