Loose Feathers #643

Trumpeter Swans / Photo by Jacob W. Frank/NPS

Birds and birding news

• The change has been rumored for some time, but last week the Interior Department made it official that it would not enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in cases of accidental bird deaths, even in the case of major disasters like the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
• Hooded Warblers will desert their young if they molt their tail feathers while still brooding, and the other parent (usually the female) is left to care for young themselves.
• NJ Audubon's reintroduction program for Northern Bobwhite has been successful so far but needs to expand to other sites to establish a stable population in the state.
• Since Piping Plovers nested at Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania last summer, conservationists are looking to restore other sites around the Great Lakes as plover nesting habitat. 
• Understanding birds' natural behavior is necessary for reducing the number of collisions with aircraft, buildings, and wind turbines.
• Zimbabwe has one of the greatest concentrations of raptors in the world.

Science and nature blogging

• 10,000 Birds: Acorn Woodpeckers Drinking Sugar Water?
• Avian Hybrids: The hybrid genome of the Italian Sparrow: endless genetic variation?
• Birding New Jersey: Red Warblers and White-eared Titmice
• Avian Ecologist: My Top 10 Favorite Things About Being a Birder  
• Te Papa's Blog: The mystery of the giant hoho weevils of Rangatira Island
• The Meadowlands Nature Blog: Great and Snowy Egrets (and how to tell the difference)
• Edge Effects: Photographing Bears Ears National Monument in Southern Utah
• Union Bay Watch: New Neighbors
• Literary Hub: 10 Trailblazing Environmental Books for Earth Day 

Environment and biodiversity

• In response to public opposition, the Interior Department withdrew a proposal for steep fee increases at many national parks and instead will raise vehicle fees by $5 at parks that already charge an entrance fee.
• Urban entomologists study ecosystems that have been heavily modified by humans. 
• The Lesser Long-nosed Bat became the first bat species to be removed from the Endangered Species List after it was declared recovered. It is one of only three U.S. bat species that feeds on nectar.
• A new study estimates that 30% of the Great Barrier Reef perished in the 2016 heatwave.
• The European Court of Justice ruled that Poland violated EU law by logging in the Białowieża Forest. 
• A plan to pump water from aquifers in the Mojave Desert would seriously harm the desert's natural springs.
• New York City created a 25-year plan to protect the forests in its parks from climate change.