Nature Mass heron deaths in Toyama possibly linked to nesting tree cutting

So, who ordered the trees to be cut, with nests still intact and in use?

A city official in Toyama said on Tuesday that the recent surge in heron deaths at Toyama Castle Park (富山城址公園), observed since late last month, is likely linked to the cutting down of pine trees that served as nesting sites.


It is believed the trees were removed while many of the young herons were still dependent on their nests and not yet able to survive on their own. Without the protection and support of their nesting areas, the fledglings may have struggled to find food, defend themselves from predators, or cope with environmental stress. Other factors may also include territorial disputes among the birds, heat exhaustion, or hypothermia after falling into the water.

So far, over 100 herons have been found dead in the park. Both the Ministry of the Environment and the Toyama city government have begun investigations to determine the exact causes.

There's an area along one river here where the gray ones come to nest every year. The vegetation (not pines) gets thick/dense along the sides of the river, maybe 2-3 meters high, bushy stuff, which doesn't get a chance to become trees since it gets cut and cleared every few years.

The sagi then move up or down river a couple hundred meters or so, maybe also to the other side, when that happens. I don't think anyone is studying them, counting numbers from year to year when these moves happen. But it may be that that much of a shift in location has an impact.

I haven't been cycling this year, so haven't seen what's happening with the current cycle. I've posted sagi pics in the photos thread in the past, here's a link to a post in 5/2024 (scroll to pics 3 and 4).