Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 15:54:44 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Paula M. Sullivan" Subject: Re: Bittersweet Eaters MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marcia Nelson wrote: > Can someone tell me what birds eat bittersweet berries ? A neighbor is > overwhelmed by growth of the vine high up into her trees, and wonders what > creatures would be deprived if they were cut down. I think I have seen Jays > eating them and I know crows sometimes do, but have seen no others. I watched a Mockingbird eat them just yesterday at a location outside of Maryland. (I'll bet they eat them in Maryland too, Norm.) I worry, as your neighbor does, about removing such a food source when the bittersweet vines have already displaced native plant foods. But the birds that eat the bittersweet berries disperse the seeds and so this invasive vine continues to spread and threaten trees and, thereby, birds. It's a terrible problem and I wish I knew the answer. Paula Sullivan Alexandria, VA paulas@erols.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================