Wild birds are drawn to dirty places

　The source of the Hantavirus infection is rodents in South America, and there have been reports suggesting that the Dutch couple who died may have contracted the virus whilst taking part in a birdwatching tour in Ushuaia, southern Argentina.

　One of the places visited on that tour was a rubbish dump. Some of you may be surprised to hear that they went to such a place, but for us bird enthusiasts, it is perfectly natural.

　Rubbish dumps are teeming with insects and rats, attracting large numbers of small birds and birds of prey that prey on them. One of the world’s leading birdwatching spots is the Strandfontein sewage treatment plant in South Africa, and I myself have spent hours waiting at a rubbish dump on Yonaguni Island in search of migratory birds.

　When people think of birdwatching, they often imagine being surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, but ironically, it is actually in dirty places that birds tend to gather.