Thousands of nests and babies must not be lost due to thoughtless tree trimming during bird nesting season, which extends March through August for most birds in California. Sonoma-Marin Arborists Inc does not promote the angering of birds.
Birds and active nests are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This means the California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers fine homeowners and companies who blatantly harass or harm protected nesting birds. Note that this law does not protect non-native species, but we don’t have to be jerks about it: bird babies are babies, and we don’t mess with babies. According to this act, it is also illegal to possess wild birds, eggs, nests, feathers or other bird parts. Nor can you keep any wild bird as a pet. The act was written at the time when people wore egret feathers in their hats, so you can see where they were coming from.
Please don’t get your knickers in a twist, the birds are stressed out enough. Luckily, we’ve come a long way since we signed documents with pelican-quill pens, much to the demise of millions of birds. If you find a nest that’s been compromised, you can call Wildcare. Although we tree-service persons are concentrating on the also-very-important Defensible Space issue this time of year (another law), chances are we can come back in a few weeks when the babies have fledged, taking care of the non-human species, simultaneously.
