People have been walking dogs for a very long time. What's so different now?

Roger Tilbury, Worthing,

Of course any mention of a drastic decline in bird population following the disastrous, but deliberate, release of tens of thousands of mink by animal rights activists a few years ago just wouldn't do, would it. I haven't really noticed a huge increase in the dog population, but I see a lot more mink than I used to. In Britain's case, at least, let's try and focus on the real, unwanted predator and put the blame where it should be.

KR, Stockport,

Does the presence of dogs really "devastate avian populations" if they are just causing the birds to settle in other areas?
This would surely be redistribution of overall population rather than devastation.
If there is evidence that the birds are forced into overpopulation elsewhere (and therefore suffer reduction in numbers) then perhaps the term devastation is warranted.

I have no preference for or against dogs, I'm just curious about the seemingly sensationalistic terminology.

pete jardine, woking, england

Dogs get the blame again.Keep them on a lead no problem.In normal gardens dogs can act as guardians for birds.Birds are'nt stupid,In my garden they stay out of harms way until dog has cleared cats out.Result,population of blackbirds,finches.robins etc has increased.

jjones, w mids,

If the birds are being displaced by dogs, then the argument could be made that the population of birds is unnaturally higher in areas where dogs arent walked.

Best to be displaced by dogs than killed by cats surely?

Guy, Surrey, UK

Its surprising that birds have recently felt dangered by dogs and are threatened by them. My experience is that birds actually thrive where dogs poo is present, either from the insects that are attracted or even might I suggest from eating it directly.

The collapse of the town bird population may be due to the pooper bins and perhaps the country birds suffered from the demise of the working horse, creating the sterile environment we now take for granted and it is a worry if there are further calls to control and cleanse the world we live in.

JimB, Daventry, UK

Which dog is the best to get for pigeons?

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

Sometimes people think cats have killed birds when in fact it is magpies and crows leaving dead blackbird chicks over lawn having just eaten the brain.

Angela Herington, Newbury, Berks

I agree with Mike,

Since having a dog a year a go the number of birds killed in our garden by the neighbours cats has reduced to zero. Before then I was forever having to dispose of bird carcases. We still have plenty of bird visitors.

Nick G, Bury St Edmunds, UK

Changes in modern agricultural practices such as set aside and uncultivated margin strips around fields have had nothing less than a miraculous effect on wildlife and ground nesting birds in particular. Dog walkers should keep their dogs on the leash at all times when in the countryside for the benefit of all concerned with the stewardship of our enviroment.

Dick Berkeley, York, Yorkshire

It can be of no surprise that dogs effect the success of ground nesting birds. They are but one factor in the decline of many such birds. Probably the largest factor is loss of habitat due to changing agricultural practice. Dog walkers feel the same pressure as the number of places where dogs are welcome is in decline too. Unfortunately, areas which are bird friendly are often dog friendly resulting in an inevitable conflict.

In two of my local country parks notices asking dogs (and people) to keep to paths during the ground nesting have proved successful. Thoughht and consideration can move towards a resolution.

One other aspect of this sort of narrow snapshot research is that it does not give an overall picture of the effect on the environment. Reasearchers, who are keen on butterflies and other invertebrates, might see dogs as being valued because they keep down the numbers of birds which predate on their favoured species.

John Sommer, Bath,

Without having read the full research paper it's difficult to comment but having said that the blackbird, wren, robin, blue tit and sparrow have all successfully nested and reared young in my garden this year (blue tits had 2 broods). Good job we keep a dog or goodness knows how many flocks of birds we'd have had.
Luckily the dog keeps cats away thus giving the young a better chance of survival.
Ground nesting birds in the wild will no doubt be disturbed by dogs but I don't think for one minute crows would be - in fact they'd attack the dog.
Australia does not share the same bird species or predators as Britain. The impact of a dog there would therefore be more likely to be pronounced.
Anyway, what's to say it wasn't the presence of the dogs' human handlers scaring the birds. But hey, if true, the research is bad news for scarecrows - bring on the stuffed dog!

mike anderson, Leamington Spa, UK