Bird feeding at Linn-Benton

On Feb. 10 in the LBCC courtyard near the Hot Shot Cafe, bread was thrown into the quad to feed the birds. A concerned student revealed the real danger that bread brings to birds.

“Feeding birds bread can cause a deformity called angel wings,” said Rosa Calabrese.

Angel wing, also known as slipped wing, crooked wing or drooped wing, is a condition of ducks, geese, and other wild birds causing the last joint of the wing to twist. As a result, the wing feathers point out and do not lay smooth against the body.

Birds with angel wing are stripped of their ability to fly, losing their main line of defense. Those affected are often unable to escape predators, and can be maimed or killed. Additionally, when life-threatening weather conditions develop, they are unable to migrate and can starve or freeze to death.

Many people have grown up with the idea that feeding birds and ducks at the local park is a fun interaction between human and animal. However, this isn’t the truth. It’s a serious issue, and it should stop.

“There needs to be a distinction between the animal world and human world,” said student Vishwajeet Singh.

It is important that interactions between humans and animals be neutral, and be harmless to both parties interacting.

In the courtyard students and staff share benches on a sunny day to take in some rays. With nature all around, it’s only natural that a bird or two fly by. Without better knowledge about the harmful effects to birds, as a society, we are killing birds without realizing it.

“Bread is deadly to birds,” said Lina DeMorais, student and Chintimini Wildlife Center volunteer.

A better solution to limit the birds in the courtyard would be to feed them in the outer trees around campus, which helps keep the birds in the best natural environment possible. If students and staff welcome birds into the courtyard and allow feeding to happen, birds will become comfortable and start building nests where they shouldn’t and teach their young to eat human-food.

Not only would nests impose on natural and human habitat, but more birds can cause damage to cars, property and potentially to students and staff.

A Glimpse of Evolution

Birds. Where did they come from? How did they get here? How long have they evolved on Earth? On Feb. 11, former Linn-Benton student Jon Perry presented the evolution of flight in Forum 104 from noon to 2 p.m.

Evolution describes the accumulative change in the gene pool of a population or species over the course of many thousands of generations. The process contains mutation, natural selection and genetic drift.  

The Chintimini Wildlife Center’s Raptor Conservation Program was at the event along with the birds they care for. Volunteers Kathleen Dodge, Sarah Dilley, and Zach Heesch brought along a bird species each. Dodge presented the turkey vulture, Dilley presented the merlin falcon and Heesch presented the sparred owl.

According to National History Museum, birds evolved from Archaeopteryx who lived 150 million years ago in today’s southern Germany. This means birds evolved from dinosaurs.

The turkey vulture, also called buzzard, gets its name because it resembles a wild turkey when on the ground. They can find decaying mammals by smell as well as by sight. When threatened the turkey vulture will hiss.

“They aren’t known as a glamour bird, but they certainly make up for it with their boisterous personality,” said Dodge.

The black merlin falcon are small, fierce falcons that use surprise attacks to bring down small songbirds and shorebirds. Medieval falconers called them lady hawks.

The sparred owl is a cross between the barred owl and the spotted owl. With this “hybrid” bird, the existence of the spotted owl has decreased significantly.

During the discussion Perry showed a video that he created about evolution called, “What is the Evidence for Evolution?.” It unveiled the evolution of cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Cetaceans are closely related to the present day hippopotamus, and all evolved from an ancient four legged land mammal. From the time of conception a whale will carry the offspring in a placenta, then deliver with a live birth and nurse the baby whale.

Not only do cetaceans have similar birthing to land mammals but they’re warm blooded. Unlike the average fish with gills, whales have fully developed lungs like humans. Many whales also have hair similar to land mammals. Simply put, they’re mammals.

The present-day land mammal that resembles a whale is the hippopotamus. There are differences and similarities between the two. One distinct difference is that whales are carnivores and hippopotamus’ are omnivores, eating both plants and animals.

For more about evolution check out www.statedclearly.com.