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wanted the park to feature every bird ever
mentioned by William Shakespeare. This
original group of 60 starlings has since bal-
looned to a staggering 150 million across
North and Central America, which may
be found in flocks of up to several thou-
sand. Not only do these birds compete
with native species like kestrels for nesting
sites, they also cause hundreds of millions
of dollars in crop damage each year.
Another nest thief is the European
house sparrow (Passer domesticus). This
small, brown bird tends to stick to cit-
ies and towns, where it competes aggres-
sively with swallows, chickadees and other
native small birds for nesting sites, includ-
ing birdhouses. Male house sparrows are
easiest to identify, with a black throat patch
and a chestnut stripe on the head behind
the eye. Female house sparrows are a non-
descript brown with a pale stripe behind
the eye, and are often confused with native
sparrows at first glance.
And birds are not the only invaders
found on the coast. The deep croak of the
bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), a native
species found east of the Rocky Mountains,
can be increasingly heard amid the calls of
smaller native Pacific tree frogs (Pseuda-
cris regilla) and northern red-legged frogs
(Rana aurora). These species are threatened
by bullfrogs, which are voracious predators
that will eat other adult frogs, tadpoles and
any other small animals they can get their
jaws on.
Recently, the green crab (Carcinas mae-
nas) has also been showing up in our area,
and is known to decimate shellfish popu-
lations. They often prey on younger shell-
fish, which are easily dug up from nesting
beds. Green crabs also prey on other young
crabs, like the Dungeness, and when dig-
ging for food often damage or even kill the
coast’s native eelgrass beds, which are cru-
cial habitats for aquatic life.
It can be tough to get people on board
with removing invasive animals. This can
be a difficult topic for nature lovers to han-
dle. Many feel compassion for these wild
animals that just happen to be in the wrong
place, often due to human activity. Some
folks who may have no problem pulling up
English ivy or Scotch broom but will draw
the line at exterminating house sparrows.
However, efforts to curb invasive animal
species can help to restore local ecosys-
tems by removing competition for native
species. Residents can make a positive dif-
ference by discouraging invasive species
from visiting feeding sites, as well as by
removing their nests
Some species, like green crabs, may
also make for a good meal. In fact, if you
catch one of these crabs in Oregon, it’s ille-
Charles Gates
Sixty European starlings were introduced to
the United States in 1890. There are now an
estimated 150 million scattered across North
and Central America.
gal to put it back. Washington state, how-
ever, does not allow the harvest of green
crabs because they look similar to some
native crab species. Both states do allow
year-round hunting of bullfrogs, though, so
may I suggest frog legs for dinner instead?
This emphasizes the need to correctly
identify a species as a non-native before
removal. If you’re not sure, contact your
county’s Soil and Water Conservation Dis-
trict, or your state’s Department of Fish
and Wildlife.
One final note: Yes, we humans are
more widespread than any other species,
and have caused the most destruction. But
efforts to curb invasive species are one
way we’ve been trying to undo some of
our ecological damage, by removing com-
petition for native species and protecting
the integrity of entire ecosystems. And that
long-term positive result is worth the effort.
Rebecca Lexa is an Oregon Master Nat-
uralist, nature educator, tour guide and
writer living on the Long Beach Penin-
sula. More about her work may be found at
RebeccaLexa.com.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022 // 7