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M/SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: NW at 12 mph Saturday, April 26, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 7, 2003 Since you asked Pesticides may have killed robins We found two dead robins in our yard the other day. They were found just hours apart in the same part of the yard. Now we’re trying to figure out if a disease or something is threatening our birds. We feed birds, but we keep the feeders clean. There was no sign of violence. If there’s anything we can do to keep the birds safe, we’d like know what it is. — Jack G., Central Point It’s hard to pin these things down, Jack. Audubon’s Gwyneth Ragosine says she doesn’t know of anything specifically killing American robins in the Rogue Valley. They don’t frequent your feeders, of course. There is no sign of West Nile virus affecting them. Nor is there anything on OBOL (Oregon Birders Online, a popular Web site) about dying robins. But Ragosine turned up an interesting parallel in Texas this spring, where many people have been asking bird experts about dead robins. The most likely explanation is a combination of pesticides and large flocks of robins. Say that somebody sprayed pesticides on berries robins eat. When a huge flock moves through, that means more weak or vulnerable robins are present. When lots of robins eat berries treated with pesticides, the strong ones might get away with it, but others will not. So: dead robins. Good gardeners, as well as bird experts, say to ask yourself if you really need that pesticide, or if other pest control methods will do. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S