Banded Birds

This winter I have come across a few interesting banded birds in local parks. Many of the local Canada Geese have metal leg bands. Unfortunately these are very difficult to read without a lot of patience and careful movements, but it can be done. Reporting a banded bird is a lot easier when the birds are also wearing neck collars, like the four geese above. These were first spotted by Andrew Bobe during this winter's Raritan Estuary Christmas Bird Count. These geese were banded in Quebec Province in Canada, a little north of Montreal. I had previously reported one of the geese, the one with the neck collar F4E9, during the previous year's Christmas Bird Count. It is nice to see a familiar bird come back to the same location.

On Sunday, I found another tagged bird, this time a Ring-billed Gull, on the beach in Perth Amboy. This gull was banded in Massachusetts, at a shopping center a little south of Worchester. The gull was banded last November, which means that it migrated south to New Jersey within the last three months. Perhaps one of the recent snowstorms pushed it south. I found another Ring-billed Gull with orange wing tags while I was futilely searching for a Barnacle Goose at Thompson Park in Monroe Township. I wonder if it might have been tagged by the same banding operation.

If you find a banded bird, please report it! The data collected by banders has a number of different uses, and one of them is learning about migration and dispersal patterns. The more data collected, the more complete the picture will be. You can report directly to the bander (if you know who banded it). Otherwise, the easiest way to submit data is through the Bird Banding Laboratory website.

Loose Feathers #380

Wisdom, the 62-year-old Laysan Albatross, and her mate / Photo by Pete Leary/USFWS

Birds and birding

• British conservationists are still trying to figure out why 50,000 Red-breasted Geese disappeared about a decade ago. A tracking project is underway with the hope of finding additional wintering sites.
• The songs of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, an Australian species, are correlated with body size. Lower-pitched songs indicate a larger body.
• Seabirds found off the southwestern coast of England were coated in polyisobutene, a chemical used in adhesives, but so far the source is still unknown. About 70 birds are ready for release after being cleaned and fed, and more are in the rehabilitation process.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology has created a website devoted to birds-of-paradise, with 35 videos of their courtship rituals.
• A new paper finds that free-roaming dogs, like cats, can cause substantial harm to wildlife. In one example, a single feral German shepherd in New Zealand killed 500 kiwis.  
• The Nature Conservancy has a new sanctuary in California that it hopes to use as a model for bird-friendly farming practices.
• A Royal Penguin washed up disoriented in New Zealand.
• The American Bird Conservancy is asking the next Secretary of the Interior to review the rule weakening protections for eagles killed on wind farms.
• Here is an article on the Stonechat.

Nature and science blogging

• The Birdist: Interview with Todd Forsgren, Photographer
• Culturing Science: Why Sociable Weavers Nest Together
• Extinction Countdown: 4 Extinct Species That People Still Hope to Rediscover 
• Bug Eric: OrThoptera Thursday: Greater Angle-wing Katydid 
• 10,000 Birds: Waxwings and their kin: Meet the bombycillids

Environment and biodiversity

• National parks are set to take a big hit if the federal budget sequester happens. Among other things, some visitor centers and campgrounds will close, many parks will not hire seasonal staff, and invasive species management will be curtailed.
• According to a study done by Oceana (pdf), mislabeling is widespread in the seafood industry. In particular, seafood labeled as "snapper" or "white tuna" is likely to come from another fish species. Mislabeling has health effects since some fish, such as escolar, have high mercury levels, and many times endangered fish are sold under the names of other fish. Mislabeling is especially high in California; in southern California, a majority of fish tested were a species other than what the label indicated.
• The production of biofuels is wiping out natural grasslands in the Midwest. Farmers are planting biofuel crops on marginal land that in the past would have been left as natural habitat. This has conservation implications for grassland specialists (especially birds) and also means that the soil will not retain carbon as well.
• Arctic sea ice continues to disappear, with potential climate feedback effects. 
• Death Valley National Park was named one of the world's best dark sky sites.
• A "super-mega-pod" of Common Dolphins, with up to 100,000 individuals, was seen off the coast of California.
• A study of specimens found 138 new species of beetles in the genus Operclipygus in the family Histeridae (also known as clown beetles).
• Killing apex predators can intensify climate change since fewer predators means more herbivores, which eat plants and release the carbon they would otherwise store.

Loose Feathers #379

Eared Grebe / Photo by Steve Dawes (USFWS)

Birds and birding

• The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening this weekend, February 15-18, 2013. This year, data entry will be integrated into the eBird interface and volunteers will be able to enter data worldwide.
• Birds exposed to urban nighttime light levels mature faster and reproduce sooner than rural birds, according to a study of blackbirds.
• Also in blackbird news, a huge die-off around Vienna in 2001 was caused by a mystery virus, now identified as Usutu virus.
• Ponds where beavers are active thaw more quickly and allow Canada Geese to breed earlier in the season.
• The Purple Sandpiper population in the U.K. is in decline.
• The ability to see ultraviolet light evolved at least eight times among birds.
• Song Sparrows have a series of escalating threats — from song to body language — to warn off intruders before attacking them.
• Scientists found a new owl species in Indonesia by listening to its call.
• Someone found an odd-looking Blue Jay, with unusually dark upperparts and a yellowish belly.
• Molecular research suggests that birds have a similar genetic basis for singing as humans do for speaking.

Science and nature blogging

• Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds.: Sea Otters Like It Rough
• Bug Eric: True Bug Tuesday: Candystriped Leafhopper
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Every tooth is correct. Every whisker is correct.
• The Featured Creature: The Most Incredible Transformation EVER! From Glass Jewel to Fuzzy Flier.
• Tetrapod Zoology: Tubenosed seabirds that shear the waves: of Calonectris , Lugensa , and Puffinus (petrels part VII)
• Extinction Countdown: Giant Pandas at Risk from New Chinese Forestry Policies 
• The Smaller Majority: Ice-crawlers 
• Outside My Window: Pepper On The Snow

Environment and biodiversity

• One of the difficulties in planning for climate change mitigation is that the effects will not be the same in all places. In particular, sea level rise will be much greater in some places (like the northeastern U.S.) than others.
• The northeastern U.S. faces an increased storm surge and storm tide threat as the climate warms.
• Not all products labelled as "compostable" will compost quickly. The link mentions a few ways to tell if the claim is legitimate.
• This week NASA launched Landsat-8, which will help to monitor aspects of the earth's climate, along with land use and other aspects of the environment.
• A fracking operation in Ohio dumped at least 20,000 gallons of untreated fracking wastewater into a storm drain.
• Part of the environmental review for the alterations to the Bayonne Bridge is centered on whether increasing the size of ships coming into Port Elizabeth would also increase the amount of trucking, with a corresponding increase in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Loose Feathers #378

American Robin / my photo

Birds and birding

• There is a petition drive to continue New Jersey's moratorium on harvesting horseshoe crabs, which is essential for the conservation of migratory Red Knots. Please sign it and spread it around.
• A scientist is warning that a plan to release guinea hens in Turkey to eat ticks may cause more problems than it solves.
• Darwin used the breeding of Rock Pigeon varieties as a model for his theory of evolution by natural selection. New genetic data confirms his conclusion that most domestic and feral pigeon varieties come from the same species and explains how some varieties developed crests.
• The RSPB thinks that more seabirds are affected by the wax-like substance in the English Channel since winds have blown most birds away from shore.
• Since the banning of diclofenac, the status of vultures in the Indian subcontinent has improved somewhat, though several species are still in serious danger of extinction.
• A 62-year-old Laysan Albatross has just hatched a chick at Midway Atoll NWR, her sixth in the last six years and probably her 35th overall.
• A new study lays out some of the challenges Asian birds will face because of climate change.
• PBS Nature put together an appropriate graphic for Superb Owl Sunday.

Science and nature blogging

• Extinction Countdown: 3 British Moths Extinct; Most Other Species in Decline
• Tetrapod Zoology: Great tits: still murderous, rapacious, flesh-rending predators!
• TheGreenMiles: Cod Fishermen Are Even More Screwed Than You Thought
• The Smaller Majority: African Tuesday: Being bark
• The Thoughtful Animal: Seven Things You Didn’t Know About Ravens, Superbowl Edition
• Outside My Window: Slots Help Me Fly
• Earbirding: What’s Weird About Rusty Blackbirds
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Meet the Ancestor of Every Human, Bat, Cat, Whale and Mouse
• 10,000 Birds: We Got the Wrong Starling
• Myrmecos: Friday Beetle Blogging: The Prettiest Darkling Beetle
• The Skeptical Moth: When Taxonomy Makes a Species Less Critically Endangered
• Ars Technica: Birds infer their partner's desires during bonding ritual

Environment and biodiversity

• Obama has nominated Sally Jewell, the CEO of REI, as the new Secretary of the Interior. Major environmental groups such as Audubon have praised the appointment. However, she also has experience working for the oil industry. What this pick means in terms of wildlife conservation and environmental policy is so far unclear. The nomination came shortly after former secretary Bruce Babbitt criticized the president's public lands policies.
• If the Keystone XL pipeline fails to win approval, the leader of Canada's Northwest Territories wants to build a pipeline north to a new port on the Arctic. However, such a scheme is likely to be foolhardy.
• Last year was the 10th warmest year on record globally and the hottest year on record in the United States.
• New Jersey's bobcat population appears to be increasing and is starting to spread south of I-80.
• While Chris Christie won credit for his handling of the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, he's since settled into a more familiar pattern, refusing to acknowledge the role of climate change in this and future disasters and not coming up with a plausible funding source for purchasing flood-prone properties.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service recaptured a Mexican Gray Wolf that it released into the wild just three weeks ago for fear that it might be shot.
• Poachers have killed over 11,000 elephants in Gabon since 2004. While ivory is restricted in some countries, demand for ivory in Asia has increased and fueling the new poaching boom.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed protecting the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act. The main threat against it is climate change. Its population had previously been reduced to near extinction by trapping, and some wolverines continue to be caught in traps laid by USDA Wildlife Services.
• Plans to clean up oil spills in the Arctic are still too vague.

Loose Feathers #377

California Spotted Owl (Photo by USFS Region 5)

Birds and birding

• A study released this week found that outdoor cats (both pet and feral) are the single largest source of human-related bird mortality, with between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds killed by cats each year. (In addition, 6.9-20.7 billion mammals are killed by cats each year.) Pet cats that are allowed to roam outdoors unsupervised are part of the problem, and birds (and cats) are much safer if pet cats are kept indoors. Feral and semi-feral cats are bigger contributors, as trap-neuter-release programs have largely failed to keep the feral population in check or protect wildlife.
• In a series of tests on dead owls, scientists discovered how owls are able to turn their owls almost all the way around without damaging their vertebra or arteries. One reason is that owl vertebra have larger holes for blood vessels to pass through than humans or other birds, which provides some cushioning for the blood vessels. The arteries also have adaptations to prevent the flow of blood to the brain from getting cut off.
• A genetic analysis of Rock Pigeons found that most modern pigeon breeds descend from racing pigeons first domesticated in the Middle East over 5,000 years ago, but a few breeds come from birds domesticated in India. The Rock Pigeon is one of the few bird species to have its genome sequenced. The pigeon genome has 1.1 million base pairs of DNA and 17,300 genes. Here is a gallery of some of the more bizarre Rock Pigeon breeds.
• Another study suggests that homing pigeons use low frequency sounds to navigate, and changes in acoustics may explain instances of homing pigeons getting lost.
• Peruvian officials are considering a new conservation program for the Andean Condor that would include tighter restrictions on capturing or killing condors. Condors are often captured for use in Yawar festivals, in which a condor is made to ride on the back of a bull. While the birds are usually released afterwards, they often undergo such trauma that they die soon after.
• Vultures in Africa are facing similar problems to those in India, with a decline caused partly by ingesting veterinary drugs administered to livestock. 
• The EPA is banning 12 rat and mouse poisons made by d-CON because they pose an unacceptable risk to humans and wildlife. Urban raptors are especially at risk because they often eat rats or mice that have ingested the poison.
• Seabirds in southwest England, particularly guillemots, have been washing ashore covered in a mysterious waxy substance.

Nature and science blogging

• Culturing Science: Cats Are Ruthless Killers. Should They Be Killed?
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Parasites Make Their Hosts Sociable So They Get Eaten
• SciAm Blog Network: The Last Thing the Squirrel Saw
• A Blog Around The Clock: Commenting threads: good, bad, or not at all.
• OnEarth Blog: City Birds Bring the Noise
• Rebecca in the Woods: a different snow fly
• Extinction Countdown: New Zealand Farmer Helps Save Rare Penguin from Extinction
• Bug Eric: Fly Day Friday: Greater Bee Fly
• Bird Ecology Study Group: Passage to India… Part 3.
• Birding Is Fun!: Bird Photography for Birders
• Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds: BB&B Presents: Lazy Birders And The Hybrid Theory
• Laelaps: Tiny, Feathery Dinosaur Raises Jurassic Questions
• Blue Marble: Butterflies Booking It North as Climate Warms

Environment and biodiversity

• Paleontologists are documenting ancient seabeds in the hope of figuring out just how high sea levels might rise based on current climate forecasts.
• Air travel for only about 5% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, but a disproportionately high amount per flight. So far attempts to cut back on emissions from air travel have met fierce resistance, and the US has banned its airlines from paying carbon taxes imposed on flights into Europe. 
• A study refuted the idea that bark beetles are to blame for the increase in wildfires in lodgepole pine and spruce forests. Instead the catastrophic wildfires are dry conditions linked to climate change.
• A wolf trapper in Montana caught a mountain lion and then a National Park Service ranger. This incident is just one side effect of the ongoing slaughter of wolves in the northern Rockies.
• There is a movement to convert lawns into vegetable gardens, though these conversions often run afoul of local land use rules. Another use of the space that is better for wildlife conservation than lawns is to plant pollinator-friendly native plants. Speaking of which, if you are interested in helping bees, you can participate in the Xerces Society's Project Bumblebee.
• Ten Borneo pygmy elephants were found dead, probably the result of poisoning. The species is endangered, with probably fewer than 1,500 left in the world.
• Google is expanding its Street View to include popular hiking trails, starting with the Grand Canyon.
• Speaking of popular trails, Forsythe NWR has started repairing its Wildlife Drive.
• The Edison Town Council approved a land swap that will encroach further on the Dismal Swamp conservation area.