Loose Feathers #777

Song Sparrow / my photo

Birds and birding news

• Beach-nesting birds in North Carolina had a successful breeding season.
• A new study found that pollution reduction mandated by the Clean Air Act saved 1.5 billion birds. Ozone pollution in particular harms small migratory birds.
• The phrase "lame duck" is used to refer to outgoing politicians but has an analogue in the summer flightless period of waterfowl.
• A fossil from Madagascar shows the face of a bird from the Cretaceous with a bill like a toucan.
• A new paper reports the genomes for 363 bird species.
• Herring Gulls have a varied appearance based on their age and season and may represent multiple species.
• Lesser Black-backed Gulls in urban areas remember when local schools have their lunch hour so that they can forage for leftovers.
  

Science and nature blogging

• Urban Hawks: A Wild Barred Owl Is Not A Celebrity
• Avian Hybrids: The genomics of local adaptation in Blue Tits
• Snapshots of Nature: Ash-Throated Flycatcher 
• SzimiStyle Birding: How do I eBird?
  

Biodiversity and conservation

• The Juan Fernandez Islands in Chile have a high number of endemic species, including 15 native birds, but their survival depends on removing invasive species.
  
• Footage from trail cameras shows wildlife using a wildlife overpass in Utah. Wildlife overpasses are intended to reduce the number of animals hit by cars and connect fragmented habitats.
• A new paper found that 14% of plant genera support 90% of moth and butterfly species. See this Twitter thread by the lead author.
• Mauritius is culling its endemic fruit bat because of political pressure from the fruit industry. While growers blame bats, studies show that most of the crop loss is due to invasive birds.
• Even small boats can harm North Atlantic Right Whales in collisions.
• A new report suggests ways to protect 102 vulnerable species in the Fraser River estuary in British Columbia.
  

Climate change and environmental politics

• The Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine, which was opposed by Indigenous groups and threatened vital salmon breeding grounds. The proposal had been dropped under the Obama administration but was revived by the Trump administration. 
• Drivers of small trucks have used devices to trick inspectors into finding lower pollution levels than the trucks actually produce.
• A Solway plant in West Deptford, New Jersey, leaked high levels of contaminants like PFAS.
• Off-road vehicles continue to destroy Pine Barrens wetlands because of the lack of a comprehensive management plan.