Colorful Evolution.
Bird News Items
1. Let’s begin by pondering if our first Item is a sign of the Apocalypse - or just fun?: Cadillac's latest vision for the future is a gorgeous, buttercream-colored convertible that taps into one of the hottest hobbies on the planet: bird-watching. While only a design exercise at this point, Cadillac's Sollei concept reimagines the bespoke American luxury drop-top, with a personalized driving experience connecting drivers with the natural world around them. Besides the crystal beverage glasses and "leather" made from mycelium, the Sollei concept features a unique interior accessory geared specifically for bird-watchers. A custom brushed metal and leather-wrapped case houses 3D-printed bird calls, a leather-bound journal with hand-painted bird illustrations, and a matching holder for writing utensils so bird enthusiasts can record their sightings. (via Axios)
2. “Vultures are considered nature’s sanitation service” - read how the precipitous decline in Indian vultures led to 500,000 human deaths: Once upon a time, the vulture was an abundant and ubiquitous bird in India. The scavenging birds hovered over sprawling landfills, looking for cattle carcasses. Sometimes they would alarm pilots by getting sucked into jet engines during airport take-offs. But more than two decades ago, India’s vultures began dying because of a drug used to treat sick cows. By the mid-1990s, the 50 million-strong vulture population had plummeted to near zero because of diclofenac, a cheap non-steroidal painkiller for cattle that is fatal to vultures. Birds that fed on carcasses of livestock treated with the drug suffered from kidney failure and died. Since the 2006 ban on veterinary use of diclofenac, the decline has slowed in some areas, but at least three species have suffered long-term losses of 91-98%, according to the latest State of India's Birds report. (via BBC)
By Hap Ellis, Common Tern - Cape Porpoise Harbor, ME.
3. "Basically, we did a lot of math." What question were they trying to answer? Read on about this interesting study: The color palette of the birds you see out your window depends on where you live. If you're far from the Equator, most birds tend to have drab colors, but the closer you are to the tropics, you'll probably see more and more colorful feathers. Scientists have long been puzzled about why there are more brilliantly-colored birds in the tropics than in other places, and they've also wondered how those brightly-colored birds got there in the first place: that is, if those colorful feathers evolved in the tropics, or if tropical birds have colorful ancestors that came to the region from somewhere else. In a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, scientists built a database of 9,409 birds to explore the spread of color across the globe. (via Phys Org)
Also this from Popular Science on the same study: Parrots, toucans, and other brightly colored tropical birds are typically found exactly there–the tropics. Those that live further north and south tend to have more bland feathers. The origin of these differences in plumage has puzzled scientists for centuries: did colorful feathers evolve in the tropics or do tropical birds have colorful ancestors that flocked to the region from somewhere else? (via Popular Science)
4. No sigh of relief in Chicago - Bally’s new Casino “could rival the carnage of McCormack Place”: Advocates for bird-friendly building construction in Chicago are cautiously optimistic new mitigations at McCormick Place Lakeside Center — including the installation of patterned window film — will prevent the sort of mass casualty event that happened last fall, with 1,000 birds killed in a single day after crashing into the convention center. But there’s been no huge sigh of relief or celebration among members of Bird Friendly Chicago, a coalition that includes Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago Bird Alliance and Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. Because there’s always another dangerous building around the corner. The latest cause for concern is the recently released “refreshed site plan” for the Bally’s Chicago casino development at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. The 30-acre property was formerly home to the Chicago Tribune’s printing plant. (via WTTW News)
5. Back to the future for the last populations of New Zealand's most threatened flightless birds: Researchers have found New Zealand's endangered flightless birds are seeking refuge in the locations where six species of moa last lived before going extinct. An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Adelaide, used fossils and computer modeling to make the discovery, shedding light on a mystery with important conservation benefits. "Our research overcame past logistical challenges to trace the population dynamics of six species of moa at resolutions not considered possible before," said senior author Associate Professor Damien Fordham, from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute. (via Phys Org)
By Hap Ellis, Semipalmated Sandpipers - Cape Porpoise Harbor, ME.
6. This small study may be more than you need - or want - to know: It’s pretty difficult to know what was on the menu for Neanderthals, particularly since smaller items like birds don’t usually leave many archaeological traces behind. While we know that some cooked crab and other seafood and that they hunted for larger game, understanding more about their diets is critical to understanding how these incredibly adaptive hominins thrived in very different environments. To do this, a team of scientists tried cooking modern birds using the methods and tools that would have been available to Neanderthals. The process is detailed in a small study published July 24 in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. (via Popular Science)
7. Good news from Florida - The tide has (hopefully) turned for the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow: Scientists in Florida are hailing the landmark release this week of a tiny bird only 5in tall as an oversized success in their fight to save a critically endangered species. Numbers of the Florida grasshopper sparrow, seen only in prairies in central regions of the state, dwindled so severely by 2015, mostly through habitat loss, that authorities took the decision to remove remaining breeding pairs into captivity. Their wager was that a controlled repopulation program would be more successful than leaving the birds to their own devices. On Tuesday, their gamble was rewarded. Partners joined the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to release into the wild the 1,000th bird bred under controlled conditions, adding to an increasingly stable population that researchers believe has turned the tide towards the species’ survival. (via The Guardian)
8. Bird Flu latest - “we could be entering some kind of bird flu doom loop”: For more than two years, the US poultry industry has been battling a highly virulent strain of avian influenza, or bird flu. The virus has driven up egg and turkey prices and crossed over from infecting just birds to numerous mammalian species, including sea lions, mice, cats, dairy cows, and, increasingly, humans. And it shows no signs of stopping — only reaching new milestones. The first milestone reached this month concerns the birds themselves. (via Vox)
9. Then there is this from The Atlantic on H5N1: Of all the news about bird flu, this month has brought some of the most concerning yet. Six people working on a chicken farm in Colorado have tested positive for the virus—the biggest human outbreak detected in the U.S. The country’s tally is now up to 11 since 2022, but that’s almost certainly a significant undercount considering the lack of routine testing. H5N1 has been around for longer than 25 years, but only recently has it regularly jumped to mammals, infecting cats, sea lions, and bears. In March, it was detected for the first time in American cattle and, since then, has already spread to 163 herds in 13 states. (via The Atlantic)
By Hap Ellis, Atlantic Puffins (on a foggy morning) - Eastern Egg Island, Gulf of Maine.
10. Grim - Birds “shot just for fun” in a troubled part of the world: Shell casings litter a meadow on Mount Terbol in northern Lebanon. The valley below falls along one of the world’s busiest routes for migratory birds. The mountain peak, buffeted by harsh winds, creates a natural corridor that encourages birds fatigued from long journeys between Africa and Eurasia to fly at low altitudes. Those low-flying birds are easy targets for poachers who live in the mountain communities, says Michel Sawan, director of the Lebanese Association of Migratory Birds (Lamb). “They say: ‘We inherited this culture from our grandfathers,’ and I keep saying: ‘Your grandfathers are and were wrong.’” Every year, 2.6 million birds are illegally killed as they fly over Lebanese territory, according to BirdLife International. They are shot as they migrate seasonally between Eurasia and Africa, a journey undertaken by about 2 billion birds. (via The Guardian)
11. Roll Tide! Travel tip for Alabama birding: I was looking for an ideal beach vacation for my family as I researched Alabama’s beaches, and in my quest, I found a hidden treasure. I found a destination with a population of birds that would excite any bird lover. As an avid birder, I had been looking for the perfect destination to add new specimens to my bird life list. Alabama has more than 430 bird species, and the state has many committed bird trails that can keep a birding enthusiast busy for days. Alabama’s Coastal Birding Trail has become one of my personal favorites, and each season brings its own set of feathered friends. I found myself nestled into Gulf State Park at Eagle Cottages for my week-long outdoor adventure; it was like being tucked into paradise. Beside our cottage was a large osprey nest where the pair was waiting on hatchlings. Each morning I took my cup of coffee out to the screened-in porch to watch the sunrise and the osprey fish for breakfast. (via Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism)
By Hap Ellis, Rare Bird Alert! (Tropical Kingbird) - Dayton, ME.
12. Finally, a podcast for your listening pleasure - Amy Tan on the wonder of backyard birds: Author Amy Tan is a passionate birder and nature artist. Her new book describes the transformative experience of birding in her own backyard. Tan is a New York Times bestselling author of many books, including "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Valley of Amazement." Her new book is "The Backyard Bird Chronicles.” (via WBUR)
Bird Videos of the Week
Video by The Today Show, “How the Endangered Species Act saved America’s most iconic bird”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Hellgate Osprey Nest.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Clay-colored Thrush.