There's lots more to this story, isn't there?
What a tangled web we have weaved (woven?)
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/20/7978.short
Thanks for the Link ! more reading is the key, as is also defining the terms of the discussion. I normally deal with the USA as its what I know. I spend no time studying land use in other countries. To much dat just here in the US to digest. I would suggest a cruise the USDA land use files, which are extremely complete. The detail of the GIS maps is astounding when you really dig, so there data is accurate! Try looking at your own yards. My yard here is 5 acres, and its detailed to how much is lawn and how much is habitat.
Again, not trying to solve or even discuss habitat loss in the Sudan. Just here in the US. I have posted links before. Spend 3 hours studying and digging in the USGS GIS data. It paints a whole different picture overall than what we get told. Cherry picking a certain area is still possible, but looking at the big picture is a a lot less disconcerting.
Study the numbers here in the US and you see habitat increase, not decrease. Part of that you need to parse if you call a urban yard habitat or lost? Since most yards support the topic we were on which was songbirds, its pretty easy step to count that as a wash!
Understand completely the raptor migration, except its not much of a migration anymore. There are 3 eagles nest within 20 miles of my house that I know of, and the hawks and falcons here in my yard all summer are so bad we can no longer have free range chickens. Loosing well over 100 chickens a summer to them is ridiculous. As a result, more bugs and more pesticides ( 10 years ago we used only chickens for bug control) so we do see a change. Robins are so bad that we have to net everything including the strawberries to even have a chance.
Keep in mind I am not really complaining, just observations. ( I do wish I could shoot hawks) Here in the Midwest area I live, things as always are changing, maybe better, maybe worse, But pesticides and habitat are continually getting better and better. Yes quail numbers are down, but given the increase in Fox coyotes and falcons, its no wonder. Turkey and dear and bugs are on the increase.....
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