Page 28 - aruba-today-20171014

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 14 OctOber 2017

Birds gone wild: Resurgent turkeys spar with human neighbors

By COLLIN BINKLEY tied to their social dynam- bridge, where the City
Associated Press ics within the flock,” Scar- Council says it’s working on
BOSTON (AP) — Not every- pitti said. “They lose per- a plan. Officials in Brookline
one is celebrating the re- spective that humans are issued new guidance for
turn of the wild turkeys. humans and turkeys are fowl encounters in August,
After being wiped out from turkeys. They just want to telling residents to “step
New England in the 1800s, assert dominance over toward the turkey and act
the birds have stormed anything.” confidently.”
back in what’s considered Even the earliest Americans Wildlife experts say much
a major success story for picked up on that charac- of the problem can be
wildlife restoration. teristic, with Ben Franklin fa- blamed on residents who
But as they spread farther mously writing that the tur- leave out food for turkeys,
into urban areas, they’re key is a “Bird of Courage, which entices flocks to set-
increasingly clashing with and would not hesitate to tle in and helps them sur-
residents who say they de- attack a Grenadier of the vive winters.
stroy gardens, damage British Guards who should Towns with similar prob-
cars, chase pets and at- presume to invade his Farm lems in New Jersey, Iowa
tack people. In this Sept. 27, 2017 photo, a wild turkey walks through a Yard with a red Coat on.” and Oregon have banned
Complaints about trouble- residential neighborhood in Brookline, Mass. In the town of Brookline, turkey feeding in recent
some turkeys have surged Associated Press Tess Bundy has come to years, and Montana en-
in Boston and its suburbs before. Nearby Somerville, Often the grievance is little loathe the turkeys that acted a similar statewide
over the past three years, Belmont and Brookline more than a wayward tur- roost behind her home ban in May.
causing headaches for have seen similar upticks, key blocking traffic, but in and often come charging But the idea hasn’t spread
police and health officials combining for a total of 137 at least five cases turkeys when she leaves. to the Boston area, where
called to handle problems, turkey gripes since the start became so aggressive that She called police in April some residents say they
according to city and of last year. police said they had to after a big tom repeatedly enjoy the return of native
town records provided to “Several years ago it was shoot them as a matter of launched itself at her and wildlife.
The Associated Press. It’s a more of an isolated situa- public safety. Some area her infant daughter, back- Not far from two sites where
familiar dilemma for some tion here and there,” said residents have suffered mi- ing down only after Bundy turkeys were shot by police,
other U.S. towns from coast David Scarpitti, the wild nor injuries from the birds, whacked it several times Brookline resident Suzette
to coast that have been turkey and upland game including a 72-year-old with a shovel. Abbott says she’s had no
overrun by turkeys in recent biologist for the Massachu- woman who told police “They’re terrible. problems with the turkeys
years. setts Division of Fisheries she was bruised in August Every year they’re worse,” that roam her block.
Boston city officials say they and Wildlife. after a gang of turkeys said Bundy, a history pro- “I don’t think they’re dan-
received at least 60 com- “Now it’s starting to spread scratched and pecked her fessor at Merrimack Col- gerous,” Abbott said.
plaints last year, a three- into communities all around during a walk. lege. “I really do think that “In the spring they look
fold increase over the year Boston.” Turkeys in the wild are far they’re a menace to the pretty amazing when the
stronger and faster than town.” males are displaying their
the ones that land on The complaints have sent colors. I think they’re quite
Thanksgiving tables, ex- some cities searching for beautiful if you actually
perts say. Males in particu- answers, including in Cam- look at their feathers.”q
lar are driven to show physi-
cal aggression as a way to
climb the social pecking
order, and they sometimes
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