Rusty Blackbirds have the steepest population decline of any North American songbird: 85-99% depending on location over the last 40 years. That’s why having them visit our yard is a special treat and a sign that bringing the yard back to a state more closely resembling the piedmont forest that was once here is paying off.
Scientists are not exactly sure why the decline is so severe, at least not documented in exacting scientific research. Which is not hard to understand because there has been very little research on Rusties until the mid-1990s. But research scientists, and citizens scientists, have some pretty good ideas of possibilities that are now being researched with a sense of urgency. This is because the collective problems facing Rusties point to future negative impacts on many species, including us.
For a longer commentary regarding Rusties’ decline read the post THE PRICE FOR NOT BEING CUTE.
This post is about a few simple things we can do to give a helping hand to any Rusty Blackbirds that may spend their non-breeding season near us. They are all things discussed before: Remove large swatches of turf lawn, plant natives, leave their leaves, back off insecticides. It’s that simple.
