Though I would question the rigors of a study that has as its methodology “Students would listen to bird calls that were kind of an unusual kind” it is interesting that a Texas Tech study determined that houses with “unique” species of birds can be worth as much as $30,000 more on the open market.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
I’m betting the actual study by the students was way more interesting than the “excellence in journalism” news report.
Delightful–silly, but delightful! That said, the birds in our Tucson yard were definitely a big plus when we sold the place this summer.
@Robert: Probably.
@Rick Wright: I wonder if folks who get angry over endangered species on their property realize that they might be sitting on a gold mine!
Alison and I used to joke that all it would take would be a Rusty Sparrow at the feeder and we’d never have to worry about mortgage payments again. Never happened, though I did make a little money off our resident Western Screech-Owls.