Blog Note

Two days ago I was asked to join the staff for BirdsEye. I was happy to accept because I think it represents one of the best attempts to combine current internet technologies with birding. Plus it integrates with eBird, which I have been using heavily for several years now. I will be with them on a temporary basis to help with customer support.

I had no idea that I would be joining BirdsEye at the time I wrote my post on the application.

Some Good News for Migratory Raptors

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2062, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act, by a voice vote. (Search thomas.loc.gov for the bill number if the link does not work.) The bill increases penalties for killing birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Particularly egregious killings would be treated as felonies with a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years.

A version of this bill has first introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) two years ago in response to high-profile arrests of several roller pigeon racers. Roller pigeons have an unusual trait that leads them to tumble in midair; this in turn attracts the attention of raptors who see them as an easy meal. These particular individuals were caught because they admitted systematically killing raptors to undercover agents. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimates that roller pigeon clubs were responsible for the deaths of up to 3,000 raptors annually on the West Coast.

The bill still needs to pass the Senate, but since the terms do not seem particularly controversial, it ought to pass.

Loose Feathers #216

Razorbill / Photo by Richard Toller

Bird and birding news

• Some female birds evolve showy plumage similar to males if they belong to especially social species and compete for mates. 
• Satellite transmitters have provided some information about the difficulties of migration. Raptors crossing the Sahara sometimes stop, change course, or turn around and head back.
  
• Crows seem to prefer roosting near humans in urban areas during the winter months.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to begin an experiment in removing Barred Owls from Northern Spotted Owl habitat to reduce competition for the endangered owl species. Barred Owls may be either shot or trapped and relocated. If it is successful in the trial areas, the program may be expanded throughout the Northern Spotted Owl's range.
  
• Meanwhile, wildlife officials in Connecticut are trying to determine who fatally wounded a Barred Owl in an illegal trap.
• According to DNA analysis, South American neotropical birds only moved north into North America after the establishment of a land bridge between the two continents. The exchange occurred about 3-4 million years ago.
• During the Cold War, restrictions on travel kept many exotic birds out of Eastern Europe, even as they were being imported into the West.
  
• A lawsuit blocked a Trap-Neuter-Release program for feral cats in Los Angeles until the completion of an environmental review to determine its effects on birds and other wildlife.
  
• NJ Audubon published its most recent edition of New Jersey Birds (pdf) online. A few of my sightings from last winter are included.
  

Birds in the blogosphere

• Net Results: House Sparrow Madness
• Field of View: Whooping Crane shot, reward offered 
• 10,000 Birds: What Is a Bird's Crop? 
• IBRRC: Update on Algae-slimed Pacific NW Birds
• Sibley Guides: Kingbirds, nightjars, and the perception of bird sounds
• SC Trails's Blog: Making a (Bird) List, Checking it Twice
• BSI Blog: Carbon-specialist Birds in Florida
  

Environment and biodiversity

• The government of Manitoba announced that it would preserve 4000 square kilometers of boreal peatland as part of its climate change strategy. 
• Meanwhile, the oil sands operations along in the Athabasca River in Alberta release much more pollution from polycyclic aromatic compounds than reported into local watersheds.
  
• Google Earth is providing scientists with remote sensing tools to help monitor deforestation. Loss of natural habitats is a major driver of climate change and loss of biodiversity.
• Deforestation in tropical areas is especially problematic because fragmentation decreases the ability of natural habitats to soak up carbon dioxide.
• Some estimates for the cost of cutting greenhouse gas emissions run into the trillions, but some reduction methods like energy efficiency should save money. When reading such estimates, keep in mind also that the cap-and-trade program for controlling pollution turned out to be cheaper than advertised.
  
• BirdLife argues for preserving ecosystems as an important part of climate change adaptation. This has benefits both for wildlife and for humans.
• The UK's Met Office is predicting that 2010 will be the hottest year on record, partly due to El Nino and partly to climate change.
  
• An interview explores the psychology of climate denial.
  

Carnivals and newsletters

• Carnival of the Blue #31 
• Scientia Pro Publica #17

Also, there is a new blog carnival devoted to reptiles and amphibians, the House of Herps. Submit links by December 15 for inclusion in the first edition.

New Trouble for Asian Vultures

During the past decade, several Asian vulture species lost most of their populations due to the harmful effects of diclofenac, a veterinary drug. Some species declined by as much as 90%. That drug has since been removed from the market. Unfortunately, one replacement, ketoprofen, is not an improvement since it causes birds to die of kidney failure.

The research, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, shows that ketoprofen is lethal to the birds in the dosages that would be administered to livestock to reduce pain and swelling of those animals suffering from rheumatism or arthritis. Worryingly, researchers have already recorded the drug in one in 200 carcasses in southern Asia, with 70% of those occurring in potentially lethal concentrations.

The authors add that ketoprofen could already be contributing to further declines of the remaining vulture populations caused by diclofenac, and this is a trend likely to increase if ketoprofen replaces diclofenac. In addition to ketoprofen and diclofenac, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs sold by veterinary pharmacies for treating livestock include meloxicam, phenylbutazone, analgin, nimesulide, flunixin and ibuprofen. Just three of these have been tested to determine their effects on vultures. Diclofenac and ketoprofen cause lethal kidney failure and only meloxicam is known to be safe.

Meloxicam is known to be safe for vultures and is not covered by a patent, so it ought to be the top choice as an alternative to diclofenac. As one of the biologists said, it would be helpful to have more medication options available, but they really need to be tested in advance. With several species in such a precarious state, there is little room for error.

Wordy Wedesnday: Woolly Bear?

During the Thanksgiving weekend, I found this furry thing on the bark of a Shagbark Hickory. At the time it struck me as possibly being a caterpillar of some sort. However, it did not move at all, even when I touched it gently and did not seem to have visible legs. After I posted it on my Flickr account, one of my contacts there suggested that it might be a hibernating Woolly Bear, a.k.a. Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). This makes sense to me as I have seen Woolly Bears remain active pretty late into the fall, and this photo is similar to one example at BugGuide. Such an exposed position does not seem like the best place to be hibernating, though.

Any other thoughts on this creature's identity?