1. Birds are dinosaurs, the only lineage to survive to the present day. They arose in the Jurassic period, between 200 million and 150 million years ago, from the theropods, a group of two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs whose members include both the behemoth Tyrannosaurus rex and the daintier Velociraptor. In a study of hundreds of bird and dinosaur skulls, Ryan Felice of University College London, Anjali Goswami of the Natural History Museum in London and their colleagues found that in the aftermath of the mass-extinction event, the pace of birds’ evolution actually slowed way down compared with that of their dinosaur predecessors, rather than accelerating as expected. (via Scientific American)
2. On October 28, Manomet will be hosting a virtual bird banding demo of the fall season on October 28. Evan Dalton, Lead Instructor of Landbird Conservation, will walk through the process of banding landbirds and the basics of bird migration using examples from Manomet’s 50+ years of bird banding data in this lecture-style webinar. You’ll see live birds in the hand as Evan explains the process of banding, from catching birds to taking measurements to determining birds’ age and sex. The information collected from banding birds contributes to understanding bird biology and making informed conservation decisions to reverse declining population trends. (via Manomet)
By Hap Ellis, Great Shearwater.
3. China’s growing army of amateur birdwatchers is a dedicated bunch—and that dedication could eventually pay off in better protection for their feathered friends. A new study uses more than 2 decades of bird sightings by China’s citizen scientists to map the ranges of nearly 1400 species, from the endangered red-crowned crane to the pied falconet. Spinning those maps forward to 2070, researchers have determined what their future ranges might be—and pinpointed 14 priority areas for new nature preserves. (via Science Mag)
4. Climate change pushes species distribution areas northward. However, the expansion of species ranges is not self-evident due to e.g. habitat degradation and unsustainable harvesting caused by human activities. A new study led from the University of Turku, Finland, suggests that protected areas can facilitate wintering waterbird adaptation to climate warming by advancing their range shifts towards north. (via Science Daily)
5. The yellow Townsend Warbler lay lifeless on the gravel ground near Grant county, New Mexico, the eyes in its yellow-striped head closed, its black feathery underbelly exposed. The warbler is one of hundreds of thousands of birds that have recently turned up disoriented or dead across the region, where ornithologists have described birds “falling from the sky”. The mass die-off has been tentatively attributed to the historic wildfires across California, Oregon and Washington in recent months, which may have forced birds to rush their migration. But scientists do not know for sure – in part because nobody knows precisely how wildfire smoke affects birds. (via The Guardian)
6. No surprise here: An investigation by the Department of Microbiology and Ecology of the University of Valencia published in the Ibis magazine warns about the impact of human activities — mainly dog walking — on one of the threatened bird species that reproduce in these ecosystems, the Kentish plover. The study calls for the adoption of measures that separate both uses and allow the coexistence between the recreational use of beaches and the conservation of birds. (via Phys Org)
7. Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions, findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft. "Birds routinely fly in high winds close to buildings and terrain, often in gusts as fast as their flight speed. So the ability to cope with strong and sudden changes in wind is essential for their survival and to be able to do things like land safely and capture prey. But until now, we didn't understand the mechanics behind it." said Dr. Shane Windsor from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. (via The Royal Society, Phys Org)
By Hap Ellis, Razorbill.
8. When Roark was 29, he fell during an ice-climbing lesson, suffered a spinal cord injury, and lost function of his legs. Birding helps the retired physician’s assistant keep active and outdoors, but it hasn’t been an easy hobby to pursue. He tried several groups in Denver, Colorado, but none could accommodate his needs. Many birders go off the beaten path, where Roark can’t go. “It was a very frustrating thing,” he says. Frustrated but not discouraged, he decided to tackle the problem head-on. Roark worked with Denver Audubon, an independent chapter of the National Audubon Society, to found Birding Without Barriers, a program designed to make birding more accessible to others in Denver who have mobility challenges. (via Audubon)
9. The National Weather Service Doppler radar on Camano Island, WA picked up a rather peculiar signal Saturday evening just as the sun had set: A blob of...something racing southeast from the Hood Canal area toward Olympia, WA. But it wasn't a weather event. The radar picked up an apparent bird migration! “Many other groups of birds (such as songbirds) prefer to travel at night," says Ornithologist Ed Dominguez. "These birds travel by a combination of navigating by the stars and the Earth's magnetic field. There are fewer dangers by traveling after dark for these birds and were first discovered fairly recently by meteorologists observing radar 'cloud' echoes moving south after dark on clear nights." (via KOMO News)
10. Good news for this cool shorebird: The number of knot feeding and flying to create swirling dark clouds of birds on the Norfolk coast has reached record numbers. For the first time about 140,000 have been seen on the RSPB reserve at Snettisham. The previous site record was 120,000 in the winter of 1990-91, the organisation said. To see them is "just an extraordinary experience", said photographer Les Bunyan, who volunteers at the reserve on The Wash estuary. "It's not just what you're looking at, it's also the sound you have to appreciate. When you get tens of thousands of birds flying around you - they make a lot of noise." (via BBC)
11. Fall hawk-watchers take note: Dedicated volunteers who meet daily at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve have their own version of “stop and smell the roses”: Stop and count the hawks. With the support of the Lake County Forest Preserve District, Fort Sheridan is one of over 200 raptor monitoring forest preserve sites throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico affiliated with the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), according to conservationists. Founded in 1974, the association’s mission is to advance the scientific knowledge and promote conservation of raptor populations through study, education, enjoyment and appreciation of raptor migration. (via Chicago Tribune)
Bird Photo of the Week
By Hap Ellis, Great Shearwater.
Bird Video of the Week
By Bangor Daily News, “How close can this birder get to his backyard feeder?”
Cornell Live Bird Cam, Snowy Ontario Feeder.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, Canada Jay.