1. In the Indian northeastern state of Assam, a group of women known as the Hargila Army is spearheading a conservation effort to rescue the endangered greater adjutant stork. Assam is the last stronghold of this endangered species, harboring more than 80 percent of the greater adjutant’s global population. (The remaining population is split between Cambodia and the Indian state of Bihar.) The group’s efforts are also directed at rehabilitating society’s perception of the birds — to “bring the birds into the hearts, minds and cultures of the people,” Dr. Barman said. (via The New York Times)
2. And speaking of storks: Most of our stories about storks demonstrate their intelligence and heroism. It makes sense. They’re big, the Hercules of birds: of the nineteen species, the largest, the African marabou stork, can reach five feet tall, with a wingspan of up to ten feet. They look wise: the white stork has a flick of black eyeliner that gives it a look of knowing intellect. That flight – effortless, barely flapping – could be credited with bringing us human aviation, since the great 19th-century aeronaut Otto Lilienthal built his experimental gliders based on the movements of storks. He studied the way their wings moved, how easily they soared on thermals, how they took off into the wind, the way their wings tapered to a point and were exquisitely cambered in cross-section. (via London Review of Books)
3. The power of bird cams: In one giant nest are bald eagles named Guardian and Liberty, lovingly nurturing their three fluffy new chicks through their first days of life. In another, sit Shadow and Jackie, taking turns to carefully but forlornly incubate an egg they don’t yet realize is never going to hatch. The compelling stories and contrasting fortunes of the two pairs of breeding raptors, live streamed to the world on YouTube from California, have become essential viewing for hundreds of thousands during the coronavirus lockdown, and in many ways symbolic of the vagaries and sadnesses of the pandemic itself. (via The Guardian)
4. Farms are battlefields, pitting growers against rapacious pests and aggressive weeds in never-ending, costly campaigns that often involve chemical weapons. Those weapons, alas, also harm innocent bystanders such as bees, fish, and crustaceans. Now, a large study charts epic shifts that have occurred in recent decades as U.S. farmers have changed their arsenal of pesticides. Birds and mammals have fared much better, whereas pollinators and aquatic invertebrates are suffering. The toxic impact to land plants has also skyrocketed, likely because farmers are using increasing kinds of chemicals to fight weeds that have become resistant to common herbicides. (via Science Mag)
5. One of the best parts about watching birds is that you never know what you're going to see. This is especially true when baby birds are on the scene. Photographers who would capture images of these baby birds in action face many challenges. For most species, this stage of life is very brief. It’s a sensitive time, too, and observers and photographers alike must take extra precautions to avoid disturbing these vulnerable subjects. But with patience and skill, it’s possible to capture memorable moments, like these entries in last year’s Audubon Photography Awards. After you’ve finished admiring this crop of baby bird images, consider the possibility of entering your own photography for the 2021 Awards. This year’s contest closes on April 7. (via Audubon)
6. BNI believes this is easier said than done, but worth the effort: They travel in darkness, flapping toward the snowline as it retreats north. By dawn they settle into thickets to slurp earthworms from the softening ground. At dusk, they dance. We speak, of course, of that doe-eyed early migrant, forest-dwelling sandpiper, and welcome sign of spring known by many names: Timberdoodle. Bogsucker. Labrador Twister. American Woodcock. Whatever you call Scolopax minor, getting a good look at one can be tricky. But out in the country, where timberdoodles have plenty of places to hide, their furtive behavior and camouflaged plumage—with the colors of wet logs, leaf litter, and decaying ferns—makes them near-impossible to see. (via Audubon Magazine)
7. Remarkable: Ornithologists from the United States, Brazil and Finland have described two new species of the owl genus Megascops from the Amazon and Atlantic forests. In the study, the ornithologists found variations in the sounds they made, indicative of different species. They also examined the birds’ physical appearances and took tissue samples so they could study the owls’ DNA in the lab. The combination of genetic variation, physical differences, and unique vocalizations led the researchers to describe two new species: the Xingu screech owl (Megascops stangiae) and the Alagoas screech owl (Megascops alagoensis). (via Science News)
8. Seeing the power of eBird data in real time: One of your best birding friends right before, during, and after all migrations (ending June 1) will be www.birdcast.info. From there, valuable information will be gleaned in several areas with migration forecasts. If you have not perused this section from www.allaboutbirds, it is definitely in every birder’s best interests. The bird migration forecast maps are an excellent tool to use when migrants will be coming through any given area of the continental US. Predicted nocturnal migration is shown three hours after local sunset with updates every six hours courtesy of both the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University with the aid of sophisticated strategically placed equipment. (via Muskogee Phoenix)
9. Who do you call when pigeons are a problem? Peregrines!: Last year, a pair of peregrine falcons settled in a nesting box put up on the top of City Hall, encouraged by city officials who were frustrated with the excessive number of pigeons who congregate there. “We had a pigeon problem that was out of this world.” said Kevin Henry, the city’s director of building maintenance and operations, noting excessive amounts of bird feces and clogged drains. The nesting box that attracted the peregrines, a crow-sized raptor that feed mostly on birds, including pigeons, did the trick. Henry said recently that the pigeon numbers at City Hall, located on East Washington Street, have dropped radically. (via Syracuse News)
10. Another review of the great new book A World on the Wing: “Given the state of migratory birds around the world, I needed a little good news.” Coming near the end of A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds — Scott Weidensaul’s gripping journey alongside the world’s feathered wanderers and the people who study them — these words are necessarily grim. Any longtime birder offers the same lament: Migration just isn’t what it used to be. Weidensaul tasks himself with communicating to both the knowing birder and the layman the epic scale of what’s happening in our skies every year, the whys and hows, while offering rays of hope through the gloomy storm clouds. The success of A World on the Wing in navigating that challenge rivals the astonishing feats of the birds he chronicles. (via The New York Times)
Bird Photo of the Week
Photo By Hap Ellis, Nanday Parakeet.
Bird Videos of the Week
By TED Ed, “The spear-wielding stork who revolutionized science”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Red-tailed Hawk eggs.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Lance-tailed Manakins.