>>> THE COMMON BIRDS WE SEE EVERY DAY AND MAY TAKE FOR
GRANTED ARE DISAPPEARING, STUDIES SHOW.
ACCORDING TO ONE REPORT BY THE "NEW YORK TIMES," THERE ARE 2.9
BILLION FEWER BIRDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA THAN
THERE WERE JUST 50 YEARS AGO.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER AND FOUNDER OF
SWALLOWCONSERVATION.ORG, MARA SILVER, SAT DOWN WITH
"CONNECTING POINT'S" ZYDALIS BAUER TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE
NATIVE SPECIES BEING AFFECTED, THE BARN SWALLOW.
>> I THINK ORNOTHOLGISTS HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, BUT
IT HAS CREEPED UP AND IT IS NOTICEABLE NOW.
STUDIES ARE SHOWING IN THE LAST 50 YEARS WE HAVE LOST 50% OF OUR
BIRDS ACROSS GROUPS.
SO, IT IS VERY ALARMING, ACTUALLY.
IT INCLUDED SOME OF OUR MORE COMMON BIRDS.
THE IMPACT THAT HUMANS HAVE HAD ON THE PLANET HAS, YOU KNOW,
NEGATIVELY AFFECTED SOME OF THESE SPECIES AND WE'RE FINALLY
SEEING THAT PLAY OUT NOW.
>> NOW, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE AN EXPERT IN PARTICULARLY BARN
SWALLOWS.
>> MM-HMM.
>> TALK TO ME ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THAT DECLINE ESPECIALLY IN
THIS REGION.
>> THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF NORTH AMERICA, IN THIS REGION,
WE ARE SEEING PRETTY SEVERE DECLINES IN A GROUP OF BIRDS
CALLED AERIAL INSECTIVORES, BARN SWALLOWS ARE A PART OF THAT
GROUP, THESE ARE BIRDS THAT EAT INSECTS IN FLIGHT.
BARN SWALLOWS ARE DECLINING ACROSS MOST OF NORTH AMERICA.
THE DECLINE IS STEEPER THE FURTHER NORTHEAST YOU GO.
WE DON'T KNOW THE REASONS FOR THE DECLINE.
THERE ARE FACTORS LIKE HABITAT LOSS, AGRICULTURAL
INTENSIFICATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND EFFECTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.
THREATS ON WINTERING AND MIGRATION ROUTES, BECAUSE THEY
SPEND THE WINTER IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
THEY HAVE A LONG DISTANCE TO GO TO COME UP HERE TO MIGRATE AND
GO SOUTH TO WINTER.
SO WE HAVE HALF THE NUMBER OF BARN SWALLOWS IN MASSACHUSETTS
THAN WE DID IN THE MID 80s.
>> I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A BARN IN HADLEY THAT ABOUT 37 PAIRS OF
THE BARN SWALLOWS ARE NESTING.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT BARN?
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT IT MIGHT BE AT RISK TO BE
DEMOLISHED.
>> YES.
SO THAT COLONY OF BARN SWALLOWS NESTS AT FORT RIVER REFUGE,
WHICH IS OWNED BY U.S. FISH AND WILD LIFE IN HADLEY,
MASSACHUSETTS.
IT IS AN ABANDONED STABLE.
IT IS CALLED BRYMAR STABLE.
IT HOSTS THE LARGEST KNOWN COLONY OF BARN SWALLOWS IN
MASSACHUSETTS.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER COLONY WITH MORE NESTING PAIRS.
OUR GROUP, SAVE OUR SWALLOWS IS COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS,
SCIENTISTS, VOLUNTEERS, ALL WORKING TO SAVE THAT STABLE
BECAUSE IT IS THREATENED WITH DEMOLITION BY U.S. FISH AND WILD
LIFE.
>> I WAS READING THAT YOU ALL ARE VERY DEDICATED, WHICH IS
AMAZING AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME, NOT
ONLY THEIR TIME, BUT THEIR MONEY AS WELL.
WHERE DOES THAT PASSION COME FROM?
>> THEY ARE A BEAUTIFUL BIRD AND THEY FEED ON INSECTS THAT HUMANS
FIND TO BE PESTS, LIKE MOSQUITOS.
THERE IS A FONDNESS FOR THESE BIRD AND THIS COLONY.
THE FACT IT IS ON A REFUGE, WE FEEL IT IS WORTHY OF SAVING.
>> REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE AN AVID BIRDWATCHER, IT AFFECTS ALL OF
US THE SAME, CORRECT?
TALK TO ME ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFECTS ON THE ECOSYSTEM AND WHY
PEOPLE SHOULD CARE AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC?
>> THESE BIRDS ARE NATIVE.
BIODIVERSITY IS A POSITIVE THING.
IF WE CAN SAVE A NATIVE SPECIES WE SHOULD.
ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ARE COMPLEX.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS AND THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
SHOULD COME INTO PLAY WHEN THINKING ABOUT CONSERVATION OF
OUR NATIVE BIRD SPECIES.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROTEST.
HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED IF THEY ARE INTERESTED AND
PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS TOPIC ALSO?
>> TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THESE SWALLOWS.
THE U.S. FISH AND WILD LIFE SERVICE IS FEDERALLY MANDATED TO
DO A SORT OF -- WEIGH THE PROS AN CONS OF AN ACTION THAT IS
GOING TO AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THEY HAD TO DO WHAT IS CALLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
AND OUR GROUP FEELS THAT THEY HAVE SORT OF BROKEN SOME OF THE
RULES INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
AND WE HAVE A LEGAL TEAM BEHIND US AND FILED AN INTENT TO SUE,
BUT THUS FAR WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO SHOW -- WE WANT TO SHOW
THIS STABLE IS IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT THAT LEGAL ANGLE, BUT IF PEOPLE WANT TO SHOW THEIR
SUPPORT FOR THEIR NATIVE BIRD SERIES -- I MEAN, IT IS EASY TO
FEEL HOPELESS WHEN YOU HEAR BAD NEWS.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING FOR NATIVE BIRDS IN YOUR BACK YARD.
ATTEND OUR EVENT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 FROM 10:00 TO NOON
AT HADLEY AT THE ENTRANCE OF STAPLES.
>> WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STRUCTURE, OF THIS BARN FOR
THE SWALLOWS?
SOME PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, WHY CAN'T THEY NEST SOMEWHERE ELSE?
WHY IS THIS STRUCTURE SIGNIFICANT FOR THE SPECIES?
>> THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, IT IS A LARGE STRUCTURE.
TWO, IT IS SURROUNDED BY OPEN FIELDS THAT ARE PROTECTED.
THEY ARE NOT SPRAYED WITH PESTICIDES.
THEY FEED ON INSECTS SO THERE IS A GOOD PREY BASE, WE ASSUME, FOR
FEEDING.
THE BROADER QUESTION IS WE DON'T KNOW WHY THEY LIKE IT SO MUCH.
BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND HABITAT
SELECTION IN BARN SWALLOWS AND THEY ARE CHOOSING TO BE THERE IN
GREAT NUMBERS, THIS SEEMS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT WHY THEY ARE DISAPPEARING FROM OTHER BARNS,
BUT THRIVING AT THIS BARN.
IT COULD BE THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE BARN.
THEY BUILD NESTS INSIDE.
>> MM-HMM.
>> IT COULD BE, AGAIN, THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE COMBINED
WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE INSIDE OF THE BARN, BUT THERE'S A LOT
WE DON'T KNOW.