THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN
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February 2006
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The Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed as
a service for active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the
joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats.
You can access an archive of past E-bulletins
on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA).
We
are now distributing this E-bulletin to over 1,000 birders and conservationists.
We would be happy to have that number grow. If you have colleagues
who would be interested in getting this monthly E-bulletin, contact
either of your editors, using the details found at the end of this
E-bulletin.
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RARITY
FOCUS
Our
rarity of the month is Yellow Grosbeak, a bird being seen in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. This is a species which normally ranges from western
Mexico (north to central Sonora) to Guatemala. If you don't have
a Mexican bird-guide, check out a National Geographic field guide
on page 427-428 for details on this species. We picked the Yellow
Grosbeak as our rarity this month for at least three reasons:
- There
are only about 15 U.S. records for this mostly Mexican bird, predominantly
for short periods of time and almost entirely in summer and in
southeastern Arizona.
- The
location - in central New Mexico - and the time of year may raise
questions over the bird's origin. (Could it be an escape from
the Mexican bird-trade?) In one past case, for example, an unseasonable
and relatively docile bird in Tuscon in October 1987 was considered
suspect.
- This
is a feeder-bird, visiting residential feeders, and it has recently
been accessible to a number of viewers.
The
Yellow Grosbeak, apparently in the area since early December, has
only recently attracted serious attention. It is frequenting feeders
in a neighborhood in northwest Albuquerque, often in the vicinity
of 805 or 412 Pueblo Solano Road NW. The bird seems to circulate
over a fairly large area, but a canvas of the neighborhood suggests
that the best stocked feeders are along this road.
Photos
of this Yellow Grosbeak by photographer Laurel Ladwig can be viewed
here.
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NATIONAL
BIRD-FEEDING MONTH
In 1994, Illinois 10th District Congressman John Porter read a resolution
into the Congressional Record, designating February as "National
Bird-Feeding Month." A dozen years and millions of bird-feeding
enthusiasts later, February is still celebrated as the month to
introduce a family friend or neighbor to the enjoyments of backyard
bird-feeding.
"During
this month, individuals are encouraged to provide food, water and
shelter to help wild birds survive. This assistance benefits the
environment by supplementing wild bird's natural diet of weed seeds
and insects," according to a portion of the original resolution
presented by Congressman Porter. According to the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's study, "Birding in the United States: A Demographic
and Economic Analysis" (2001), this activity translates into almost
$3 billion spent annually by Americans on bird food and related
products. And those numbers continue to increase, according to George
Petrides, Sr., of the Wild Bird Centers of America. "More people
are discovering the benefits of backyard bird- feeding. It's beneficial
to the birds, and to their own enjoyment." So far, recent concerns
about the Avian Influenza, West Nile Virus, and other health issues
have not negatively impacted bird-feeding. "Wild birds accustomed
to finding their favorite food at the feeder should not be disappointed.
Fill your feeders and birdbaths. Keep them clean, keep the feed
dry, and wash your hands after handling feeders," said Dick Hebert
of D&D Commodities Ltd.
These
tips are frequently repeated throughout the bird-feeding industry,
and are included in the "6 Steps to turn your yard into a Sanctuary
for Birds" promotion sponsored by the Wild Bird-Feeding Industry
(WBFI). The "6 Steps" are available here.
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BIRD-FEEDING
PREFERENCES
Also
connected to National Bird Feeding Month is a related call for bird-feeding
assistance. The Wild Bird Feeding Industry's Research Foundation
is searching for volunteers to participate in a study of food and
feeder preferences of wild birds.
"Project
Wildbird" was initiated in the fall of 2005 and will continue through
the fall of 2008. There are five questions raised in the study:
- What
are the seed preferences of birds in the United States and Canada
that use feeders?
- Are
seed preferences of birds identical in different regions of the
United States and Canada?
- Are
seed preferences the same at different times of the year?
- What
are the feeder preferences of birds in the United States and Canada?
- Is
there an interaction between seed preferences and feeder preferences
(e.g., When a particular type of seed is available, do birds go
to feeders they normally would not visit)?
If
you are interested in learning more, visit the WBFI
website. And, if you enjoy watching your feeder, there's a great
opportunity to connect with "Project FeederWatch," the ongoing effort
to gather information about birds at feeders that is coordinated
by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.
For more information about Feeder Watch, click here.
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WILL
FRITTED GLASS DO THE JOB?
You
may remember that last year's International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD)
theme had to do with birds and collisions. One especially well-known
bird-collision source is glass. While you're maintaining your backyard
bird-feeders, there is occasionally the possibility of hearing the
"thump" of a bird striking a nearby window.
How
many birds in North America die through collisions with glass, either
at feeders, or during migration and the nesting-season? Is it 100
million? A billion? Whatever the number, it's a big one! Regardless
of the number, reliable anti-collision solutions are hard to find.
Ornithologist Daniel Klem, however, has suggested one approach that
deserves serious inspection. Klem, a professor at Mulhenberg College
in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been studying the issue for decades.
Julie
Hagelin, a colleague at Swarthmore College - also in eastern Pennsylvania
- got her college to consider solutions presented by Klem when Swarthmore
was planning to build a $71-million science center, using the center
to test a different kind of glass that might ward off oncoming birds.
The center, built in the late-90s, was to feature a three-story
meeting room made out of clear glass - a potential "avian slaughterhouse,"
according to Klem.
Klem's
arguments to the college's building committee led Swarthmore to
agree to invest in bird-friendly glass, if Klem and Carr Everbach,
a member of Swarthmore's engineering faculty, could come up with
an appropriate design. The challenge was to find glass that birds
could see upon approach and that people could still see through.
Klem
warned that "If you are going to come up with a solution to this
problem, you are going to have to come up with one that doesn't
muck up the way people look out their windows. You start doing that
and people are going to be unsympathetic." Klem and Everbach suggested
using so-called "fritted" glass. This is tempered glass with a ceramic-based
paint permanently bonded onto the glass during the tempering process.
The ceramic edge 'frit' prevents UV rays from penetrating the glass.
Upon inspection, the glass appears to be etched with closely spaced
rows of small circles. When standing up close, the glass is hard
to see through, but from a slight distance, the dots don't obscure
vision that much.
The
science center turned out to be a working experiment, with 60 percent
of panes fritted in the dotted pattern and 40 percent totally transparent.
Two of the fritted panes were even installed unconventionally, with
the fritting on the exterior, to test effectiveness and durability.
To
find out whether the fritted glass is really bird-friendly, some
of the windows have been equipped with video sensors, called "thumpers."
The thumpers have recorded just two bird hits since the center was
finished about five years ago. While this doesn't prove anything
conclusively - the sensors aren't attached to every window - it's
suggestive that the fritted glass is working.
Perhaps
some day soon a glass manufacturer will start marketing bird-friendly
glass, just as the fishing industry now sells cans of "dolphin-safe"
tuna, or as an increasing number of coffee companies are promoting
"bird-compatible" shade-grown coffee.
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IVORY-BILLED
CELEBRATION
The
Call of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Celebration" will be held at
the Brinkley, Arkansas, Convention Center on 23, 24, and 25 February.
Public presentations will be offered by those who have actually
seen the mega-rarity, including Gene Sparling, Tim Gallagher, and
Bobby Harrison. Leaders of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery
Team from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, The Nature Conservancy,
and Audubon Arkansas will be speaking. Visitors may attend talks
by Pete Dunne of the Cape May Bird Observatory in New Jersey, wildlife
photographer Marie Read, and others. The Arkansas Natural Heritage
Commission, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service will also present programs and be aiding participants throughout
the celebration.
A complete
itinerary with times, fees, and advance registration can be found
on the Celebration's web
site.
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RED
KNOT EFFORTS IN VIRGINIA
A
number of organizations, including New Jersey Audubon, Defenders
of Wildlife, and National Audubon have been pursuing the possibility
of having the "rufa" subspecies of the Red Knot protected under
the Endangered Species Act. As many readers of the E-bulletin probably
know, Red Knot populations have declined globally in recent decades
and the North American subspecies in particular has been declining
dramatically. The over-harvest of Horseshoe Crabs for use as bait
in conch and eel pots has been linked to a decline in the numbers
of Red Knots, primarily because the knots depend on the eggs of
these crabs at key migratory stopover sites during the birds' long
migration northward in spring.
Last
month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied an emergency request
to list the Red Knot as endangered, however a final determination
is still pending.
In
the meantime, the issue of a crab-harvesting moratorium has arisen
in Virginia. (This is particularly important, since Virginia has
so far been the least-responsive state among the Mid-Atlantic States
to control the harvest of Horseshoe Crabs.)
Currently
the Virginia State legislature is considering action that would
help prevent this lovely shorebird from possibly becoming extinct.
The primary sponsor of the bill is Delegate H. Morgan Griffith (R),
the Majority Leader of the House of Delegates. His bill would declare
a moratorium on landings or importation of Horseshoe Crabs in Virginia,
at least until the Red Knot (rufa subspecies) reaches its target
population of 240,000 birds. House speaker Bill Howell (R) is also
leaning toward supporting this legislation.
For
more details about this topic, see the
following from the American Bird Conservancy.
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WETLANDS
CASE TO BE HEARD BY SUPREME COURT
It
has been estimated that the U.S. has lost more than half of its
original wetlands and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland
acres every year. With this reality in mind, it is important to
appreciate that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case this month
that could dramatically impact the future of more than half the
100 million acres of wetlands remaining in this country.
In
January, a number of organizations united in filing an amicus brief
addressing whether the Clean Water Act protects wetlands adjacent
to small tributaries that flow into larger bodies of water. The
brief describes for the court how these wetlands and small tributaries
serve to enhance the future of fish and wildlife conservation, as
well as the millions of hunters, anglers and wildlife-watchers who
spend an estimated $108 billion annually in the U.S. pursing their
outdoors passions.
For
more than 30 years, the Clean Water Act protected these kinds of
wetlands and the fish and wildlife that depend upon them. The Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that these adjacent wetlands are
protected by the Clean Water Act, but that ruling could potentially
be overturned by the Supreme Court.
The
organizations united behind the amicus brief are the American Fisheries
Society, American Sportfishing Association, Bass Pro Shops, Boone
& Crockett Club, Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League, Michigan
United Conservation Clubs, Orvis, National Wildlife Federation,
Pheasants Forever, The Wildlife Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation
Partnership, Trout Unlimited, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
Jim
Murphy, wetlands counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, summarized
the scene: "The lower court properly recognized that the Clean Water
Act was intended by Congress to broadly protect America's waters,"
he said. "If the Supreme Court reverses the lower court findings,
we risk reversing three decades of progress in cleaning up our nation's
waters and slowing losses of wetlands."
The
Supreme Court case actually combines two cases, Carabell v. United
States and United States v. Rapanos, which are presently
on appeal from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The lower court
upheld Clean Water Act protection of headwater wetlands and streams.
An Army Corps of Engineers official has independently estimated
that if the lower court ruling is not upheld, well over half of
the remaining U.S. wetlands and streams would lose protection under
the Clean Water Act.
The
coalition filing the brief is supporting the Bush Administration's
position that Congress intended to protect headwater wetlands and
tributaries under the Clean Water Act when the law was originally
passed in 1972.
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KEY
ALASKAN WILDLIFE HABITAT OPENED TO OIL INDUSTRY
While
Congress in December rejected a proposal to open the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, another pro-drilling move was
announced in January that will impact important Arctic habitat just
110 miles to the west of the refuge.
Ignoring
vocal opposition from Alaska Natives, scientists, birders, and sportsmen,
the Bush Administration opened all of the internationally significant
Teshekpuk Lake Special Area within the Northeast Planning Area of
the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The Administration's
decision eliminated long-established wildlife and environmental
protections first put in place by the Reagan Administration's Interior
Secretary James Watt.
The
4.6 million-acre area of the NPR-A is immediately west of the massive
Prudhoe Bay oil field in far northern Alaska bordering the Beaufort
Sea, and it provides vital habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds,
caribou, and other wildlife, as well as being an important subsistence
hunting and fishing area. In 1980, Congress authorized leasing and
development in the 23.5 -million-acre NPR-A, but directed the Department
of the Interior to minimize ecological disturbances. Since then,
the area has been the object of a series of leasing openings and
compromises, the most important of which was settled in 1998, when
then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt established an oil-and-gas
leasing plan for the Northeastern Planning Area within the Reserve
that would keep much of the sensitive habitat around Teshekpuk Lake
off limits to both leasing and permanent infrastructure. The compromise
plan in 1998 was intended to balance energy development and natural
considerations, opening up for drilling some 87 percent of 4.6 million
acres in the Northeast portion of the NPR-A.
"Apparently
87 percent wasn't enough for the oil companies," stated Eleanor
Huffines, Alaska Regional Director of The Wilderness Society. "This
decision ignores the voices of leading scientists, sportsmen from
across the nation, and the Alaska Native people who depend on the
wildlife and subsistence resources of the region." Stan Senner,
executive director of Audubon Alaska added, "This [current] plan
is utterly unbalanced: even the Reagan Administration protected
the waterfowl habitat around Teshekpuk Lake because of its world-class
ecological and cultural value."
The
Teshekpuk Lake Special Area encompasses a vital and productive wetland
complex. For example, 30 percent of all Pacific Brant, tens of thousands
of Greater White-fronted Geese, and lesser numbers of Spectacled,
Steller's, and King Eiders, loons, other waterfowl, and shorebirds
habitually use this area.
The
issue of Teshekpuk Lake has appeared in this E-bulletin before (e.g.,
July 2004 and February 2005.) In June 2004, the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) released a revised development plan for the Northeast portion
of the NPR-A, a plan which would open 96 percent of the Northeast
Planning Area and 387,000 acres around Teshekpuk Lake previously
closed to drillers in the 1998 compromise. Concerns were immediately
raised among government biologists and angered even the Native villagers
who rely on oil for income.
Early
last year, the Administration's management plan was finalized and
signed, but the Administration tinkered with the plan for almost
a year before unveiling its final version early last month. The
revised final plan now opens all of the Northeast Reserve to leasing.
(Some structures are banned in specific areas, ostensibly to protect
geese and caribou, but according to Stan Senner of Audubon, "No
one should be fooled by the window dressing in this document; this
plan makes every last acre available for oil development." For example,
the "no surface occupancy" [NSO] zones are still open to pipelines
and are available for leasing.)
Efforts
to open the Teshekpuk Lake area to drilling have consistently drawn
fire from a variety of groups, besides those already mentioned,
including the California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited,
the Pacific Flyway Council, the Wildlife Management Institute, The
Wildlife Society, and The Nature Conservancy. In addition, hundreds
of ornithologists and other wildlife professionals, as well as a
bipartisan group of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus called
for the Teshekpuk Lake area protections to remain in place.
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JOCOTOCO
BIRDATHON
We
ordinarily don't cover "birdathons" in this E-bulletin, despite
the mixture of birding fun and serious conservation that usually
mark these events. However, the recent announcement of the novel
"Jocoto Birdathon" caught our attention.
The
American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the Wisconsin Bird Conservation
Initiative (WBCI), and the Jocotoco Foundation (based in Ecuador)
recently announced this event, designed to raise money to save habitat
for Ecuador's rarest birds while helping two Important Bird Areas
battle for the title of "Birdiest Reserve".
The
Jocoto Birdathon will take place at two Jocotoco Foundation Reserves.
The first is the Buenaventura Reserve, located in southwestern Ecuador,
which protects a critically important tract of humid cloud forest
in the otherwise arid west-slope foothills of the Andes. This reserve
provides habitat for 300 species of birds, nine of which are classified
as globally threatened, including the El Oro Parakeet and El Oro
Tapaculo.
The
second location is the Tapichalaca Reserve, located in southern
Ecuador, protecting an area of very wet temperate-zone forest on
the east slope of the Andes. This is the only known location for
the critically endangered Jocotoco Antpitta. The reserve also provides
habitat for additional rarities including Golden-plumed Parakeet,
Masked Saltator and Bearded Guan.
Both
protected areas, of course, also provide important wintering habitat
for a variety of Neotropical migrants. The birdathon is scheduled
for 8-17 September 2006. Cost is $1,365 (not including airfare),
plus a $500 donation to the Jocotoco Foundation. The proceeds will
be donated to the Jocotoco Foundation to purchase habitat for endangered
birds in Ecuador.
For
more information contact: Craig Thompson, (608) 785-1277 or Craig.Thompson@dnr.state.wi.us.
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EXCEPTIONAL
COFFEE FILM
The
issue of shade-grown and sustainable coffee is a fundamental one
for those concerned with bird conservation, since shade-grown coffee
farms have been shown to support a robust variety of bird species
(including many Neotropical migrants) in large parts of Latin America
and the Caribbean.
Last
month, an engaging new documentary film premiered, entitled "Birdsong
& Coffee: A Wake-Up Call." This two-part documentary (56 min./two
28-min. segments) specifically endorses fair trade, shade-grown,
organic, and bird-compatible coffee. The video features experts
and students, coffee enthusiasts and bird enthusiasts and - perhaps
most importantly - coffee farmers and coffee workers themselves.
In
the first half of the film, viewers learn about the connections
between traditional shade-based coffee, the broader coffee market
system, agro-ecology, and the opportunities for bird conservation.
In
the second half of the film, viewers are informed how they can help,
since they hold in their hands the fate of farm families and their
communities, migrant and resident birds, and the related ecosystems
found in coffee-growing regions. A fascinating mix of biological
background and social-justice issues, "Birdsong & Coffee: A Wake-Up
Call" is a call to develop bird-conscious consumerism. It also includes
an excellent short discussion-guide. The DVD and VHS versions of
the film are available for $30 through Old
Dog Documentaries.
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"ADOPT"
A NICARAGUAN BIRD
There
is a creative initiative intended to assist in the creation of a
Spanish-language Nicaraguan guide to birds. This is specifically
an effort to illustrate all the birds from Nicaragua through the
first "Field Guide to the Birds of Nicaragua," a combined project
of a number of hard-working Nicaraguan birders and ornithologists.
The illustrations are the work of Augusto Silva, who has worked
with the project from the start. The ambitious goal is to publish
the guide in 2006. The adoption-plan consists of financing individual
bird-drawings with a $25-dollar contribution for each species. If
you wish, you can even pick out the species! In exchange, you will
receive a final copy of the original sponsored drawing.
If
you want to "adopt" a bird you should contact and send a $25-contribution
to:
Alejandra
Martinez
Directora de Promocion y Mercadeo de ALAS
De la Iglesia Catedral, 175 varas al sur, casa # 217
Apartado Postal # 91
Granada
Nicaragua
alejandra@avesnicaragua.org
More
details (in Spanish) and a list of species already 'taken' by contributors
can be found here.
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MORE
MURRELET MUDDLE
In
late January, an Oregon county, along with a libertarian legal group,
sued the Bush Administration in an effort to force the removal of
the Pacific Northwest's Marbled Murrelet from coverage under the
Endangered Species Act. The Pacific Legal Foundation filed the suit
on behalf of Coos County, which maintains that it has lost economic
opportunities because of the listing. The case is in the U.S. District
Court for the District of Oregon.
The
suit is centered on the idea that the 17,000 to 20,000 remaining
Marbled Murrelets living off Washington, Oregon, and California
are not distinct from the nearly 1 million other individuals living
off the coasts of British Columbia and Alaska.
This
has long been an issue of dispute among environmentalists and the
Bush Administration, as well as between the regional U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service office and D.C.-based officials. In 2004, a team
of 16 international scientists assembled under contract to the USFWS
stated that the Marbled Murrelet was still declining in North America.
They warned that the species was likely to disappear from the Pacific
Northwest by the end of this century, particularly if more nesting
trees were harvested.
The
Service's official announcements have recently been that the birds
do not meet the standard for listing as a distinct population segment.
Service officials announced in late October last year that the agency
would propose removing bird's status under the ESA. That announcement
came one day after the Coos County Board of Commissioners threatened
suit.
We
described earlier developments in this controversy in the October
2004 and November 2005 issue of this E-bulletin.
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BOREAL
BIRD NEWS AND SCREENSAVER
The
Boreal Forest of North America is one of the largest forests on
earth. Indeed, it may account for a quarter of the remaining intact
forests left on the planet. This critical ecosystem provides breeding
grounds for perhaps three billion birds. To get regular news on
the birds of the Boreal Forest, and for a wonderful screen saver
with boreal birds (from ducks to terns to warblers), click here.
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ANOTHER
JV WEBSITE
We've
been announcing the unveiling of new Migratory Bird Joint Venture
websites as they appear, especially since JVs are so important in
delivering on-the-ground bird conservation in increasing areas of
the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Black
Duck Joint Venture website has been around for about a year.
It also deserves attention since it is based on a species-emphasis,
not simply geographic priorities.
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RECENT
NABCI BULLETIN SOURCE
Another
good source of current bird conservation information came out in
January, the most recent issue of the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative ALL
BIRD BULLETIN. This issue includes important news on the Partners
in Flight updated Species Assessment Database, Iowa's network of
Bird Conservation Areas, the new Canadian Intermountain Joint Venture,
and ongoing efforts to link range-wide bird conservation to community
actions.
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AVIAN
FLU LINKS
We've
monitored the issue of avian flu in past issues of this E-bulletin.
Some scientists are saying that there is evidence that wild birds
are spreading the H5N1 strain of the virus. Others are saying that
governments are being far too hasty in blaming the spread of avian
flu on wild birds, emphasizing, instead, that the trade in birds
and the movement of poultry products is a far more important source.
For
a review of websites and statements on avian flu, you can check
out this set of informative
links put together by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve
Network (WHSRN).
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CORRECTION
While
discussing Brown Pelican coverage under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) in our last issue of the E-bulletin, we wrote that "Only the
California subspecies and populations breeding in Louisiana and
Texas are currently covered under the ESA." We neglected to mention
the Caribbean Brown Pelican. That subspecies is not doing well,
and indications are that its fortunes continue to be in decline.
Among the most serious man-induced threats to the Caribbean subspecies
are poaching of eggs, human disturbance, entanglement in fishing
gear, and loss or degradation of mangrove habitat. Pesticide residues,
the primary cause of the decline of Brown Pelicans elsewhere, are
not currently thought to be high enough in the Caribbean to be considered
hazardous.
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You
can access an archive of past E-bulletins
on the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) website..
If
you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the E-bulletins, we
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Wayne Petersen 781/293-9730, skua2@comcast.net
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