German scientists after a long research proved that humanity harm migrating birds. As it turned out, people do irreparable damage to the nature not only the industry but also in the principle of its existence.
The German scientists have conducted long-term monitoring of wildlife and stunned the world the news that the existence of man on earth deals natural environment irreparable damage.
Many species of migratory birds have changed their habits under the influence of man.
Until recently, all European white storks fly away for the winter in Africa, but now many are moved only a small distance, preferring to look for food in landfills.
White storks live across Europe, in the north-eastern Africa and western and central Asia.
An international team of scientists, who led Dr. Andrea Flak from the Institute of Ornithology of the Max Planck in Germany, has selected 70 young storks from eight countries and attach to them the GPS sensor in front of their first migration.
The researchers tracked the flight of storks who were born in Armenia, Greece, Poland, Russia , Spain, Germany, Tunisia and Uzbekistan. The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.
It turned out that the storks from Russia, Poland and Greece, followed the tradition and continue to fly away for the winter in Africa, sometimes flies to the south of the continent.
However, storks from Spain, Tunisia and Germany remained north of the Sahara. Storks from Armenia flew at a relatively short distance, and storks from Uzbekistan remained at home.
According to the researchers, the majority of the birds left the winter north of the Sahara, ate in landfills, which allowed them to find food without spending This energy on a long flight.
The remaining for the winter in Uzbekistan storks, apparently, eat local fish hatcheries and did not try to, as before, to fly to Afghanistan or Pakistan.
According to the Andrea Flak, apparently, storks have changed their migratory behavior due to the proximity of people, providing a constant source of food.
«It is obvious that there is some kind of anthropogenic influence, in which the birds are changing their migration strategy “- she explained in an interview with BBC BBC.
« Those who remain to the north of the Sahara in the winter, enjoy an abundance of landfills in Morocco. For the white stork is a good place as where you can find plenty of food. But then, of course, there is a proportion of the risk: eating something not in the dump, you can quickly die “- adds Dr. Flack.
The researchers point out that while the impact of human activity can go on benefit migratory birds, such a change in the behavior of birds may cause long-term consequences for the ecosystem.
For example, in tropical Africa storks eat locusts. White storks also eat other insects, frogs, toads, tadpoles, rodents, snakes, lizards and worms.
Commenting on the findings, Stuart Butchart from Birdlife International drew attention to the fact that human activities can have a negative impact on migratory birds.
«While there are other examples that indicate that some migratory birds are beneficial changes in the environment created by man – as, for example, in the case of blackcap, which last flew in Britain only in the summer, and now here winters due to warmer weather and a large number of bird feeders in gardens, but it is only an exception “, – he said.
« The population of a much larger number of migratory birds is reduced from -this disappearance of their usual habitat in places fledging or flight. The reason for that, among other things – an intensive and expanding agriculture, logging and zastraivanie seashore “- adds Stuart Butchart.
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