- Hummingbirds 101
- Merlin Bird ID App The Merlin Bird ID app for iOS7 and Android OS4 devices is available for free from the Cornell Lab. It asks five simple questions about the bird seen and then gives a short list of the most likely possibilities. The app currently covers 400 species, and has 2,000 photos and 1,000 songs and calls to help you confirm your ID. Click to download.
- Vultures in Africa and Europe could face extinction within our lifetime warn conservationists
- Federally Protected Birds at Risk from Expansion of Wind Development Near Lake Michigan
- The 1,300 Bird Species Facing Extinction Signal Threats to Human Health
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Bird News Around the Web
Access to River Lakes Conservation Area
By David Simpson of BirdingWithDavidSimpson.com
I visited
River Lakes Conservation Area (the St. John's River Water Management
District property west of Viera Wetlands and the Click Ponds) today. I
had a conversation with a couple Brevard County Sherriffs about some
recent issues in this area. They asked me to pass on some wisdom to the
birding community. So here it is in a nutshell:
- The road is private, not public
- There is an easement for public access to River Lakes Conservation Area
- The easement does not allow for vehicles to stop along the way.
- Duda Ranch can revoke this easement.
- The gate at the east end (by the Click Ponds) closes at 7PM.
- It doesn't matter if you don't understand or agree with the above, because you don't own the property and don't get to make decisions as to how it is used (my words, not theirs.)
There
have been problems lately with people stopping and trespassing (and
poaching) from the road. A common practice of poachers is to drop
someone off on the road then pick them up later after they have done
their thing. The ranch workers don't have time to track down people who
are stopping along the road to see if they are up to no good. Also,
people have been out at the end of the road at 7PM when the east gate
closes. The ranch owners or St. Johns staff then end up fielding calls
from people wanting to be let out. It's not their job to handle people
being locked in, it is your responsibility to be all the way out by 7PM.
The
Sherriffs don't want to have to write up trespass tickets and Duda Ranch
does not necessary want to revoke the easement, but it may come to that
if people continue to abuse the privilege of driving this road.
New study reveals why many migratory birds don't fly in straight lines
Reprinted from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology newsletter
Ithaca, N.Y.—Migratory songbirds enjoy the best of both worlds—food-rich summers and balmy winters—but they pay for it with a tough commute. Their twice-a-year migrations span thousands of miles and are the most dangerous, physically demanding parts of their year.Surprisingly, for many North American species the best route between summer and winter homes is not a straight line, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. In spring, the study shows, birds follow areas of new plant growth—a so-called “green wave” of new leaves and numerous insects. In fall, particularly in the western U.S., they stick to higher elevations and head directly southward, making fewer detours along the way for food.
"We're discovering that many more birds than anyone ever suspected fly these looped migrations, where their spring and fall routes are not the same," said Frank La Sorte, a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "And now we're finding out why—they have different seasonal priorities and they're trying to make the best of different ecological conditions."
The research—the first to reveal this as a general pattern common to many species—may help land managers improve conservation efforts by improving their understanding of how birds use habitat seasonally.
 |
| The Rufous Hummingbird and Lazuli Bunting are two of the 26 western species in the study. Rufous Hummingbird by Lois Manowitz (download full resolution); Lazuli Bunting by Todd Steckel (download full resolution). |
In a 2013 study, La Sorte and his colleagues discovered that many species of North American birds flew looping, clockwise migration routes. But they could only partially explain why. For eastern species, it was clear from atmospheric data that the birds were capitalizing on strong southerly tailwinds in spring over the Gulf of Mexico and less severe headwinds in fall. By adding the effect of plant growth, the new study helps explain why western species also fly looped routes.
 |
| The Wood Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler are two of the 31 eastern species in the study. Wood Thrush by Kelly Colgan Azar (download full resolution); Black-throated Blue Warbler by Mitch Vanbeekum (download full resolution). |
The study examined 26 species of western birds, including the Rufous Hummingbird and Lazuli Bunting, and 31 species of eastern birds such as the Wood Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Birds on both sides of the continent showed a strong tendency to follow the flush of green vegetation in spring.
In the relatively continuous forests of the eastern U.S. this tight association with green vegetation persisted all summer and into fall. In the West, however, green space occurs along rivers and mountains, and is often isolated by expanses of desert or rangeland.
“Western migrants can’t necessarily cross big stretches of desert to get to the greenest habitat when it’s the most green,” La Sorte said. “So in spring, they stick to the foothills where insects are already out. But in fall they tend to migrate along browner, higher-elevation routes that take them more directly south.”
For decades scientists have known that some herbivorous species, including geese and deer, follow the “green wave” of spring vegetation on their northward migrations. La Sorte’s study is the first to extend that idea to insectivorous species, which are tiny (most weigh an ounce or less) and much harder to study using tracking devices.
The researchers solved that problem by using sightings data—lots of it—to substitute for tracking data. They analyzed 1.7 million crowdsourced bird checklists from eBird, a free online birding-list program, to construct a detailed picture of species occurrence for each week of the year. Then they used satellite imagery to determine the ecological productivity—or amount of new plant growth—across the U.S.
What emerged was a composite picture of where each species occurred, week by week, that the scientists then compared with satellite-derived estimates of where the greenest or most productive habitats were.
“Up till eBird data became available, people have had to look at migration on a species by species basis, by tracking individual birds,” La Sorte said. “We’re bringing in the population perspective using big data, and that’s enabling us to describe general mechanisms across species.”
In addition to La Sorte, the paper’s authors include Daniel Fink, Wesley Hochachka, and Steve Kelling of the Cornell Lab, and John DeLong of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The research was supported in part by grants from Leon Levy Foundation, Wolf Creek Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.
Related research on looped migration strategies:
- Crowdsourced Data Reveal Feats of Bird Migration for 102 Species
- Flyways for Flyweights: Small Birds Capitalize on Weather Patterns During Epic Migrations
BP Found Grossly Negligent
|
New Video: Birds and Climate Change
Reprinted from the Audubon Chapter Leader Update
In case you missed it, check out this incredible video illustrating what global warming is doing to our beloved birds.
Bird lovers everywhere love this video and are sharing it with
others—more than 3,900 views so far. Now it’s your turn. Spread the word
that climate change is the No. 1 threat to birds by sharing this video
with your Chapter members, friends, and family—and ask them to share it
with others. Together we can reach 10,000 views!
There are several ways to share the video:
Let
us know what you’re hearing from people when they see the video and how
we can help you tell the story of these birds moving forward. Contact Lynsy Smithson-Stanley.
|
RESTORE Sign-on letter to Gov. Scott
By Jonathan Webber, Conservation Campaign Manager, Audubon Florida
The 2010
Gulf Oil Spill had a devastating effect on Florida’s environment and
economy. As a passionate Audubon member and Gulf advocate, you likely
appreciate and understand that our environment
IS our economy. Many businesses located all along the Gulf Coast felt
the effects of the spill first-hand.
BP
and the other responsible parties are required to compensate business
owners for economic losses and also required to pay fines for polluting
the Gulf
of Mexico. Most of the funds generated by these fines will be coming
back to the Gulf Region (including Florida Gulf communities) thanks to a
law called the RESTORE Act.
Their voices are needed to make sure the State of Florida uses these funds on good projects that restore the health of the Gulf Coast. A letter to Governor Rick Scott is being circulated that says just that – but your help is needed to make sure local businesses are aware of this opportunity.
Please
take a moment to think about names of businesses in your area that you
think would be interested in signing on to this letter. Restaurants,
marinas,
retail shops, consultants, real estate, eco-tourism related outfits –
almost every business in Florida is directly affected by our coastal
tourism.
Make a list of
business names, their city, and owner name and phone number (if you have it) and send it back to
jsulek@audubon.org. Audubon representatives will then contact these businesses.
If you are a business owner and you would like to sign, please visit http://floridagulfbusinessletter.com/ and add your name!
Thank you for your commitment to Florida’s Gulf.
You can view the letter to Governor Scott, who will ultimately approve many of the restoration projects, here:
http://goo.gl/sHvb8V
State of the Birds 2014 Finds Aridland Habitats Rapidly Degrading
Reprinted from the American Bird Conservancy
Bird science and conservation groups, and federal agencies have come together to publish State of the Birds 2014—the most comprehensive review of long-term trend data for U.S. birds ever conducted. The full report can be found at stateofthebirds.org.
State
of the Birds assessed population trends in seven key habitats and finds
bird populations declining in arid lands (deserts and sagebrush),
grasslands, eastern and western forests. Birds in fragile aridland
habitats show the steepest population declines in the nation with a 46
percent loss in the population of these birds since 1968. Habitat loss
and fragmentation, energy development, hydrological alteration,
overgrazing and conversion to agriculture are the largest threats.
These are also significant threats in the nation’s grasslands, where the report
notes a decline in breeding birds, like the Eastern Meadowlark and the
Bobolink, of nearly 40 percent since 1968. That decline, however,
appears to have leveled off since 1990—a result, the authors say, of the
significant investments made in grassland bird conservation.
There
are some encouraging signs for many species in grasslands, wetlands and
several other key habitats that have benefited from targeted
conservation efforts. In general, development is squeezing shorebirds
and their habitat along the coasts. However, among the 49 coastal
species examined, there has been a steady rise in populations of 28
percent since 1968. This may be a reflection of the establishment of 160
national coastal wildlife refuges and nearly 600,000 acres of national
seashore in ten states.
New Watch List Identifies Most Endangered Bird Species
Included in the new State of the Birds report is an updated Watch List of Birds of Conservation Concern available at http://www.stateofthebirds.org/extinctions/watchlist.pdf.
The 230 species on the U.S. list are
currently endangered or at risk of becoming endangered without
significant conservation. Forty-two of them are pelagic (open ocean)
species. Birds like the Laysan’s Albatross and Black-footed Albatross
are facing increasing levels of oil contamination, plastic pollution and
greatly reduced amounts of prey fish due to commercial fishing
operations. More than half of all U.S. shorebird species are on
the Watch List, including the Piping Plover, Long-billed Curlew and Red
Knot. Loss of habitat and uncontrolled hunting in the South America and
Caribbean are some of their biggest threats.
One
of the more dire groups on the Watch List is made up of the 33 Hawaiian
forest species, 23 of which are listed as federally endangered. The
report’s authors have deemed Hawai’i the “bird extinction capital of the
world”—no place has had more extinctions since human settlement. Another
group on the Watch List will require international cooperation:
neotropical migrants. These species that breed in North America but
migrate south of the U.S. border in winter hold 30 spots on the Watch
List.
State of the Birds Outreach
Webinar - The State of the Birds 2014 Report: Science and Conservation Applications
Learn about the key findings in the 2014 report, the science behind those results, and what it all
means for bird conservation. Speakers include Ken Rosenberg, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Allison Vogt, AFWA
- Ø When: Wednesday, September 17th from 1:00-2:30pm eastern
- Ø To Join: http://mat.adobeconnect.com/sotbscience/ and call 209-255-1000 with passcode 151959#. If calling from CAN, dial (605) 562-3115 with passcode 151959# and from MEX dial +52 (01) 899 274 8400 with passcode 151959#
Webinar - Communicating the State of the Birds: Tools and Tactics for Sharing Messages from the 2014 Report
Presented in conjunction with the Bird Education Alliance for Conservation
Learn about the key findings in the 2014 report along with the communications tools available for your use. Ken Rosenberg, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; other speakers TBA
- Ø When: Wednesday, October 1st from 1:00-2:30pm eastern
- Ø To Join: http://mat.adobeconnect.com/sotbandbeac/and call 209-255-1000 with passcode 151959#. If calling from CAN, dial (605) 562-3115 with passcode 151959# and from MEX dial +52 (01) 899 274 8400 with passcode 151959#
Wildflower Symposium at Bok Tower
Wildflower Symposium - it's almost here!
A
week from now, nature lovers from all over the state will arrive at Bok
Tower Gardens in Lake Wales to enjoy the 2014 Florida Wildflower
Symposium's garden explorations, field trips, workshops and
presentations.
Only a few spaces remain for this year's event - is one of them yours?
Here's a sampling of what you could be enjoying:
- Dinner with nationally acclaimed author and naturalist Doug Tallamy.
- Explorations of some of Polk County's finest natural jewels, including The Nature Conservancy's Tiger Creek Preserve (pictured).
- Bok Tower Gardens' Wildflower Day, which includes free films, walks and other activities.
- Free admission to Bok Tower Gardens, and so much more.
What are you waiting for? Join us on Sept. 19 and 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)