Sustainable Choices to Protect the Steppe Eagle
Section 1. The Steppe Eagle
Here is a photo of a Steppe Eagle
I chose to research the steppe eagle. The steppe eagle is usually a dark brown color that matches their habitat. They are usually found in grasslands specifically steppes and semi-desert areas. They are typically found in europe, the middle east, and some parts of asia. I found it interesting that these birds used to build their nest on platforms of rock just off the ground but due to habitat alterations in the last two decades they have started to build their nest several yards off the ground in trees and bushes. This made me wonder if that affects the probability of chicks living to adulthood because they are more likely to die if they fall out of the nest from higher up. The climate that these birds live in is considered subarctic because of the location of the region. However the temperature ranges from 86⁰ F to 32⁰ F and they prefer open dry habitats. Their diet consists mainly of carrion, but they also will eat small rodents and some small birds. In researching about steppe eagles I could only find information about the human threats to these birds. Since they are birds of prey they are naturally the predator not the prey. The one reason I did find was related to their environment but was caused by humans. Since in the past 20 years these birds have had to build their nests in trees instead of just off the ground their chicks have been dying due to wildfires. This wasn’t found to be a problem when they were building their nests on platforms.
The critical threat to these birds is that their land is being converted for agricultural use as well as to put up windmills, power lines, and electrical towers. The birds have been found dead due to flying into towers and windmills. They have also been found electrocuted by the power lines. The cause of the threat is human intervention. There are ways to put up power lines and windmills in places that won’t harm these birds or any other birds. For example tracking where the birds generally live nad avoiding those areas when building structures.
The critical threat to these birds is that their land is being converted for agricultural use as well as to put up windmills, power lines, and electrical towers. The birds have been found dead due to flying into towers and windmills. They have also been found electrocuted by the power lines. The cause of the threat is human intervention. There are ways to put up power lines and windmills in places that won’t harm these birds or any other birds. For example tracking where the birds generally live nad avoiding those areas when building structures.
This quick video is not about the steppe eagle specifically but it explains the reasons why eagles fly into windmills on accident and the issues with policies that aren't protecting these birds.
Section 2. Keene, NH
To reduce electricity use we could try and limit unnecessary uses of electricity. Someone could do this by air drying their clothes instead of using the drier, turn off lights when leaving a room, unplug things you aren't using. If you just turn off the lights every time you leave a room that doesn’t affect you daily life enough to not do it. Unplugging things that aren't in use can also be quick, you can just unplug it when your done using it. If we are all just a little more conscious of this, then we wouldn’t have the need for as much power as we currently consume. A second thing that someone could do to reduce energy use is to pick the right appliances to buy. Especially your refrigerator/ freezer since it is working all day, every day. For homeowners they could invest in insulating their roofs or ceilings. You could also do an energy audit. This can help you figure out where most of your electricity use os going.
This is a fun short video that illustrates simple things we can all do in out everyday lives to help conserve energy.
What resonated with me the most was the way these birds territories/habitats are getting destroyed so that we could build more power lines, windmills towers. It’s truly devastating that us human’s (not everyone) can cause such harm to these species with our own man-made inventions, it’s a double-edged sword. I also do wonder how many birds die due to falling off from their nests while the mothers are away finding food for them. The way you mentioned that humans are the cause for the destruction of the homes for these birds also peaked my interest. There are plenty of things that people can do around the world to limit the use of electricity like for instance shutting down your computers after using them instead of letting them idle or even using LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. It was easy reading through your post. I liked the way you added videos instead of photos presenting your sections in a good manner. For the future I would suggest adding more facts to back up certain statements. Overall I enjoyed reading this post!
ReplyDeleteSomething that resonated with me about this post was that the birds are dying from power lines, wind mills, and electrical towers. You mentioned that there are other methods of putting up these structures without harming these birds. I am curious to what these methods are because I think that no matter the structure, it will be a foreign object in the place of nature. Something that was new to me from this post was that the eagles are now starting to build their nests further off the ground due to habitat alterations. I think it is really fascinating that they can adapt that quickly to habitat changes and I am also curious to specifically what those changes that you talk about are. One of the technical components of your blog that I like are the videos. They show that you made an effort in finding a video that fit your topic and also uploaded it successfully so the reader can view it. If I were to give you a suggestion, I would say to add more specific examples of how we can improve our ways of electricity and power. Some specific statistics or facts might be helpful in doing this. Overall, the blog was easy to read and follow.
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