What swallow nests tell us about invasive species

"No one could deny they are gorgeous birds," writes Chris Gates of Hilton, N.Y., in his blog for the Salmon Creek Tree Swallow Project. "But the consensus among most government wildlife agencies and private conservation groups is that mute wwans have had a major detrimental effect on native ecosystems wherever they’ve established themselves in numbers in the New World. And so, despite some strong popular sentiment, mute swans are now being 'controlled' in many areas."

To read more about Gates' views on mute swans and swallows, click here.

To read the recent Tribune story on the mute swan problem in Michigan, click here.