Artificial turf - absence of birds.

[Jim Kirker]

Michael's Park, Auckland has live grass playing fields next to ones with artificial grass and pelletised rubber. Over several months of weekly walking through the park I have never seen a bird on the artificial turf. This was very apparent today after heavy rain when I noticed a flock of sparrows and goldfinches, two magpies, a male paradise shelduck, adult and immature BBG and two SWPlovers on the live grass field and nothing on the artificial. Only the sparrows and goldfinches were foraging. The other birds were quietly standing there.
Clearly the live grass field was more attractive to the birds. I'm guessing it has to do with the feel of real grass under their feet, the sight and sound of life in the wet ground and possibly the acrid smell of granulated rubber.

[fras444]

Most likely because the artificial turf would provide no habitat for insects or worms. Sparrows and finches are also seed eaters. That would be another reason why you wouldn't see them in the artificial turf.

[Ian McLean]

Hello Jim, I play football on the Michael's Avenue reserve & the change in the birdlife on this one field was apparant as soon as they put the artificial pitch in. There is no food on it of any kind for the for birds & the differences between the artificial & grass fields are dramatic. Fortunately it is only one artificial field & there is a good amount of habitat for birds on the natural grass fields & nearby including the pond. Also when there is wet weather, the children & adults can actually play football instead of being cancelled for up to a month at a time. This situation at Michael's Avenue is much better than at nearby College Rifles, where there are two artificial Rugby Fields, no natural grass whatsoever & no birds !

[Jim Kirker]

Hello Ian, since April I have visited Michael's Ave. park and pond pretty much every week and identified 3o bird species, mainly in and around the pond. Pukeko and mallards nest there and there is often a pair of paradise shelduck, but so far no obvious signs of breeding. The young muscovy ducks that appeared suddenly in November were gone just before the festive season, so the "delivered by ubereats" joke maybe wasn't so funny after all !
As for College Rifles, we have lived just up the road for over twenty years and noticed, as you say, the absence of birds after the artificial turf was laid. It used to be the classic muddy rugby field with tadpoles in the drainage ditches around it and paradise shelducks browsing. Then came the poorly drained sand field failure and now the plastic grass and rubber pellets, which are on the paths around the fields and regularly replenished as they get carried from the field in footwear and clothing and are washed into the stormwater system - still many more people can enjoy their sport there than in the old days.

[Jim Kirker]

A Paradise shelduck pair on artificial turf today at Michael's Park. They later shifted to real grass on a playing field nearby.

[Ian McLean]

Jim, it's good to see paradise shelduck there briefly. The lower fields are a good place to see yellowhammers at the moment & there were at least 30 there yesterday whilst I was playing football. Unfortunately, I was unable to properly count or bird atlas them whilst I was playing, but it would be great for a local to check their numbers.

[Jim Kirker]

28 yellowhammers there this arvo Ian plus good numbers of goldfinches, sparrows, starlings. No greenfinches. And as expected nothing on the artificial turf - nice playing surface for the kids though
https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S117792168