As cities grow and housing becomes more dense, elements of
nature have adapted and birds are the focus of this book.
We share our living environment with many species and
WELCOME TO SUBIRDIA introduces them, proposing nine steps
we can take to make birds more welcome, such as providing
nest boxes and winter food; limiting cat foraging hours;
putting stickers or blinds on high windows.
John Marzluff tells us that birds prey on insects, rodents
and garden pests; they delight us with colour, song and
activity; they make seasonal migrations through our
territory or reside all year round. From the start of
crop-
farming and city-dwelling five thousand years ago we have
attracted some creatures and dispersed others. Following
us to cluster in cities, or brought there, we today find
the rock pigeon, house sparrow, starling, mallard duck and
Canada goose widely dispersed. Other inhabitants however
are local specialists, from hummingbirds to owls, enjoying
backyards and city parks. Birds are described as avoiders,
adapters or exploiters of built environments.
Suburbs are where Marzluff finds the greatest tally of
species, as urban land merges with rural and riverine and
individual gardens provide habitat diversity. Radio
transmitters, mist nets, leg rings and patient study are
all described in the search to identify, count and track
birds. America has probably lost the ivory-billed
woodpecker, victim of enthusiastic logging, but other
birds
are better adapters. For instance, Marzluf says that
swallows, which swoop low to catch insects, are often
killed over roads; surviving birds have longer, thinner
bodies to swerve more quickly away from cars, so these are
the ones which will breed.
While mainland America is the main location studied, other
areas cited include England and Hawaii. The delightful
illustrations by Jack Delapp show us the birds in their
natural environments, whether that is a shopping area or a
forest. Other creatures living in built environments such
as golf courses include frogs, salamanders, turtles,
snakes; don't forget abundant insects. Anyone studying
ecology will find much food for thought in the lively
WELCOME TO SUBIRDIA. Keen birdwatchers as well as those
just getting started will be thrilled to know that so many
species thrive just outside the door.
Welcome to Subirdia presents a surprising discovery: the
suburbs of many large cities support incredible biological
diversity. Populations and communities of a great variety
of
birds, as well as other creatures, are adapting to the
conditions of our increasingly developed world. In this
fascinating and optimistic book, John Marzluff reveals how
our own actions affect the birds and animals that live in
our cities and towns, and he provides ten specific
strategies everyone can use to make human environments
friendlier for our natural neighbors.
Over many years of research and fieldwork, Marzluff and
student assistants have closely followed the lives of
thousands of tagged birds seeking food, mates, and shelter
in cities and surrounding areas. From tiny Pacific wrens
to
grand pileated woodpeckers, diverse species now compatibly
share human surroundings. By practicing careful
stewardship
with the biological riches in our cities and towns,
Marzluff
explains, we can foster a new relationship between humans
and other living creatures—one that honors and enhances
our
mutual destiny.
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