It's all about quality habitat as RCC says.
I remember standing next to a winter wheat field one late fall. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing taller than 3".
Winter was coming to this part of the prairie and my friend was blaming the low pheasant numbers on coyotes and hawks.
The CRP was cut for livestock, the playas were drained for extra crop production, the roadsides were mowed, and he still blamed the losses on predators.
While I agree they take some birds, there was no place for them to escape in what looked like hundreds of square miles of lawn. Winter would kill what remained.
Yes, the dry conditions that we are experiencing in the West are making it difficult for critters and people alike. But the combination of drought, predation, and a lack of suitable habitat, are hammering wild bird population out here in the western US.
It's a complex system that involves numerous factors including adequate moisture (at the right time) and quality undisturbed habitat. Just whacking coyotes isn't the answer in the long run.
