Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
wrens, towhees, thrushes, and sparrows are fragile. These animals all live in
relatively small populations; fewer than a hundred pairs inhabit a typical
square half mile of a neighborhood. Modeling expected animal l uctuations in
such populations suggests that few will persist on their own accord for more
than a decade. As long as population crashes are not widespread, one neigh-
borhood's towhees or sparrows can be rescued by production and dispersal
from another neighborhood. This occurs in other birds living beyond subur-
bia, such as acorn woodpeckers.
Documenting the movement of birds that connect neighborhoods of ers a
way for all citizens to contribute to our growing understanding of suburban
birds. Many scientists band birds around your homes. It happens throughout
Europe and the United States—from Virginia to Minnesota, southern Florida
to western Oregon. Because birds are so mobile, a banded one could show up
anywhere. So look carefully at the legs of the birds you watch, scrutinize any
dead ones you i nd, and please report any banded bird to the Bird Banding
Laboratory, or similar entity. Of the nearly six thousand birds we've banded,
only twelve—roughly two of every thousand—were encountered by the public
and reported to the Bird Banding Lab. These dozen reports were precious—
all were of birds killed during their i rst two years of life, and most traveled
i ve to i fteen miles after banding. With your help, these valuable data can be
increased. You'll even get a nice certii cate of appreciation for your ef ort!
Realizing that a wide variety of birds live in self-sustaining populations in
suburbia highlights the conservation value of our neighborhoods. Steward-
ship of these lands helps keep common and resilient birds abundant. By buf -
ering climatic extremes and providing steady sources of food and water, the
places we call home also provide backup breeding reserves for birds that
thrive in wilder habitats. To me, the suburb is neither the geography of no-
