birds or butterflies?

[Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX]

I do not recall any specific studies on this topic offhand but it would
depend on the nature of the habitat which is unknown to those of us who have
not been there. Eg. Tree Swallows are not prone to doing their aerial
feeding in dense forest near as I can recall but would likely harvest some
small leps flying above the tree canopy and in any openings. If the boxes
are used by birds that feed on low vegetation or are foliage-gleaners or
bark-gleaners then they will consume larvae and eggs of any leps in the way.
Most things get eaten by something at some stage in their life cycle and
even after their demise so that cannot be avoided. Enhancing a given piece
of land for species x always means that species y cannot live there. Therein
lies the conundrum of habitat enhancement - enhance for what ?? Please
continue to look after the area but be aware that there is no magic
prescription that will be good for all organisms over time. Re. the bird
boxes, I might be inclined to not get too carried away with providing
artificial cavities that exceed the amount that would naturally be found in
a hectare of forest

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Benson [mailto:don.benson at attcanada.net]
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 3:28 PM
To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: birds or butterflies?


A group of us are trying to enhance a 14 hectare site in Richmond, British
Columbia. The birders are putting up bird boxes for tree swallows.  The
butterfly people are trying to attract butterflies by planting larval
foodplants and nectar plants. Eventually we hope to introduce anise
swallowtails and purplish coppers to the site.

Will the tree swallows eat the butterflies?  Are we working at cross
purposes by putting up bird boxes in an area where we are trying to create
habitat for butterflies?

Don Benson



 
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