This is a fun topic for me. This year we had a pair of Coopers hawks nest in the woods behind our house in Sioux Falls. This is very rare for Eastern South Dakota.
In the September 9th issue of NewScientist (www.newscientist.com) on page 21 there is a very interesting article. Stephen Meyer from MIT has written a book called "The End of the Wild". He says that "Weeds shall inherit the Earth". Weeds are generalist that thrive where hunans live. Examples would be house sparrows, Canada geese, raccoons, any plant listed as a noxious weed in our area, rats and any of the other plants and animals commonly found in our cities and farmed areas. The loosers are those species that need some type of specialized habitat to live. It's very interesting reading.
