Posts
Worm-eating Warbler / Photo by Dan Sudia (USFWS)
Note: This week's edition is a day late due to a massive Blogger outage that prevented me from writing and scheduling it on Thursday night, as I usually would. So it appears on Saturday morning instead. Next week, it should appear at the regularly-scheduled time.
Birds and birding news
- The Interior Department settled a number of endangered species lawsuits by promising to make listing decisions for 251 candidate species. One of the species on the waiting list is the Greater Sage Grouse.
- A pair of Ospreys stopped construction in Anacostia Park in Washington, DC, when they built a nest on top of a crane. Work will be resumed once the birds vacate the nest.
- Even though Prospect Park attempted to prevent Canada Geese from breeding by addling their eggs, one goose family hatched four goslings this spring.
- Male Spotted Bowerbirds mimic sounds they hear while they are under stress from predators or bully species.
- Emperor Penguins are able to make prolonged dives by regulating the amount of oxygen they send to their muscles. For especially deep dives, they can cut off the flow of oxygen to muscles in order to leave more for other organs.
- Antarctic penguins are struggling to adapt to a warming climate.
- According to new research, Barred Owls are more abundant in the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized; this finding could have significance for Northern Spotted Owl conservation.
- Tanzania plans to mine in Lake Natron, one of the world's most important breeding grounds for Lesser Flamingos.
- Older Blue-footed Boobies have trouble reproducing successfully, as their offspring are more likely to develop genetic illnesses. Foot color fades are a booby ages, so females may be able to choose younger mates on that basis.
- 10,000 Birds dedicated this week to posts about Neotropical wood warblers. It produced a lot of good contributions. Some of the more interesting posts include: The Vulnerable Cerulean Warbler, The Lost Warblers of the Farallon Islands, Wood-Warbler Watching in New York City, Rev. Bachman’s Lost Warbler, and A Revised Wood-Warbler Taxonomy Primer.
- Sibley Guides: Intergradation between Mexican Duck and Mallard in Arizona
- Tails of Birding: My Favorite Warbler
- The Birder's Library: birdJam HeadsUp Warblers & HeadsUp Sparrows
- ABA Blog: Spring Migration at Perk's National Forest
- birdspot: Phthalocyanine
- Fotoportmann: Warblers and other micro Birds: Central Park, NYC
- Mike's Birding and Digiscoping Blog: Warbler Parade
- Daily Kos: Dawn Chorus: A Riddle.
- Climate change is a factor in higher food prices, with Russia, Turkey, and Mexico being among the worst affected.
- A report to Congress by the National Research Council urges that the U.S. should begin greenhouse gas emissions reductions as soon as possible to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
- Feral cats can pass their diseases on to wildlife, even in remote wild areas.
- Bug Girl’s Blog: Hoppers, Hats, and Homology
