Bird Conservation News
New Gulf of Mexico Shark Study Makes Surprising Discovery [
Mon Jan 09 13:10:00 EST 2012 ]
Researchers at Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, who have been conducting a two year study focusing on the diets of Tiger Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, have made a surprising discovery: not only are the sharks feeding on fish and other marine organisms, they are also feeding on land-based birds, such as woodpeckers, tanagers, meadowlarks, catbirds, kingbirds, and swallows.
Bird Conservation Group Responds to Proposed Eagle Take Permit [
Fri Jan 06 16:48:00 EST 2012 ]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering an application from West Butte Wind Power LLC for a permit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The permit would allow for the incidental take of a limited number of Golden Eagles at their proposed facility in central Oregon. This application is the first of its kind for a wind project; historically, many industry developers have ignored permitting altogether and built wind farms at sites with little or no regard for the potential impacts on eagles, resulting in the deaths of possibly thousands of these birds in recent decades.
Bald Eagles Dying Of Lead Poisoning
(Minnesota, United States) [
Tue Jan 03 01:00:00 EST 2012 ]
Published by CBS Minnesota - minnesota.cbslocal.com on 1/3/2012 - On a frozen Washington County field partially covered in snow, bald eagle number 11-694 was found motionless and barely breathing.The landowner placed it in a box and brought it to Carlos Avery Wildlife Area where the mature eagle was quickly taken to the Gabbert Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota."This was an acute lead poisoning. This bird didn't live more than a few days after it ingested this poison," said Dr. Pat Redig, co-founder of the Raptor Center....In fact, of the 29 bald eagles admitted last year, only one survived the lead poisoning to be released back into the wild.
Lead poisoning threatens eagles
(Nova Scotia, Canada) [
Tue Jan 03 01:00:00 EST 2012 ]
Published by Chronicle Herald News - thechronicleherald.ca on 1/3/2012 - Birds getting sick, dying after eating bullet fragments in animals, vet says....Van Doninck, a veterinarian who operates the Cobequid Rehabilitation Centre, a charitable organization that provides care to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife, said she sees cases of lead poisoning in eagles and other birds every year. In December, she treated two eagles that eventually died.
BLM Proposes Wind Development Zones that Could Benefit Birds [
Thu Dec 29 13:50:00 EST 2011 ]
Today, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced plans to create a rule authorizing competitive leasing for wind and solar projects on the public land it administers. The announcement states that before competitive leasing for wind projects could occur, the agency would designate wind energy development zones.
Thurmond Lake toxin again threatens eagles: Experts try to halt outbreak at lake [Avian vacuolar myelinopathy]
(Georgia, United States) [
Wed Dec 28 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by Augusta Chronicle - chronicle.augusta.com on 12/28/2011 - A bird-killing neurotoxin linked to the aquatic weed hydrilla re-appeared this fall at Thurmond Lake, where at least one dead eagle has been recovered in Lincoln County."We have been doing some preliminary eagle and waterfowl survey work and have seen fairly high numbers of both," said Ken Boyd, a conservation biologist with the Army Corps of Engineers.... University of Georgia scientists studying the disease visited the lake recently to observe bird activity and test captured birds for AVM."We have recovered a number of sick coots during this period, and there are thousands in the area all feeding on hydrilla," Boyd said. "Unfortunately, with the low lake levels, more hydrilla is exposed and available."The first confirmed eagle death this season occurred the day before Thanksgiving. A Georgia Wildlife Resources Division official found the dead bird near Cherokee Boat Ramp.The possible remains of a second dead eagle, a pile of feathers, were found earlier this month at Bussey Point, where a number of dead or dying eagles have been recovered in past years.
Land Acquisition in Ecuador Will Help Conserve Rare Parakeet [
Tue Dec 20 13:40:00 EST 2011 ]
A critical, 318-acre parcel of land in southwestern Ecuador has been acquired as part of the Buenaventura Reserve, and will help protect the globally endangered El Oro Parakeet - a bird that appears to number fewer than 1,000 individuals in the wild.
1,500 Waterbirds Killed in Bizarre Incident in Utah [
Thu Dec 15 15:20:00 EST 2011 ]
Officials in Utah are estimating that about 1,500 Eared Grebes were killed late Monday night, possibly as a result of confusing a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City with a body of water and landing on the asphalt during a storm. An additional 3,500 apparently dazed and confused grebes were rounded up through the night by hand by volunteers and staff of the Utah Department of Wildlife, and eventually released into a nearby lake.
Mass bird deaths bookend 2011
(Utah, United States) [
Thu Dec 15 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by Mother Nature Network - www.mnn.com on 12/15/2011 - Nearly 12 months after a rash of bird bloodbaths made international news, another big avian 'Aflockalypse' has struck in southern Utah....The migratory birds crashed into a Walmart parking lot, football fields and various other snow-covered surfaces, which they apparently mistook for bodies of water, according to reports in the St. George Spectrum and the Associated Press. Volunteers have rescued at least 3,000 injured grebes between St. George and Cedar City, Utah, while officials say more than 1,500 may have been killed.The grebes were most likely migrating toward Mexico for the winter, Griffin says, when they saw what seemed to be unfrozen ponds and lakes where they could rest. Failing to realize the surfaces were actually solid ground, the birds then plummeted downward in a mass accidental suicide.Such bird die-offs aren't uncommon, as many experts explained earlier this year when thousands of red-winged blackbirds died in Arkansas, 500 more died in Louisiana, and up to 100 crows died in Sweden.
Mass bird deaths bookend 2011
(Utah, United States) [
Thu Dec 15 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by Mother Nature Network - www.mnn.com on 12/15/2011 - Nearly 12 months after a rash of bird bloodbaths made international news, another big avian 'Aflockalypse' has struck in southern Utah....The migratory birds crashed into a Walmart parking lot, football fields and various other snow-covered surfaces, which they apparently mistook for bodies of water, according to reports in the St. George Spectrum and the Associated Press. Volunteers have rescued at least 3,000 injured grebes between St. George and Cedar City, Utah, while officials say more than 1,500 may have been killed.The grebes were most likely migrating toward Mexico for the winter, Griffin says, when they saw what seemed to be unfrozen ponds and lakes where they could rest. Failing to realize the surfaces were actually solid ground, the birds then plummeted downward in a mass accidental suicide.Such bird die-offs aren't uncommon, as many experts explained earlier this year when thousands of red-winged blackbirds died in Arkansas, 500 more died in Louisiana, and up to 100 crows died in Sweden.
Bird Group Formally Petitions Feds to Regulate Wind Industry [
Wed Dec 14 09:00:00 EST 2011 ]
American Bird Conservancy today formally petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to protect millions of birds from the negative impacts of wind energy by developing regulations that will safeguard wildlife and reward responsible wind energy development.
Juvenile whooping crane dies Monday of unknown cause at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
(Texas, United States) [
Tue Dec 13 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by Caller - www.caller.com on 12/13/2011 - A juvenile whooping crane fitted with a radio transmitter died Monday of an unknown cause at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.It is the first mortality since a reported 23 endangered whooping cranes died or went missing during the previous drought of 2008-09, according to a refuge spokesperson.The dead bird was sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., where it will be examined for cause of death.Results of the necropsy are not expected soon.
First U.S. Predator-Proof Fence Delivers on Promises [
Fri Dec 09 09:50:00 EST 2011 ]
The first predator proof fence in the United States is producing dramatic results that may eventually lead to a resurgence in decimated seabird populations in Hawai'i. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, which nests in the remote coastal dunes on the now-fenced Ka'ena Point at the northwestern tip of O'ahu, has produced the highest number of chicks since the annual survey began in 1994.
Wildlife group offers $5K reward as dead pelicans continue washing up on NC beaches
(North Carolina, United States) [
Fri Dec 09 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by The Republic - www.therepublic.com on 12/9/2011 - A wildlife organization is offering a $5,000 reward for information about why a number of pelicans are dying on North Carolina's coast.The otherwise healthy birds are showing up on shores from Onslow Beach to Topsail Beach.... About 20 dead birds were found recently on North Topsail Beach, 10 of which were brown pelicans.
Bloomfield Highway Dotted With Dead Birds
(New Mexico, United States) [
Fri Dec 09 01:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Published by ABQ Journal - www.abqjournal.com on 12/9/2011 - ... At lunchtime on Thursday, 40 to 50 dead European starlings were scattered in a 50-foot circle across U.S. 64 in Bloomfield. Some were lying on their backs with their small feet sticking up in the air, and at least one of them was missing its head...The starlings likely roosted in shrubs north of the highway Wednesday night and died when they flew into the side of a large vehicle driving the highway late Wednesday or early Thursday morning, he said.?It certainly is unusual,? Kendall said. "Usually birds are smarter than that."...Kendall said it is unlikely the Bloomfield birds died from environmental causes because the animals were so close together when they died.
Optimism for New Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy [
Thu Dec 08 17:15:00 EST 2011 ]
Tomorrow's expected announcement by the Bureau of Land Management that it will team up with the U.S. Forest Service to develop a new range-wide conservation strategy for the Greater Sage-Grouse is being received with optimism by two leading conservation organizations as a key step in providing long-term protection for the iconic western bird, which has suffered extensive losses in recent decades.
Proposed Wind Farm in Key Marbled Murrelet Area Scrubbed [
Wed Dec 07 11:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Plans to build a 32-turbine wind farm near the coast of Washington in a key breeding area for a threatened seabird have been halted to the relief of conservationists.
Endangered Hawaiian Bird Making Comeback, Challenges Remain [
Wed Nov 30 10:30:00 EST 2011 ]
The endangered Nene, also known as Hawaiian Goose, whose wild population 60 years ago had shrunk to a meager 20-30 birds, has been making a remarkable comeback thanks to decades of captive breeding programs, predator control, and habitat management. The current population is estimated to be around 2,000.
Insects to be Released in Hawai'i to Control Invasive Plant [
Tue Nov 29 10:40:00 EST 2011 ]
The state of Hawai'i will soon begin implementing biological control to curb one of the archipelago's most environmentally damaging, invasive plants - strawberry guava. The decision follows publication of a Final Environmental Assessment that found no significant negative impacts would result from such measures.
Nevada Citizens Asked to Help Prevent Deaths of Thousands, Maybe Millions of Birds [
Tue Nov 22 10:15:00 EST 2011 ]
American Bird Conservancy is asking Nevada citizens to act on a state law that now gives them the ability to prevent thousands, possibly millions of bird deaths at mining claim sites. The law, passed in 2009, included a provision that became effective this month enabling anyone to pull up claim marker stakes that are improperly set and act as bird-killing traps.
New Study Says Threatened Florida Bird Continues to Decline [
Mon Nov 21 09:15:00 EST 2011 ]
An extensive new study by the Avian Ecology Program of the Archbold Biological Station on the health of the Florida Scrub-Jay, the only bird endemic to the state of Florida, has found that despite significant efforts to protect the species, populations have dropped significantly in the last 18 years. In managed study areas, populations have fallen by as much as 25%, but it is likely that the total species' population throughout the state may have dropped as much as 35 - 40 percent.
Reclusive Bird Now Appearing on Cue at Peruvian Reserve [
Fri Nov 18 09:56:00 EST 2011 ]
For the first time at any Peruvian reserve, visitors to the Owlet Lodge in the Abra Patricia-Alto Nieva Private Conservation Area are now seeing an Undulated Antpitta habituated to worm feeding. The ability to bring the bird into view in this fashion is particularly exciting to bird watchers since the Undulated Antpitta is normally very secretive and extremely difficult to see in the dense vegetation it usually inhabits.
Publication Shows Solutions to Halt Bird Building Collisions [
Tue Nov 15 10:00:00 EST 2011 ]
As part of a national-level program to reduce the massive and growing number of bird deaths resulting from building collisions in the United States, American Bird Conservancy today announced the availability of a new, national publication, American Bird Conservancy's Bird-Friendly Building Designs.
Nation's Mayors Asked to Stop Spread of Feral Cats [
Wed Nov 09 10:35:00 EST 2011 ]
American Bird Conservancy has called on the mayors of U.S. cities to stop the epidemic spread of feral cats that threaten national bird populations as well as scores of other wildlife. Letters were mailed to mayors of the fifty largest cities in the Unites States, urging they support responsible pet ownership and oppose Trap-Neuter-Release programs that promote the feeding of outdoor cats.
Buildings Using Bird-Friendly Design Now Eligible for LEED Credit [
Mon Oct 31 15:45:00 EDT 2011 ]
American Bird Conservancy, in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council, and Bird-safe Glass Foundation, have enabled architects, designers, developers, and building owners pursuing LEED green building certification to earn credit for incorporating design strategies that reduce bird collisions.
Massive Bird Kill at WV Wind Farm Highlights National Issue [
Fri Oct 28 15:25:00 EDT 2011 ]
With the deaths of nearly 500 birds at the Laurel Mountain wind facility earlier this month, three of the four wind farms operating in West Virginia have now experienced large bird fatality events, according to American Bird Conservancy, the nation's leading bird conservation organization.
Peruvian Postage Stamps Feature Endangered Birds [
Thu Oct 20 10:15:00 EDT 2011 ]
Thanks to the efforts of Asociacion Ecosistemas Andinos, American Bird Conservancy's partner in Peru, and the Natural History Museum of San Marcos, the Peruvian Postal Service has announced two new postage stamps featuring two of the world's most endangered birds.
San Francisco Mayor Approves New Standards for Bird-Safe Buildings [
Wed Oct 12 11:25:00 EDT 2011 ]
American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and Golden Gate Audubon hailed the signing into law of new Standards for Bird Safe Buildings by San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. The signing follows the unanimous approval of the bill by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last month.
Critical Habitat Revised for Marbled Murrelet in Northwest [
Fri Oct 07 10:05:00 EDT 2011 ]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a revision of Critical Habitat designations in southern Oregon and northern California for the Marbled Murrelet, a bird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The decision implements one of two proposals to remove Critical Habitat, and leaves out the other that had raised concerns with American Bird Conservancy and other bird conservation organizations.
FWS To Consider ESA Protection for Three Birds [
Thu Oct 06 10:35:00 EDT 2011 ]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will conduct an in-depth status review of three birds - MacGillivray's Seaside Sparrow, Florida Sandhill Crane, and Black Rail - as part of a larger review of 374 rare southeastern aquatic, riparian, and wetland animal and plant species to determine whether any or all of them warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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