Dendroica: Loose Feathers #132

Friday, January 11, 2008

Northern Pintail Pair / Photo by Donna Dewhurst (USFWS)

News and links about birds, birding, and the environment

Siberian jays have developed alarm calls that communicate not only the presence of a predator but also the predator's behavior. The jays give different calls depending on whether a hawk is perched, searching for prey, or attacking.
Analysis of satellite imagery from the island of New Britain shows that 12% of the forests overall, and 20% of forests under 100m, was lost between 1989 and 2000.
Tricolored blackbirds in California's Central Valley abandoned their nests by the thousands after their eggs failed to hatch this summer. The cause is uncertain, though unusually dry weather may have contributed to a lack of food.
Scientists are studying winter habitats of the red knot to learn more about possible causes for the species's precipitous decline. A key question is what role Florida's beaches play.
The number of nests of two critically vultures in Nepal has doubled in the two years since the replacement of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug given to cattle.
An avian retrovirus has now killed thousands of crows in six New York counties: Orange, Dutchess, Albany, Jefferson, Montgomery, and Steuben.
The Asbury Park Press has recommendations for attracting birds to your backyard.
Three rare slaty-backed gulls recently appeared in Massachusetts.
A Scottish farmer lost his government agricultural subsidies because his game warden killed birds of prey.
New York City passed a law requiring large stores to provide bins for customers to recycle plastic bags.

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