A barn swallow nest. Experts say the bird should be discouraged from nesting on any structures.(submitted photo/Prince Albert National Park)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Conservation

Changes can help at-risk species

May 6, 2019 | 2:55 PM

The issue of species preservation is a topic on the world stage after the release of a United Nations report showed the world could lose one million species over the next several decades.

Prince Albert National Park is home to about eight species at risk, one of them being the barn swallow, an insect eating bird.

Norman Stolle, a resource conservation manager at the park, explained there are a variety of factors which have hurt the swallow’s population numbers since the 1960s.

“A lot of it is property development, changes in insects, use of herbicides, pesticides, those type of things. Usually it’s more than one thing,” he said.

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Stolle said one factor that could be hurting the bird is the animal’s propensity for setting up their nests on buildings, which could lead to a higher risk of the birds being disturbed. He noted once the nest is built, it is against the law to disturb them. To encourage nesting in wooded areas rather, Stolle recommends hanging streamers from your building or putting spikes or nets under eaves.

Stolle said the park is putting in infrastructure to stop the birds from nesting in their buildings. A policy has also been implemented where trees are not cut down during the summer breeding season.

According to Stolle, helping species at-risk can be complicated due to the fact some may be helped by certain actions, like prescribed burns, while others may be hurt as some species deal with disruptions better than others. Stolle said disruptions like fires are necessary because they help manage certain habitats like grasslands and preserve them for the future.

“We have to look at [it] from a holistic perspective as we’re managing the landscape,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn