Loose Feathers #420

Common Goldeneye / Photo by Bill Thompson (USFWS)

Birds and birding

• Christmas Bird Count season is coming up very soon. Here is a list of the CBCs in New Jersey. Use the Audubon website to find CBCs in other states.
• The IUCN Red List was updated this week. Here is a summary of some of the changes. Here are some winners and losers. Almost 200 species of birds are listed as critically endangered. In India, 15 bird species are critically endangered.
• Some Laysan Albatross females form same-sex pairings with other females to raise offspring. This works because male albatrosses often mate with more than one female, even though they only contribute to raising one chick. 
• Urban birds fared better than their rural counterparts during the UK's cold and wet spring in 2012.
• A research project is trying to determine why fewer Wood Thrushes are breeding in Delaware.
• While there has been much success raising Whooping Cranes in captivity, it has been much more difficult to reintroduce the captive-raised birds to the wild to form a migratory population.
• Duke Energy is paying a $1 million fine for killing 14 Golden Eagles at two wind farms in Wyoming over the past three years.
• Barn Owl chicks can recognize the calls of their nest mates.
• Climate change is threatening a flightless cormorant found only in the Galápagos archipelago.
• A research team is investigating exactly how the structure of owls' feathers allows it to fly silently.
• In California, Turkey Vultures are often mistaken for condors.
• Unlike the oversized domestic breeds, Wild Turkeys are able to fly.

Science and nature blogging

• The Roaming Ecologist: Why prairies matter and lawns don’t 
• Birding New Jersey: Will It Be a Snowy Winter?
• View from the Cape: Snowy Owls for Thanksgiving?
• 10,000 Birds: How to CBC like a Pro
• Nemesis Bird: MacGillivray's Warbler - Highspire, Pennsylvania
• Charismatic Minifauna: Ag Extension, NIFA, the Farm Bill, and You
• Arthropod Ecology: The effect of insecticides on jumping spider personalities
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: The Second World That Forms On Sunken Trees 
• The St. Lawrence Lowlands: Meet the Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)

Environment and biodiversity

• After the New York Times eliminated its environment desk, its coverage of environmental issues dropped significantly.
• A pocket of high-salinity water at the bottom of the Chesapeake may date back to the Cretaceous.
• A wildfire burned 230 acres near Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge, New Jersey.
• An editorial argues for keeping natural areas wild in urban parks.
• Two new wasp species in the genus Abernessia were described from Brazil.
• The bonobo is threatened by human activity over most of its range.

Loose Feathers #419

Male and female Short-tailed Albatross at Midway NWR / USFWS Photo by Dale Chorman/SeeMore Wildlife Systems

Birds and birding

• BirdWatching has an interview with David Sibley about his revised Guide to Birds, which is due to appear in March of next year. The interview includes several sample pages.
• Red Knots have been proposed for listing as threatened, but the regulation is not finalized yet. You can submit comments on the proposed listing through this form or through the Federal Register. (A comment through the latter that cites scientific data is most useful.)
• Many seabirds die each year in gillnets; potential solutions are in the works, but they depend on the location and types of seabirds involved.
• Forsythe NWR, an important birding site in New Jersey, contributes to the local economy.
• Around this time each year, there is a parade of articles on Wild Turkeys. This one explores the bird's success in recolonizing New York City.
• Another frequent November theme is Benjamin Franklin's stated preference for the turkey over the bald eagle as a national symbol, which Nicholas Lund discusses in depth.
• The ABA's Birder’s Guide to Listing and Taxonomy is now available online. 
• A rare Hoogerwerf's Pheasant was photographed by a camera trap in Sumatra.
• A study of White-throated Sparrows found that the birds can adjust their behavior according changes in the barometric pressure. 
• One reason House Sparrows are so successful is that their immune systems adjust to the pathogens present in the areas they invade.
• Several conservation groups are calling on the Interior Department to protect Northern Spotted Owl habitat in its rules for post-fire salvage logging.

Science and nature blogging

• Nemesis Bird: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Lark Sparrow!
• Philly Bird Nerd: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - in Philly
• Extinction Countdown: Sunday Species Snapshot: Jackass Penguin
• Charismatic Minifauna: Hummingbird Banding is Like Holding Magic
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Solar-Powered Slugs Are Not Solar-Powered 
• Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds: How To Bird The Bay Area (Winter Edition): Part 1 
• Tails of Birding: Waterfowl Aggression 
• March of the Fossil Penguins: Crown Penguins: Younger than Ever 
• Bird Ecology Study Group: Pacific Golden Plover feeding

Environment and biodiversity

• The Open Space Institute works closely with the state of New York to preserve open space as it becomes available for purchase. In many cases, the conservation group has bought land before the state had funding for it and then resold the land to the state at or below cost. It has been especially active in expanding Minnewaska and Fahnestock state parks. It hopes eventually to create a band of preserved land connecting New Jersey with the Catskills.
• A seismologist in Oklahoma is proposing to test the link between earthquakes and fracking.
• Speaking of fracking, here is a top ten list of the politicians who get the most money from fracking interests. 
• Carbon dioxide emissions are likely to set a record high of 36 billion tonnes in 2013.
• The impacts of invasive plants tend to lessen over time, but this does not necessarily help native plants since the invasive plants are just as likely to be pushed out by other invasive plants.
• Three new species of wafer trapdoor spider (Fufius) were described from Brazil.
• Planting more native trees in Western Australia may help mitigate the effects of climate change and drought since the drop in rainfall may have been exacerbated by deforestation.
• Northern New Jersey is entering drought conditions, and it is not clear whether there will be enough rainfall this winter to alleviate it.
• Two men in Newfoundland rescued a shark that was choking on a piece of moose hide.
• South Plainfield wants to build a truck route through the Dismal Swamp.
• A farmers co-op in Iowa is leading the state in solar energy generation.

Loose Feathers #418

Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstones / Photo by Bill Buchanan (USFWS)

Birds and birding

• We need to find better ways to prevent midair collisions between birds and airplanes. So far, American agencies have mainly hazed and killed unwanted birds around airports. However, experimentation in other countries suggests that avian-detecting radar and methods to alert birds to an aircraft's presence may prove more effective.
• A plan to make power lines safer for endangered California Condors is running into opposition from residents for aesthetic reasons.
• Some bird species in the northern hemisphere have begun to shift their migration schedules earlier in the spring in response to climate change. According to a new study of Icelandic Black-winged Godwits, this is because chicks that hatch earlier survive better than ones that hatch later. Individual birds have not changed their migration times.
• A new study argues that penguin evolution was spurred by a cooling period in Antarctica 20 million years ago.
• Oregon planned to sell a tract of Elliott State Forest for logging, but after the discovery of threatened Marbled Murrelets breeding there, the appraised value dropped from $22.1 million to $3.6 million.
• A banding study in the Amazon rainforest found that birds will return to deforested areas as the forest regenerates, but it can take a decade or two to happen.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service is taking a harder line with the proposed Palen Solar Electric Generating System in the light of numerous wildlife deaths associated with the similar Ivanpah solar installation.

Nature and science blogging

• The Digiscoper: On Reporting Owls
• 10,000 Birds: A Patch for Every Birder, and for Every Birder a Patch
• Bird Ecology Study Group: More Observations On Red Junglefowl Behaviour (Continued) 
• Extinction Countdown: How the Western Black Rhino Went Extinct
• Bug Eric: Redwinged Grasshopper

Environment and biodiversity

• A study estimated that 600,000 bats were killed at wind turbines last year. The precise number is hard to determine; it could be as high as 900,000. Deaths occur mainly when bats are hit by moving blades, but in some cases sudden changes in air pressure might be fatal. Several solutions are currently being tested.
• In other bat news, a church in Hunterdon County wants to keep its steeple as welcoming to bats as possible as it repairs hurricane damage. 
• A new interactive map from the University of Maryland shows how forests have changed worldwide from 2000-2012. Among other things, it makes clear the scale of forest loss in Indonesia.
• The Senate defense bill has language exempting the Navy from laws protecting the southern sea otters of California.
• Morbillivirus is spreading south with migrating dolphins along the Atlantic coast, and it may be infected whales as well.
• The US government crushed six tons of ivory to demonstrate its seriousness about ending the illegal ivory trade (and the consequent slaughter of elephants).
• Since the return of wolves to Yellowstone, grizzly bears there have had more berries to eat.
• A recent study of modern and fossil DNA suggests that dogs were first domesticated in Europe. However, other recent studies have pointed to origins in China or the Middle East, so there is not yet a consensus.
• A 90-car train carrying 2.7 million gallons of crude oil derailed and caught fire in Alabama. The damage to surrounding wetlands is so far unclear.
• A clam that was thought to be 405 years old turned out to be 507 years old.
• In local news, a rabid fox was found in the vicinity of College Farm Road in New Brunswick. This is the 14th rabies case in Middlesex County this year. Also, a pumpkin-launching catapult was found in the beach in Laurence Harbor, an occasional birding site.

Loose Feathers #417

Red-bellied Woodpecker / Photo by Frank Miles / USFWS

Birds and birding

• The Tasmanian subspecies of the Wedge-tailed Eagle probably flew to the island recently rather than speciating as a result of Tasmania being cut off from the mainland. 
• While most seabirds can avoid hitting offshore by flying around them or underneath the blades, some high-flying species such as gulls are at greater risk. Potential solutions include mounting the blades on taller towers or installing larger but fewer turbines.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed removing the Inyo California Towhee from the Endangered Species List. This is a range-restricted species, but it has seen a strong population recovery.
• A study using computer models suggests that homing pigeons are able to find their roosts using clues available in the atmosphere.
• The British Trust for Ornithology is working to use its existing network of refuges to assist birds threatened by climate change.
• A Finnish kayaker rescued a Northern Hawk-Owl that was swimming and exhausted in Lake Tuusula. (There are a lot of errors in that article, but it is one of the few in English.)
• Many hawk species migrate through New York City.
• A column from 100 years ago encourages bird lovers to use binoculars rather than guns to identify birds.

Science and nature blogging

• ABA Blog: Avian Changes in the West 
• 10,000 Birds: Sage Grouse — The Other Kind of Listing 
• Birding Is Fun!: The Ovenbird's unusual enemy 
• Outside My Window: Crows Adapt 
• The City Birder: Blue Grosbeak versus Indigo Bunting
• Birding Dude: Banded Red Knots on Long Island NY 
• Laelaps: Jurassic Froghopper Sex Set in Stone 
• Extinction Countdown: How Much Did the U.S. Spend on the Endangered Species Act in 2012?

Environment and biodiversity

• California's Catalina island fox is recovering from its brush with extinction.
• Climate change effects in the developing world are not just economic; there is also social and cultural disruption.
• In China, there is a movement to give up shark fin soup, and so far it has been fairly successful.
• Whales are dying from ingesting plastic trash in the ocean. 
• A new beetle species has been described from the Solomon Islands.
• The New York Times wins the bad headline pun of the week award with "This Little LED of Mine," an article on the growing use of LEDs for energy-efficient lighting.
• A lot of pundits and journalists seem to have the mistaken impression that Chris Christie is moderate on environmental issues.
• The EPA is going to clean up a Superfund site in South Plainfield, New Jersey.

Loose Feathers #416

Immature Bald Eagle / Photo Credit: Neil Mishler/USFWS

Birds and birding

• The Crow Honeyeater, a bird that had not been seen in several decades, was rediscovered in New Caledonia, along with up to 16 new species.
• Many charismatic animals have repugnant behaviors. The article includes a discussion of the Adélie Penguin, about which a shocked scientist in the Scott Antarctic Expedition wrote: "There seems to be no crime too low for these penguins."
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service will list the Greater Sage Grouse population in the Mono Lake region as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
• Feeding behavior among Semipalmated Sandpipers is affected by a bird's position in the group. Birds on the outside of the flock take short nibbles while birds on the inside feed more intently.
• Two fossilized footprints in Australia are probably from a bird that lived during the Cretaceous.
• A column in The Guardian discusses raven mythology, including the recent deaths of two of the Tower Ravens.
• The American Bird Conservancy's bird of the week is the Black Vulture.

Science and nature blogging

• The Birdist: Scary Birding Stories!
• The Corvid Blog: Crows and Shiny Objects 
• Outside My Window: More Males Than Females
• The Meadowlands Nature Blog: NFL Week 8: Falcon vs. Ravens
• Charismatic Minifauna: Why "Kill It With Fire" Is a Terrible, Terrible Idea
• Compound Eye: 13 Horrifying Ways to Die (If You’re an Arthropod)
• Not Exactly Rocket Science: Here’s What Happens When A Tick Bites You
• 10,000 Birds: The Fourth Record 
• Anything Larus: Lake Michigan Pelagic: California & Thayer's Gulls
• Bird Ecology Study Group: Sex and the Birds: 3. Fidelity and Promiscuity
• The City Birder: Blue Grosbeak versus Indigo Bunting

Environment and biodiversity

• An oarfish that washed ashore in California has yielded information about what sort of parasites live in their guts. Some were adult forms of parasites that spend their larval stage in crustaceans, which suggests that oarfish feed on crustaceans. There were also larval forms of parasites that reach their adult form in sharks, so sharks may feed on oarfish.
• A wildlife survey found 128 spider species and many other animals on the grounds of London's Heathrow Airport.
• Also in urban biodiversity news, a new beetle species was discovered in Manilla.
• "Spider bites" are usually something quite different, like a bite by another arthropod (like a mosquito) or an infection (like staph).
• Climate change will make New Jersey increasingly vulnerable to coastal flooding, which raises questions about whether some areas should be rebuilt. 
• While much of the shore is getting rebuilt, Cumberland County has received much less attention and rebuilding money after Hurricane Sandy. Cumberland County’s Downe Township faces a higher risk of future flooding than any other township in New Jersey.
• The American Mink is quite common in New Jersey, even though people rarely encounter it.
• Here are ten animals "that don't need Halloween costumes."