In 2003, another research team found that in England’s dreary Snake Pass moors, unleashed dogs increased the chances of chicks dying before fledging by 23 percent. The problem is not exclusive to coastal habitats. It's no wonder: Another study on California’s Santa Barbara beaches showed that, "while leashed dogs disturbed 11 percent of all birds, unleashed dogs disturbed 34 percent of them." A 1999 study he co-authored, which focused on 17.4 miles of Australian coast, found that when dogs were banned from beaches where birds nested, the survival rates of chicks went up from 12 percent to 40 percent. Weston’s own research shows just how grave a danger canines can pose to chicks. “When an unleashed dog is on the beach, it can directly harm them.” “They can’t fly, and they can’t get away,” DiNuovo says of young chicks. Meanwhile, the eggs and chicks are left exposed, putting them at risk of overheating in the summer sun or of predation, either by the dog itself or another species, like an opportunistic crow. An unleashed dog that goes near or actively disturbs a colony can cause the whole group to abandon their nests, either for their own safety or in an attempt to lure the threat away. That's the case on the beaches of Southwest Florida, where Adam DiNuovo coordinates Audubon Florida’s Lee & Collier Bird Stewardship program, which monitors around 16 species of shorebirds and seabirds in that area.ĭiNuovo says that in the area that he manages, Wilson's Plovers, Snowy Plovers, and Black Skimmers nest directly on the beach during the summer. Some dogs might actually try to catch and eat adult birds or their chicks, but even a curious dog can create a deadly situation. Off-leash dogs have perhaps the biggest impact on nesting birds, especially on beaches. When that happens, the results can be disastrous for birds and their young. But these rules and regulations-typically indicated by signage-are regularly flouted by dog owners and seldom enforced by authorities. Others might require leashes at all times or in certain protected areas for wildlife. These are often closed-off dog runs, but some parks and beaches also have special off-leash zones and hours. In many public spaces, the standard solution to preventing dogs from disturbing wildlife and habitat has been to create designated areas where they can run and play freely. "In my experience, they often have a view that it is other people’s dogs that are the issue.'" Owning dogs as pets or taking them outside isn't the problem, Weston is careful to note, but dog owners often " disconnect from non-domesticated animals and their needs who are also sharing the world with us." And e ven if owners are aware of the impacts dogs can have on wildlife, they often don't think their own dog is the problem, he says. alone, for example, there are more than 78 million dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The fact that dogs are so abundant only exacerbates the problem: In the U.S. Not only do dogs retain many of their ancestral instincts to hunt and kill-never mind what tendencies have been bred into them-but birds and other wildlife perceive them as a wild threat. A vast body of evidence from around the world shows that dogs-especially when they are allowed to roam freely unleashed-have a significant impact on wild birds, mainly when they are breeding, nesting, and migrating.īecause humans and domestic dogs have had such a close relationship for so long, people often forget, or do not fully realize, that their pets still play the role of predator when in nature, says Weston. Since the late 1990s, Weston has researched the impact that domestic dogs have on wildlife-particularly on coastal birds in Australia, like Hooded Plovers and Little Penguins-and has found that the presence of canines can dramatically alter the survival chances of birds. The other one is escaping for their life!" Weston, who is also a researcher on wildlife interactions with humans at Deakin University in Victoria, says that when he mentions something to the dog owners, many "will say to me 'Oh they're just having fun!' And it's like, well, you know what? One of them is having fun. Mike Weston, an avid Australian birder, has lost count of how many times he’s seen this exact scenario play out. Undeterred, the dog repeats the chase until it gets tired or its owner decides it's time to go The birds scatter, darting into the sky where they swirl about before eventually settling down again. We've all seen it: A dog-head low, tongue out, ears pointed forward-intently trots toward a resting flock of birds before breaking into a flat-out sprint.
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