Golf courses hold perils and promise for birds

by Dan Cristol, in the Virginia Gazette

“…For two decades, researchers have been examining golf courses to answer the seemingly simple question of whether they are good or bad for birds. Large, highly visible avian die-offs from exposure to golf course pesticides have been alleviated due to wiser use and banning of the worst offenders, such as chlordane. But lack of mass mortality alone does not mean that golf courses serve as lovely green oases for birds as they do for golfers and people who buy the many houses built around golf courses. …”

Read the full essay at https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/opinion/va-vg-backyard-1126-20221125-m2xwv6ppm5hqbiz2aqjj56cvlq-story.html

Red-headed woodpeckers are one of the rare species that can thrive on golf courses. (Courtesy of Elena Calderone)