Campylobacter is a common cause of food poisoning and is increasing in Michigan and around the world. It spreads to humans through food products made from or coming into contact with infected animals, mainly chickens and other birds. To date, only one outbreak of campylobacteriosis has been definitively linked to wild bird feces. Still, because it causes milder symptoms than some other types of bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control considers campylobacter a significantly underreported cause of foodborne illness, which may be more common than current data indicates.
“Trying to catch more birds of prey would be beneficial to farmers,” Smith said. “If you have one predator, versus a bunch of prey, you have fewer birds overall. If you have a lot fewer birds, even if the birds that are there carry bacteria, then you can reduce the risk of transmission.”
The study's findings that kestrels significantly reduce physical damage and food safety risks on Michigan cherry farms show that managing crops and meeting conservation goals — by strengthening local kestrel populations and eliminating the need to clear wildlife habitat around agricultural areas — can be done together, the study authors say. They advise farmers facing pest control problems to consider building kestrel boxes, which cost about $100 per box and require minimal maintenance.
Whether nest boxes in a particular region will be successfully occupied by kestrels depends on whether there is an abundance of birds there. In Michigan's cherry-growing region, kestrels are so abundant that 80 to 100 percent of boxes become homes for kestrels rather than other breeding birds, says Catherine Lindell, an avian ecologist at Michigan State University and senior author of the study.
“It just seems like this is a great tool for farmers,” Lindell said, suggesting interested farmers “put out a few boxes and see what happens.”
KR Callaway is a reporter and editor specializing in science, health, history and policy stories. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in journalism at New York University, where she is part of the Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP). Her articles have appeared in Scientific American, Sky & Telescope, Fast Company, and Audubon Magazine, among others.
This story originally appeared on Indoor climate news.
