Thanks Brian for the insights
The poaching threat, as serious as it is for birds on public lands in SW Idaho (People Keep Shooting Long-Billed Curlews in Southwest Idaho), does seem to be relatively localized and I’m sure other issues are at play elsewhere. And, to your point, some of the best current populations of curlews – both in terms of abundance and reproductive success – we’ve studied in recent years are on private lands with flood irrigation (or at least sub-irrigated meadows), including sites in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming.
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People Keep Shooting Long-Billed Curlews in Southwest Idaho
A shot mother is the latest in a string of poaching deaths, now considered the greatest threat on what was once …
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As you said, center pivots and other forms of sprinkler irrigation use less water and require less labor. But, there are other factors worth considering in the “conservation equation”, including impacts on aquifers as well as what kind of habitat these agricultural areas provide. Flood irrigation, though water & labor-intensive, provides a pretty good substitute for seasonally flooded wetlands and also allows for aquifer recharge. To that end, many organizations in the state – including members of the Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership – have dedicated energy & effort in recent years to the goal of maintaining flood irrigation in at least some valley areas that are within natural floodplains. This is especially so in eastern Idaho where White-faced Ibis and other birds that breed at Market Lake and Mud Lake WMAs and feed extensively in nearby flood-irrigated fields … but there’s a very rapid turnover to center pivot in the area which could end up severely reducing important foraging habitat for colonially-nesting waterbirds as well as migratory waterfowl & shorebirds that pass through.
Thanks for chiming in and I hope this adds a little more to your “food for thought” 🙂
Jay
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Jay Carlisle
Research Director, Intermountain Bird Observatory
Associate Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University
Coordinator, Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership, IBCP on Facebook
On Monday, June 25, 2018, 7:22:14 PM MDT, lcarrigan_55@yahoo.com [ible]
Recently, I’ve read sev articles about Long-billed Curlew numbers dropping in S ID & a disturbing reason for the decline. It appears that poaching, specifically “target shooting” is a major factor. The LB Curlew is federally protected by the Migratory Bird Act but that, obviously, doesn’t deter everybody. As unconscionable as “thrill-killing” such a magnificent bird is, I would also like to raise the discussion of, perhaps, another factor playing a role in lower Curlew numbers.
30 years ago in SE ID, LB Curlews were fairly common in most irrigated fields, particularly pastures. But, about a decade ago, I started seeing fewer & fewer. To the point now, at least in my area, Curlews have become rare. I think the switch from flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation is a factor in the decrease. Certainly, sprinkler irrigation conserves water & is less labor intensive but the flooded fields with standing water have virtually disappeared. And with the disappearance of soaking wet, short grass pasture fields, appears the Curlews have moved on. I’m not advocating a return to flood irrigation, but I believe the change has made a difference. Food for thought. I’d be interested in what others may think.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot