Take Part reports on a most unusual plan to help save Marbled Murrelets. The Marbled Murrelet population has decreased 90 percent since the 1900’s. This is due to human encroachment and pollution and the growth of the Stellar Jay population. Stellar Jays steal and eat Marbled Murrelet eggs.
To stop the Jays from stealing and eating the eggs, California redwood parks have placed fake eggs in strategic locations with a chemical that will induce vomiting but not hurt the jays. Areas where this has been tried have seen up to an 80 percent decrease in egg theft.
The biggest cause of Stellar Jay population increase has been humans either feeding the jays or not protecting food and trash from theft by the jays. To counter this the parks have started a public education campaign that feeding jays is not kind but harmful.
Read more at: The Bizarre Plan to Save the Marbled Murrelet.
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