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Posted by Carlos Sanchez on 18:24:14 04/19/12
In Reply to: Re: Flamingo: Third Shiny Cowbird? posted by steve siegel
Should we really lay the blame on cowbirds for human-made mass alterations of habitats in the Americas? Their nesting strategy has simply become so much more successful due to our habitat modification.
In a landscape once filled with migratory herds of megafauna, keeping pace with big mammals meant cowbirds had to leave their eggs in the nests of songbirds that kept breeding territories. This nesting strategy has translated into becoming a very successful one in today's human dominated landscape. Despite needing to be kept under control to prevent biodiversity loss such as Kirtland's Warbler in Michigan or Yellow-shouldered Blackbird in Puerto Rico, I would never describe these guys as 'villains' for successfully adapting.
Carlos
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