Dendroica: Loose Feathers #226

Friday, February 19, 2010

Northern Harrier / Photo by Paulo Philippidis

Birds and birding news

A new study reported that an increased Raven population is not behind the decline's of Britain's breeding waders. The causes are more likely to be habitat changes and possibly fox predation.
During their courtship displays, Great Bustards lift their tails towards the sun so that the backlit feathers will appear brighter and more attractive.
Birds with more fat reserves spend less time at migration stopover points. They should thus be able to complete their migration more quickly.
Wildlife-friendly farming has increased the population of endangered Cirl Buntings by 25% in the past seven years.
The Red-tailed Hawk burned in a plane crash died from breathing problems.
Unusually cold temperatures in Mexico may be pushing high altitude Mexican birds to lower altitudes in Texas.
Birds can find food even in the coldest and snowiest weather, but for some birds feeders make a difference. If you do feed birds, here are some tips from Audubon at Home.
Prolonged cold and snow cover can make the winter very difficult for ground-feeding birds like American Woodcocks or rails.
In their 2010 Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey, state biologists in Delaware found 120 Bald Eagles, 77 adult birds and 43 immatures. Winter surveys are conducted by each state to monitor the nation's Bald Eagle population.
Virginia's budget cuts could close Mason Neck State Park, a popular site for watching Bald Eagles.

Birds in the blogosphere

Environment and biodiversity

Photos show that jaguars continue to cross into the southwestern United States from Mexico, despite the death of the most famous U.S. jaguar.
A forest in India is home to seven species of cats, the highest known cat diversity in the world.
The USGS released a report on the consequences of uranium mining in lands near the Grand Canyon, an area inhabited by almost 100 species of conservation concern.
Declining fog along the Pacific coast could threaten giant redwoods and their ecosystems.
Monarch butterflies that migrate over longer distances have longer wings than nonmigratory Monarch populations. The changes make flight more efficient.
A new agreement calls for the removal of four dams along the Klamath River to allow salmon to migrate again. The deal could benefit birds at two national wildlife refuges.
BibliOdyssey has a selection of moth engravings from EJC Esper's Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur (1786). (via Bug Girl)

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