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Old 07-19-2012, 09:31 AM
 
Location: Duluth, MN
533 posts, read 1,164,719 times
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I would report the dead birds to your local game warden, who will either investigate it, personally, or who can contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to look into it.

Most birds in the U.S. are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (starlings are not), which is a federal law. This includes not only eagles, hawks (and other raptors), and waterfowl, but also common songbirds, robins, sparrows, etc. The federal government allows each state to enforce the MBTA, themselves. Each state can place additional restrictions on the law's protections, but cannot be more lax in enfacing them. They can also deviate from the protections where the law allows, as previously mentioned.

It may not necessarily be a criminal issue to find large numbers of dead birds in one location, but it's still a matter of concern because of the vast number of reasons they might be dying: poisoning, disease, power line contact, etc. I would report it, sooner than later.
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Old 07-19-2012, 09:35 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,948 posts, read 59,942,524 times
Reputation: 60493
I've watched this thread since it started and the poster above may have hit on something I'd meant to mention-disease.
I may be mistaken but doesn't Tennessee have a West Nile Virus problem? I know that here in MD we did a few years ago and it wasn't unusual to find dead birds around, especially crows. In fact, the crow population here was cut up to 90% in some areas.
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Old 07-19-2012, 04:38 PM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,754 posts, read 17,986,975 times
Reputation: 14731
What I love are people that have cats and let them 'play/hunt' outside. Feral cats and house cats, that are not kept inside, present one of the biggest problems to our wild birds and small mammals. They kill far more birds than the few bird poachers kill. I am not trying to defend anybody that kills indiscriminately for fun. I am just tired of listening to 'animal lovers' that cannot see the harm that their own animals do to our environment. Feral cats hunt 24/7 and some domestic cats hunt every time they are given a chance. Domestic animals are not nature. Domestic animals do not follow our game laws.

As far as the OP and the dead birds: Like others have stated; they did not see somebody shoot the birds. It is only a suspicion without evidence. One dead carcass could prove their suspicions or disprove them. One other poster mentioned the West Nile virus. Our roads also kill birds. Many birds fail to cross our busy roads. Some windmills kill birds. Many birds also die hitting the windows in our homes and businesses.

I would like to think that our children and their children would have the chance to experience the nature that we knew. That will not happen unless we address all of the problems we have.
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Old 07-20-2012, 03:40 PM
 
289 posts, read 174,029 times
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I wonder what happened to the OP of this thread.

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Old 07-21-2012, 12:09 PM
 
Location: Not where I want to be
24,509 posts, read 24,098,606 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.City View Post
I wonder what happened to the OP of this thread.
I was wondering the same thing, Mr. City. I'd like an update.
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Old 07-28-2012, 12:24 AM
 
986 posts, read 2,496,069 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm View Post
About .2 of a mile down the road from my house, starting every spring and all through the summer, there are random dead birds laying in the street in front of someones house. This has went on for about 4 years, but I just would shake my head out of disgust and go on, but its started already and I am tired of it. It used to only be Black birds, but today I noticed a dead Red Bird on the side of the road dead. I honestly think that that someone at that house is killing them. They dont have any cats that I know of (this is a rural area btw, but alot of houses/neighborhoods). There are only 2 people live in that house, both older people, but I dont see the old man out anymore, but i do the old woman, but she dont look that old... 50s-60s maybe? They are not very friendly people either. Her granddaughter/and her husband live behind her, so he could be the one doing it. They do set a garden in the spring and I think they are doing this to keep the birds out, but they dont realize the birds are eating pests.

I just am wondering if this is illegal and can I report it to the animal control center or something so they can investigate?

I am tired of dodging dead birds in the road every spring and winter in front of that house and what they are doing I think is cruel.
I'd gather a bird discreetly and give it a forensic look before leveling specific accusations, but you're probably onto something.

Go to YouTube and search for videos of birds being shot with pellet guns and/or firearms. There's a particularly sick user who goes into clinical detail with slow motion scope-cam footage of pellet strikes on birds. He claims to only shoot "pests" but is far too into the whole thing for that angle to wash. When you look at the comments on such videos you can see there's a legion of creeps with little respect for life.
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Old 07-28-2012, 12:34 AM
 
986 posts, read 2,496,069 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimboburnsy View Post
About 60 starlings were released into NYC's central park around the turn of the 20th century by a Briton who felt homesick and wanted something to remind him of home. By 1950 they had spread to the Pacific Northwest and all points in between. This isn't a species that has trouble with relocation.

They are a major problem for native cavity nesting birds and their success has been to the detriment of purple martins, bluebirds, sapsuckers, woodpeckers and a host of others. They represent an ecological disaster of biblical proportions.

Starlings are also one of about three bird species that enjoy ZERO federal or state protection in the U.S., along with rock dove and house sparrows (English sparrows).

I'm sorry that you are at odds with your neighbor, but (assuming your neighbor is indeed killing the birds) he or she is probably well within his or her rights unless there is a specific prohibition against the killing method in your area. In other words, you may be able to put a stop to shooting the birds with a pellet gun inside of city limits - but if he/she starts trapping and euthenizing them in a reasonable manner then that isn't likely to be actionable.

Now, if you're talking about a neighbor that is killing cardinals, robins, mockingbirds and jays - that's very, very different and is likely to bear very, very heavy fines. Get in touch with the game warden for your county/parish if that's the case.
True, but don't kid yourself that people don't kill quite often for specious reasons, like live target practice. Or that plenty of protected birds don't get shot due to inaccurate identification or plain old not caring.

Awhile back I discovered a grim world of "hunting" mayhem on YouTube (birds are the tip of the iceberg) that reveals just how little respect for nature some people have. Even if some of the animals are shot for pragmatic reasons, the mere act of uploading videos of their deaths is disrespectful.

You see a lot of excuses in the video comments about legal technicalities, e.g. "we're culling them for their own good," as if the graphic content is perfectly fine. It really dimmed my view of human nature, the NRA and so on. I knew it went on, but seeing and hearing the crummy attitudes behind it makes it much worse.

Last edited by ca_north; 07-28-2012 at 12:42 AM..
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Old 08-01-2012, 11:28 AM
 
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,307 posts, read 38,674,481 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ca_north View Post
True, but don't kid yourself that people don't kill quite often for specious reasons, like live target practice. Or that plenty of protected birds don't get shot due to inaccurate identification or plain old not caring.

Awhile back I discovered a grim world of "hunting" mayhem on YouTube (birds are the tip of the iceberg) that reveals just how little respect for nature some people have. Even if some of the animals are shot for pragmatic reasons, the mere act of uploading videos of their deaths is disrespectful.

You see a lot of excuses in the video comments about legal technicalities, e.g. "we're culling them for their own good," as if the graphic content is perfectly fine. It really dimmed my view of human nature, the NRA and so on. I knew it went on, but seeing and hearing the crummy attitudes behind it makes it much worse.
I reported a YouTube video of a guy shooting purple martins off of his power lines under auspices that they were depredating his barn by defecating on it. He thought they were starlings. I completely agree that there is a lot of unsanctioned, illegal killing of protected species - however - I get the sense that the OP doesn't really have a better grasp on "which way is up" than the idiot dirtbag with a pellet gun illegally killing native birds.

The EdGun videos that I supect you're talking about, however, I don't really have a problem with. To me, culling starlings via legal means isn't really a technicality.
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Old 08-01-2012, 12:13 PM
 
2,222 posts, read 10,622,093 times
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There are lots of reports about bird die-offs around the world, including Tennessee. Unless there is specific evidence that someone is killing them, it may be a die-off.

There are also reports that through the years the USDA has sponsored massive bird kill-offs.

USDA found to be poisoning bird populations, causing mass die-offs involving millions of birds
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Old 08-01-2012, 02:36 PM
 
Location: Not where I want to be
24,509 posts, read 24,098,606 times
Reputation: 24270
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beth56 View Post
There are lots of reports about bird die-offs around the world, including Tennessee. Unless there is specific evidence that someone is killing them, it may be a die-off.

There are also reports that through the years the USDA has sponsored massive bird kill-offs.

USDA found to be poisoning bird populations, causing mass die-offs involving millions of birds
That's crazy and so wrong! Because ONE farmer complained that these starlings popped on his feed that he doesn't cover up, the USDA poisons them? That is ludicris (sp). WTH is going on with our govenment and OUR tax dollars?
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