FEBRUARY 2022 THE RIDER /39 Barn Swallow and Other Bird Habitat Loss


By Londa Glass Ward Before Europeans settled in North America,


birds and other wild life had it pretty good. Al- though the Native peoples of this land hunted and fished for their livelihood, there were too many an- imals to cause catastrophic population loss. Enter the Europeans...who were first wel-


comed by the Natives. Then the Natives helped upset the balance of nature by over hunting for profit. When the fur trade was no longer profitable, and beaver hats no longer fashionable, a war in Eu- rope made a profitable market for lumber. Eng- land’s need for white pine lumber caused the destruction of the old growth forests in all of East- ern Canada and United States. It must have been a complete ecological disaster. Insects, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds which depended on their for-


Barn Swallows Feeding Fledg- lings on a Hydro Wire.


and other animals. Sadly, some ditches are being buried using big plastic culverts. When the undershot of an old bank barn is


no longer needed for livestock, it is often filled with machinery or firewood. Swallows can no longer nest there, because the objects underneath are tall enough for predators to reach the nests. On a more positive note, Barn and Cliff Swallows, which used to prefer occupied buildings, now might prefer vacant structures, a sign of them re- turning to the wild. DDT, which was developed in the 1940’s


and cancelled in the US in 1972, travelled down the food chain. It did not directly affect the small birds which ate the insects. Raptors suffered cata- strophic losses because the egg shells became too brittle to support the mother’s weight. Recently our raptors are making a huge comeback. One of the reasons for the decline of passerine popula- tions may be the increase in populations of small hawks, which hunt small perching birds. Environmentalists are partially blaming in-


secticides for the loss of our Swallows. More ef- fective insecticides are constantly developed. The resulting lack of insects impacts those bird species depending on them for survival. Selling off park land is just wrong but it hap-


pens. Sales of farm land for subdivisions has its draw backs and some advantages. It has been ob- served that more birds inhabit treed back yards and take advantage of bird feeders, than when they were corn fields that supported only a few species. There is some very good news news for Cliff


Swallows. The replacement of bridges and cul- verts can be helpful as metal culverts are replaced by concrete. Cliff Swallows use concrete bridges and underpasses for nest sites but steel culverts are unsuitable. Recently (2021), in Minto Township Ontario, many of the old round steel culverts have been replaced with rectangular concrete. In one, I observed 16 new Cliff Swallow nests in the first season of its existence. Please help Barn Swallows and other Swal- lows. They have lost 80% of their population in


IS YOUR HORSE 15 OR OLDER? Read on!


est habitat, had suffered a complete upset of their natural environment. When the land was cleared of the trees,


farming began in earnest. Eager Europeans brought their farming customs and domesticated animals with them to North America. When barns were built, fields established and hedgerows planted, many wild animals made use of this new man-made habitat. The populations of those which thrived in fields and near human habitation grew, while many were extirpated from their former range. Barns provided homes for Barn and Cliff Swal- lows and Barn Owls. The hedgerows made excel- lent habitat for those birds who nested in trees but needed some open space, such as Baltimore Ori- oles and Tree Swallows. The plowed fields made nesting areas for Killdeer and other field birds. Pastures and hay lands made room for Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Horned Larks and many Sparrows. Naturally occurring forest fires from light-


ning strikes also provided huge hollow trees for wildlife to nest in, including Chimney Swifts and Tree Swallows, but most forest fires, in eastern North America are quickly quenched by modern fire fighting teams. As towns and cities grew, chimneys replaced burned out trees as nest sites for Chimney Swifts. Manicured lawns made feed- ing grounds for American Robins and humans were entertained by backyard bird feeders. This trend continues today. Hydro wires and TV antennas provided


perches for both small and large birds. Now, many hydro wires are buried. Chimneys are capped. TV antennas have been removed. Clotheslines pro- vided perches, but some people don’t even have one any more. Then, modern development changed the


landscape again. Picnic pavilions, gazebos and band stands which used to be built from rough sawn lumber, made ideal habitat for birds. Old homes, often had cavities under eaves, and wooden verandas with trim work in the corners. Humans did not appreciate the feces which the birds generated. Many of these structures either no longer exist or have been enclosed with aluminum or vinyl building materials. Removing hedgerows, many of which were


planted after the Great Depression, is also detri- mental. The branches of those trees were ideal places for the fledgling Swallows to perch while the parents foraged for insects to strengthen them for the long journey south. Migrating birds which did not nest there, relied on the long rows of trees bordering each field, for resting places. Dead trees also once provided bird habitat.


In open areas, they were vantage points for hunting hawks and owls. In wooded areas, hollow and rot- ten trees with plenty of woodpecker holes, pro- vided nest sites for thousands of small cavity nesting birds. The advent of the outdoor wood burning furnace, which consumes much more fuel than a wood stove, decimates farm woodlots. The draining of wetlands destroys valuable


wildlife habitat, but the open ditches make water- ways for waterfowl. Unfortunately, the banks are not legally protected, so farmers may remove the trees, which provide a buffer zone, sheltering birds


American Association of Equine Practitioners With each passing year, horses are living longer lives and


disorder that can affect mature horses and shares some of the same clinical signs as PPID. Although the two disorders feature some striking clinical similarities — most notably a predisposi- tion to development of chronic laminitis — the underlying dis- ease biology is quite different in each case and successful management requires proper diagnosis by a competent veterinar- ian first. Our understanding of both conditions, especially EMS, is incom- plete and subject to continuous evolution, but sufficient informa- tion is currently available to highlight some important similarities and differences for the interested horse owner. Consult your vet- erinarian for more information and work with them to develop the best wellness practices to ensure a healthy life for your mature horse.


https://aaep.org/horse.../older-horse-special-care-nutrition nutrition


Additional information regarding the older horse’s care and is


available on our website at Your horse has given you a lifetime of love and it is hard to walk away when the time has come to say goodbye


Honouring the life of your horse.


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common diseases of horses greater than 15 years of age. This syn- drome is better defined as Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dys- function (PPID) because it reflects the location within the brain that is abnormal, and the clinical signs are associated with abnor- mally elevated hormone concentrations in the blood. Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is another endocrine


many survive easily to 25 years of age or older. While this is good news, it also means that horse owners need to be aware of changes occurring with age, so they can preserve the health and quality of life of their equine friends throughout middle age and the geriatric years. For example, Equine Cushing’s disease is one of the most


Eastern Canada in the last 40 years. Have you no- ticed these changes in our landscape occurring in the last 50 years? Do you still have a TV antenna on your home? Would you like to help Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows, or other native wild birds? There are many small things you can do. Please contact me on Facebook or by telephone; Linda Marie Glass Ward (The barn Swallow Carpenter, 519 327-4541)


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