BIRD DAMAGE - WHAT IS IT? 



Lloyd A. Mitterling 

 Plant Science Department 

 University of Connecticut 



Storrs, Connecticut 



Abraham Lincoln was credited in 1864 with making the comment, 

 "The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, 

 and the American people, just now, are much in want of one." That 

 comment aptly defines the American fruit growers' situation regard- 

 ing bird damage today, except that what we need is not a definition 

 Of liberty--we need control of birdsl 



Our knowledge concerning the control of bird damage is about 

 on a par with the entomologists' knowledge concerning insect con- 

 trol in the 1920's. The pomologists feel inadequately prepared 

 to cope with the problem; the game biologists hasten to explain 

 that the problem does not concern them; and the majority of orni- 

 thologists flatly refuse to recognize it. Generally then, we can 

 say that the field is left to anyone who is i nterested . . .and , there 

 are few who are. 



Effective bird-damage control must be based on the answers to 

 two questions: 



1. What is the crop being damaged? 



a. When does the damage occur? 



b. How severe is the damage which does occur? 



2. What bird species are responsible for the damage? 



a. Why do they do it? 



b. Where do they do it? 



Logically, analysis of damage should start with the crop. It 

 so happens, however, that birds inflict damage to varying degrees 

 and at different times of the year, depending on the locality of 

 the fruit crop. Their aim is to satisfy an innate drive for food 

 and/or moisture. The damage they do depends upon their needs. 



Consequently, I believe that our first consideration should 

 be concerned with question 2.b., Where do birds do the damage? 

 This means we must recognize the ecological situations in which 

 damage is occurring. With that knowledge, we can gain valuable 

 clues about why the damage is occurring and which bird species are 

 responsible. 



For example: In late March or early April, we notice bud dam- 

 age on some of our apple trees. If the orchard is located in an 

 isolated area surrounded by shrubs and brushy growth with good 

 cover, then the damage is probably due to grouse ov* partridge and 



