Expert: Roger Lederer - 10/7/2007

Question
Hello, I'm asking on behalf of a friend who lives in Virginia, near D.C.  She says the birds in her yard have just disappeared, no squirrels, no deer, nothing!  There had been a good population in previous months, she puts out plenty of food and water in birdbaths, and all of a sudden - no activity. She lives on 3 acres and the property backs up to a wooded area....She said there is a bad drought in that area of the country.  Other people said maybe because of the drought the birds and squirrels are extending their range....What I'm asking is, would a drought be responsible for the lack of birds?  And, do you think the birds will return to the feeders once it begins to rain or snow?  Thank you for any thoughts on this.

Answer
It's hard to know exactly without knowing more information about the area, but I suspect this is perfectly natural. This time of year birds begin to migrate south. Birds in this area move south and other birds from north will move in. They are on the move, as happens every year at this time. Drought might have something to do with it, but bird populations always fluctuate a lot from year to year. No question that bird populations all over the U.S. are declining due to habitat destruction and climate change (global warming), but locally there are probably several explanations. I am sure that once bad weather sets in a different group of birds will come to the feeders.