Conclusions, Complexities, Limitations, and Questions

Indicator Species Conclusions

         William McDonough's remark is wide open to interpretation, as it lacks set boundaries.  It may have a unique meaning to everyone.  To test the merit of his statement, one must first define the parameters.  If the statement is taken at face value, the songs of invasive Starlings and Sparrows are just as valuable as that of the Wood Thrush.  Also, there is no distinction between a few birds singing just outside the building, effectively skewing the judgment, and many kinds of birds singing around the property. 

         It is difficult for a birder to maintain objectivity when setting parameters.  One's own favorites start to influence the idea of "ideal avian diversity."  Birds found in parking lots start to feel somehow inferior to interior woodland birds.  Uncommon birds have no more intrinsic value than common birds, yet the desire to capture them skews the objective in the direction of personal interest.  One's own value system seems to underlie the conservation design choice.  There really is no "right" or "ideal" amount of avian diversity that will satisfy everyone. 

         There are no hard and fast rules for birds.  We cannot say precisely what will happen to the birds with the development of the new Visitor Center.  The volume and amount of birdsong may stay the same or even increase, even if a large turnover in avian composition is taking place.  This is what local expert birders cautiously suggest.*  Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Pine Warblers will move into the surrounding forest, while the newly created edge invites a whole host of new birds to the area.  The buildings themselves could be possible nesting sites for Sparrows and Wrens.  The parking lot will be host to transition birds. 

         From the perspective of the bird, the building is not important.  If the habitat still exists that suits their needs, the birds will return.  As local birder Betty King and I sat in the Herb Garden at the Botanical Garden, she identified a multitude of happy bird songs all around us in just a few minutes - Pine Warbler, Titmouse, Cardinal, Chickadee, and many others.  If that serves as any indication of what to expect a very short distance away at the new Visitor center, it appears that the birds will be sticking around.                            

*Thanks to Betty King and Ned Budnitz from the Chapel Hill Bird Club and to Haven Wiley at the University of North Carolina.

 

Bird and Landscapes Conclusions

1. Bird counts should be taken a few times per season over an extended period of time as a measure of the building's sustainability.
2. Leave as much native vegetation as possible:
    a. Maintaining a level of at least 60% forest cover in the region is likely needed to compensate for brood
        parasitism and other problems caused by edge effects
    b. Keep the highest possible level of connectivity by using habitat corridors; even though birds can fly, some
        instinctively prefer not to cross open spaces
3. Leave snags, unless they represent a significant threat to building safety
4. Plant a variety of native species of plants in the landscape. A few top plants recommended for the southeast by
    the Audubon Society that provide food for many species of birds include:
    a. Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
    b. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
    c. Bearberry (Artostaphylos uva-ursi)
    d. Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)