Whooping Cranes at Patokah River NWR / Photo by Steve Gifford (WCEP)
Birds and birding news
- Two people plead guilty to charges related to the shooting of Whooping Crane 17-02; for killing an endangered species they received a year of probation and a $1 fine. For some unexplained reason, the federal government declined to prosecute, leaving the matter to state courts. Prior to the shooting, 17-02 had been the only female in the eastern migratory population to raise a chick successfully. That chick (W1-06) is currently nesting at Necedah NWR.
- Rescuers trying to save Northern Rockhopper Penguins from the recent oil spill at Tristan da Cunha have received valuable help from the people who live there.
- Common Cuckoos have plumages similar to hawks to scare songbirds off their nests.
- A study recorded Great Tits waiting outside the nest burrows of bumblebees to catch the bees as they leave the nests.
- Artificial flame retardants have been found in Peregrine Falcon eggs in Canada and Spain.
- Using samples from specimens in museum collections, scientists determined that the level of methylmercury in albatross feathers has risen over the past century.
- The American Bird Conservancy lists ways to help birds this spring.
- 10,000 Birds: Bird Song and Parallel Evolution: learning from our feathered friends
- The House and Other Arctic Musings: Copulating Kiggavik: A love story.
- eBird blog: Confusing flycatchers? Use migration timing to your advantage
- Birdchick: Attaching A Spotting Scope To A Bike
- Earbirding: A Robin’s Many Songs
- Seabrooke Leckie: House Sparrow
- Feathers and Flowers: New Google Gadgets Tap Into eBird [Observations]
- The Birdchaser: Neighborhood Bird Conservation Workbook
- A Walk in the Park: Filling In Jamaica Bay For JFK Expansion Not Going To Fly
- A lot of news coverage this week centers on Earth Day, which occurs today, April 22. LiveScience lists 7 items that should not be thrown in the trash because of toxicity and 6 things made from recycled materials. Mongabay.com reminds us what nature gives us.
- Another major news topic this week has been the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The full impact of the spill will not be certain for several years. The large underwater oil plumes were caused by the heavy use of chemical dispersants, which suspended the oil in water instead of letting it rise to the surface as a slick. Migratory birds avoided the worst of the oil spill, but there will be lingering effects since there is still oil in their nesting areas. One of the groups involved in rescuing oiled birds was Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, based in Newark, Delaware. This winter there were unexplained surges of dolphin and sea turtle deaths in the spill zone, and fish have odd deformities. Many Gulf state residents are left with health problems, including psychological stress. The NY Times's Science section has profiles of some people affected by the spill and involved in the cleanup. The well at the center of the disaster is likely to stay sealed. Finally, here are photos of 9 animal victims and 2 survivors.
- Aside from the oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico and states that border it face a myriad of environmental problems, such as land subsidence shrinking the coastal marshes in Louisiana and a massive dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is struggling to keep up with endangered species listing petitions; the agency has accumulated a waiting list of 254 candidate species whose listing is warranted but not funded. Conservation groups argue that the agency needs a more streamlined listing system that would list batches according to habitat and not just individual species.
- An arthropod specimen collection at Michigan State University was key to identifying the emerald ash borer when that invasive insect was first found in the state. Unfortunately, the collection is in bad shape, and curators are working to save the specimens before they are destroyed by pests.
- Republican governors are seeking big spending cuts for state environmental agencies to curtail their ability to enforce regulations.
- Climate change could help the brown recluse spider spread beyond its current range.
- Audubon Guides: Handsome and Hairy Harbingers
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