Since there are millions of birds flying overhead every day, why is it we never see dead birds littering every street, sidewalk and path? What is the life span of an average backyard bird? Where do they die, that we are not constantly having dead birds falling in our path? I realize that the animal food chain accounts for the birds in forests and parks, but I just don’t understand how no birds happen to die in mid-flight and fall to the ground. I have asked many, many people this question and I haven’t yet gotten a knowing answer.
Ronnie B
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Dear Ronnie,
First, birds do die in the air, but almost always due to some external cause, such as a flying predator, an airplane,, or flying into an object such as a window.
The vast majority of birds die of natural causes, such as illness, injury, or a predator (and an ill or injured animal is more likely to fall to a predator). A bird who is injured or ill is less likely to be able to fly effectively, and thus will die on the ground, not in the air.
It is difficult to determine lifespan for the average “backyard bird”, as there are so very many species. While most common backyard birds live for around 1-3 years, some species may live for as little as six months, while many others may live for several years.
Anne