1. Twenty years later - A “lost bird” found in the Itombwe Massif mountains: Rediscovering a lost species is exciting, and important for boosting conservation efforts. However, it is not for the faint of heart. An international team of scientists traversed 75 miles of steep mountain terrain to capture the first recorded photos of a bird once considered lost. The yellow-crested helmetshrike (Prionops alberti) was listed as a ‘lost bird’ by the American Bird Conservancy because it hadn’t been seen by scientists in almost 20 years. That did not deter a group of scientists from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). They embarked on a six-week expedition to the Itombwe Massif mountain range in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside a group of Congolese researchers from the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles. The team trekked by foot for over 75 miles to survey all of the birds, amphibians, and reptiles they found along the way. (via Popular Science)
2. A New York Times reporter imagines what Flaco – the escaped Eurasian eagle-owl – sees in its travels around the city: On a gray Wednesday afternoon in January, I took the E train to Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood to interview a parrot. I was working on what just might have been the most challenging assignment I have tackled in my four-plus years as a Metro reporter at The New York Times. The subject was Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, and his year on the loose in Manhattan. I chronicled Flaco’s early days of freedom in several articles and became invested in his fate. What started as a quirky crime story had turned into an unlikely tale of survival. I was rooting for the guy. Soon, though, I returned to my regular diet of breaking news about humans, my main responsibility on the Metro desk. But because Flaco had an avid fan base, I was able to track him on social media. That’s how I knew where to spot him last summer in one of his favorite trees. (via The New York Times)
3. Lovely pictures capture a “rainbow effect” in the wings of birds: An "extraordinary mistake" led to a wildlife photographer being able to capture rare pictures of British birds showing light refracting through their wings in a rainbow effect. Professional Andrew Fusek Peters said he had been left "gobsmacked" by the images. After first photographing a blue tit's display in his Shropshire garden he has spent the past few weeks making a collection of other visiting birds recorded mid-flight and surrounded by colour. "They're so beautiful," he said. He had been taking images of the birds in his garden for the past decade, he explained, with winter feeding the best time to capture them. (via BBC)
4. 9,000 miles from home - a kookaburra in Suffolk, UK! (We’re guessing escaped bird, but why ruin such a rare bird sighting): An iconic outback bird has caused quite a flap, after it was spotted in the UK - more than 9,000 miles from home. The kookaburra, a family of birds native to Australia and known for their cackling 'laugh', was filmed in Suffolk this week. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust is aware of the bird, but spokesman Jack Cripps told NationalWorld the kookaburra in question has actually called the area home for quite some time, been seen around the Sudbury area of Suffolk since 2015. It was first recorded in the Suffolk Naturalists' Society bird report that year, Mr Cripps continued. "It would be an escapee, however it's not known from where the bird escaped." (via National World)
5. A paean to a beautiful jay: North of The Forks, if I’m lucky, Canada jays seek my company. They’re little known, unusually friendly boreal forest birds with remarkable memories. I’m certain they recognize me as the chap who readily feeds them during my annual ice fishing adventures. Like black-capped chickadees, our official state bird, Canada jays live year-round in Maine’s western and northern forests. They’re intelligent, tough-minded, stay-at-home residents. Snowbirds may revel in Florida’s warmth, sunny skies, beaches, pickleball courts, and gin and tonics under swaying palms. But the jays, chickadees and I say, “Bah humbug. Give us snow, sleet, long nights, and frigid temperatures.” Enjoying close encounters with Canada jays in northern Somerset County is more exciting to me than visiting Florida or catching fish from a frozen lake. (via Maine Press Herald)
6. An evolutionary biologist sees Spring in starlings – it’s all in the beak: It’s that time of year. Pigeons are fluffed up on fire escapes, rats are snuggled in cars, a bald eagle named Rover is dead, the snow came and went — and only the sidewalk salt remains. But against this bleak backdrop — a medium-sized bird told me that spring is on the way. Starlings are an invasive bird species in the United States, first brought to Central Park and released in 1890, and again in 1891. As a result of these introductions, today there are approximately 93 million starlings in North America. The very first nesting pair of starlings in the U.S. is said to have lived in the eaves of the American Museum of Natural History. So, the invasion of the whole continent began on the Upper West Side. Today, starlings can still be seen all over the Upper West Side, from 110th to 59th, in the parks but also — in the streets. (via West Side Rag)
7. Oh Canada! Good news for birds: On February 1, 2024, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that Canada's federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Steven Guilbeault, had interpreted too narrowly the federal jurisdiction over protections for at-risk migratory birds under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Chief Justice Paul Crampton recognized the fundamental leadership role of Canada’s federal government regarding migratory bird conservation, concluding that the Minister should have asserted a federal jurisdiction beyond the mere identification and protection of individual nests, by focusing on measures required to address key drivers of bird population decline, including habitat loss and degradation. Although this legal dispute concerned the federal role in protections afforded to the Marbled Murrelet, a small, endangered seabird known to nest in the old-growth forests of British Columbia, the impact of this decision is much broader. (via Audubon)
8. Good question: We are passing through the time of the year when, in the last two years, the greater birding world was all aflutter because a Steller’s sea eagle was seen in Georgetown. Many people have been asking us this winter, and increasingly so as we pass through the anniversary of its sightings: Do we think it will come back, or where exactly it is now? If you’ve missed this epic story the last two winters, here is a quick synopsis: last winter the Steller’s sea eagle continued to surprise everyone by returning to the same area in Sagadahoc County where it had spent much of the previous winter, but was only definitely seen for a couple of weeks, between Feb. 4 and Feb.14. By spring it had returned to Newfoundland. However, Maine birders started getting excited this January when the Steller’s repositioned to western Newfoundland, in the Codroy Valley, where it was being seen at least through the end of January. So that is where it is now (unless it has come to Maine since writing this) but that gets us to everyone’s follow up question: “why isn’t it back this year?” (via Maine Press Herald)
9. Facing an uncertain future – Many of Australia’s native birds: Are some birds more likely to go extinct than others? What traits do they share that makes them more susceptible to extinction? Knowing the answers to these questions are important for helping conserve wild birds before they’re gone forever. Almost half of all bird species alive today are experiencing population declines, and one in eight species are threatened with extinction. A new study has found that, globally, the traits that make particular bird species most vulnerable to extinction include larger body size and lower fecundity, with some taxonomic groups being more threatened species than others, particularly albatross and parrots. (via Forbes)
10. But then there’s the invasive Common Myna becoming a bit too common Down Under: There is concern in Australia as the non-native Common Myna continues to spread, threatening native species of birds. A surge in reports of the species suggest it is expanding its range in the country. As a result, the Australian Invasive Species Council has raised alarm. Council conservation and biosecurity analyst Lyall Grieve said the species, which normally favors urban areas, was now being seen in rural parts of Australia. Common Myna was ranked one of the world's 100 worst invasive species by the World Conservation Union in 2000. When they establish in a new area they force native species out of their wood hollows and even kill chicks, leading to a decline in local bird numbers. (via BirdGuides)
11. Oops!: Hong Kong development authorities misidentified birds in its environmental impact assessment report for a proposed innovation and technology (I&T) hub near the city’s border with mainland China. The Environmental Protection Department confirmed on Friday the mistakes made by the Civil Engineering and Development Department in the report for the San Tin Technopole, a day after the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society stated the error on social media. “We have requested the [civil engineering department] to submit a report within a week to explain in detail the cause of the incident and follow-up work,” the Environmental Protection Department said. (via South China Morning Post)
12. For those of you who know “The Onion”, here’s their short spoof on a long-held belief in ornithological circles: In a shocking revelation that left the entire ornithological community reeling, Cornell University scientists reportedly discovered Tuesday that birds had lied about being related to dinosaurs. “For decades, birds literally looked us in the eye and claimed they descended from theropods—and it was all a stupid lie!” said Professor Tracy Rheiner, who slammed the entire Aves class for feeding scientists “total bullshit” for years that essentially rendered ornithologists’ collective work worthless. “I’ve been publishing papers using what they told me! Does that mean anything to them? This is my career we’re talking about. What the hell is the public going to say when they find out?” Rheiner went on to state that birds were probably lying about being related to Princess Diana, too. (via The Onion)
13. New book of note - Trish O’Kane’s “Birding to Change the World”: A “spark bird” is the species that inspires someone to start bird-watching. For Trish O’Kane, that bird was the northern cardinal. The backyard regular caught her eye while she was living with a friend in New Orleans, five months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region and her house in August 2005. Hearing cardinals’ chipping calls was an initial step toward over 1,960 hours of birding, 33 field notebooks filled with avian antics and a career change. In her memoir, Birding to Change the World, O’Kane charts her pivot from human rights journalist to environmentalist. She worked as a hate crime researcher, an investigative reporter and a writing instructor for incarcerated mothers before starting work as a journalism instructor at Loyola University New Orleans the week before Hurricane Katrina. (via Science News)
14. Finally, some fun images from around the world on the Great Backyard Bird Count: great backyard bird count 2024!
Bird Videos of the Week
By Badgerland Birding, “Birding in Oregon! Puffins, Warblers, Seabirds, and more!”
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Northern Cardinals.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Albatross Nest.