USDA Bird Kill
January 22, 2011, Submitted by: Ken TweetPermalink
During 2009, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Wildlife Services, euthanized nearly 4 Million birds in the U.S.
Given the high profile reporting lately of the mysterious bird kill incidences, it was startling to come across a report from NaturalNews.com where they had discovered a U.S. government document which lists statistics of euthanized animals during the year 2009 by the USDA APHIS WS. Many of them are birds.
It is understandable how there are occasional situations that require pest control.
The real question is, under what circumstances is it justifiable to kill animals?
Perhaps one of these?
When harvesting to consume as food
When human life is in danger
Dangerous disease (e.g. avian virus-contamination threat to humans)
These three statements seem to be the only that seem ‘OK’.
So, what is this government agency doing, and why?
Why would they kill (or if your prefer, euthanize) these birds?
We haven’t heard of avian virus-contaminated birds flocking around the U.S. in the news. Perhaps a reader in-the-know can offer up an explanation…
Many people happen to enjoy watching birds. Bird feeders in the yard bring an amazing variety (many of which are on the following government ‘kill’ list) and hours of enjoyment watching their behavior and listening to their song. Every year for the past 5 or 6 years we’ve had a pair of house finch’s build a nest in the same spot and raise 3 or 4 little one’s till they fly away (these are also on the ‘kill’ list).
The USDA APHIS WS homepage includes a statement, “WS NWRC research scientists are dedicated to the development of wildlife damage management methods… to reduce threats to human health and safety“, which was about all I could find for an explanation at this time.
It seems that they believe that for our health and safety, they had to kill 1.2 million Starlings, 6 thousand House Finch’s, 16,000 Mourning Doves, and 2.5 million other birds from various groups.
House Finch’s… Really?
It may be a little more ‘real’ to have a look at the following list of government bird kills, along with the pictures of the birds themselves. There were so many, that this list only includes kills that were greater than quantities of 1,000.
USDA APHIS WS 2009 Bird Euthanasia
Red Avadavat (2,873)
Brewer’s Blackbird (4,609)
Red-Winged Blackbird (965,889)
Blackbirds-mixed (22,276)
Red-Vented Bulbul (1,436)
Red-Crested Cardinal (4,013)
Double-Crested Cormorants (17,394)
Brown-Headed Cowbirds (1,046,109)
American Crows (10,578)
Eurasian-Collared Doves (1,327)
Mourning Doves (16,912)
Spotted Doves (15,035)
Zebra Doves (19,694)
Mallard Ducks (2,494)
Cattle Egrets (3,126)
House Finch (6,338)
Gray Francolin (1,868)
Canada Goose (24,519)
Boat-Tailed Grackle (4,736)
Common Grackle (93,210)
Great-Tailed Grackle (16,414)
California Gull (1,131)
Glaucous-Winged Gull (3,934)
Herring Gull (3,871)
Laughing Gull (5,092)
Ring-Billed Gull (6,515)
Horned Lark (1,017)
Chestnut Mannikin (41,794)
Nutmeg Mannikin (25,196)
Eastern Meadowlark (1,145)
Myna (4,087)
Feral Pigeon (96,297)
Raven (3,864)
House Sparrow (6,297)
Java Sparrow (17,635)
European Starling (1,259,714)
Black Vulture (2,684)
Turkey Vulture (1,454)
What does this report have to do with modern survival or preparedness? Simply to point out how all too often it seems that ‘the government knows better’, and in this case, even better than nature itself.
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It would be very interesting to hear ‘the true reason’ as to why they did this! If there is a danger to us then, its not nice, but we could understand it, just, but this! Never, ever, has man known better than nature! I wonder if they have heard that saying, ‘you reap what you sow’. Let’s hope that’s the first thing that comes to mind when nature ‘bites back’! She will only take so much of man’s arrogance, we must be very, very close to pushing her to the point where she says ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’
I like your comment . Nature will bite back , and very soon , I tell you , for the ones killing birds will surprisingly be met by one. The Bird of Ecclesiastes ( COMET ) and the devouring Fowls (HAIL)( BIRDS COMETS TAIL ) will surprise them fearfully .
Ecclesiastes
{12:1} Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy
youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw
nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
{12:2}
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars,
be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
{12:3}
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and
the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease
because they are few, and those that look out of the
windows be darkened, {12:4} And the doors shall be shut in
the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he
shall
rise up at the voice of THE BIRD , and all the daughters of
musick shall be brought low;
Revelation
….and shouldest destroy them which destroy
the earth.
{11:19} And the temple of God was opened in
heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his
testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and
thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail( FOWLS ).
In the Netherlands the Government killed a 12.000 Canadian Geese because:
Farmer’s filed complaints because the geese grazed their field (eating grass)
Their presence increased the risk of bird hits (military base 50 km from the location)
The government stated they performed the cull because this was the last year they had a chance to do it because next year the birds would be protected.
Air flight safety around airports and economic interests from farmers, fruit growers and fisheries are the primary reasons for the kills.
Having cherry trees in my garden and many, many birds, I am always amazed how little of the the harvest is lost. I really think there are plenty of methods available to scare off the birds if your don’t want them on your territory but to cull them really is the last resort.
I must say that I am pretty amazed by the numbers and the variety in species.
Thanks for the article, I am going to do some research.
Too many… dreadful yet important story. Is it because Monsanto (in collusion with gov) wants to sell insect killer to the farmers? Is it that bad? I cannot think of any other profit motive for such killing.