1. Let’s start with a wonderful NY Times article on the worrying decline of “national” birds in Latin America: An Indigenous man seated near an Andean condor at Puracé National Natural Park in Colombia. The condor is a sacred bird for many Indigenous communities and is Colombia’s national bird. The American tropics are uniquely blessed with birds. Thirty-six percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species live in the region south of the border between the United States and Mexico, more than in Asia or Africa. That diversity is reflected in the national birds chosen to represent the countries of Latin America, from the slight southern lapwing — Uruguay’s avian symbol — to the 30-pound Andean condor, the national bird of four countries. Some birds carry Indigenous cultural importance; others were once ubiquitous in, or are endemic to, their countries. But an increasingly common characteristic is a decline in their numbers, sometimes even in the nations they represent. (via The New York Times)
2. An evolutionary biologist on a birdwatching vacation in Columbia who comes upon a “bilateral gynandromorph” Green Honeycreeper: Colombia is a bird watcher’s paradise. So when Hamish Spencer, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, booked a bird-watching vacation in Colombia, he was hoping to spot some interesting and unusual creatures. He got more than he bargained for. During one outing, in early January 2023, the proprietor of a local farm drew his attention to a green honeycreeper, a small songbird that is common in forests ranging from southern Mexico to Brazil. But this particular green honeycreeper had highly unusual plumage. The bird appeared to be a bilateral gynandromorph: female on one side and male on the other. (via The New York Times)
3. Decoupling of bird migration from the changing phenology of spring green-up – a “sweeping” new study: For migrating birds, timing is key. Their journeys require massive amounts of energy, so they need plenty of fuel on their way, and after they get to their breeding grounds, they’ll have hungry chicks to feed, too. As temperature and precipitation patterns shift, and spring’s “green-up” arrives earlier and earlier, a major question for scientists has been: Can birds keep up by changing their migrations? According to a sweeping study published this week in the journal PNAS, a wide range of species may already be falling behind.
4. Audubon alert! Kenn Kaufman – famous for his cult-classic “Kingbird Highway” – has a new book due out in May called “The Birds That Audubon Missed – Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness”. And speaking of James J himself, here’s a tough paper on the bird that Audubon apparently invented to boost sales of his “The Birds of America” portfolio in Europe – ouch!: The Bird of Washington was a new species of eagle published in the opening plates of John James Audubon's influential work, The birds of America (1827–38). It was the first plate engraved by Robert Havell Jr. and the first new species Audubon described in his career. However, the Bird of Washington was published without specimen evidence and, to this day, no specimen with the anatomical characters in Audubon's descriptions and plate has ever been found. To shed light on the case, Kaufman conducted an exhaustive search for primary (non-print) sources in multiple archives in the USA and transcripts in the literature. (via BioOne)
5. On the lighter side, a most unlikely guest dropping in at the Bellagio in Las Vegas: A rare yellow-billed loon – a bird more common to the high Arctic tundra in the summer that strays south of Canadian border in only small numbers – has caused a fountain display in Las Vegas, Nevada, to be switched off. The yellow-billed loon, with a similarly haunting call to the smaller, more abundant common loon, was spotted in the fountains of the Bellagio hotel and casino, causing hotel management to call off the propulsive displays of water. The Las Vegas Review-Journal said the visitor was “Las Vegas’ hottest new celebrity”. Initially, the hotel’s operator, MGM Resorts, said the fountain display would continue because the loon appeared unfazed by water jets but later said the display had been suspended. (via The Guardian)
6. “Mija” and the Free Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project (not a rock band, a real project): During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda Ramirez was alarmed by the sudden squawks, warbles, and screeches of troops of parrots flying overhead at great speed in tight, precise formations. “I asked my mom what they were,” Ramirez recalled of that day 14 years ago. “She said, ‘Mija, they are just like the parrots from Mexico we’ve seen in zoos, except for one thing: They are free flying and breed in the trees along our city streets.” Now, at 27, she leads a team of investigators at the Free Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project based in Occidental College’s Moore Laboratory of Zoology, which aims to resolve a biological puzzle: How did red-crowned and lilac-crowned parrots establish local urban breeding populations via the pet trade from Mexico, where both species are on the brink of extinction? (via Los Angeles Times)
7. Grim report from Cyprus – hard to believe this is allowed to happen: More than 400,000 songbirds were trapped and killed in Cyprus last autumn as part of a recent increase in wildlife crime, according to a new report. Organised crime networks use decoys and speakers playing birdsong to lure these small birds – including garden favourites such as robins and sparrows – to land in bushes or orchards, where they catch them with “mist” nets or branches covered in glue. They are then sold via the hidden market to restaurants to be eaten as a local dish called “ambelopoulia”, which consists of pickled or boiled songbirds. The report, drawn up by BirdLife Cyprus with support from the RSPB and the Committee Against Birds Slaughter (Cabs), found that 435,000 birds were killed this way in autumn 2023 alone. While the number caught has been trending downwards over the past decade, last year marked an increase of 90,000 from 2022. (via The Guardian)
Note: Scott Weidensaul wrote an entire chapter in “A World On The Wing” about his visit to Cyprus to witness firsthand this illegal practice. The chapter and the book are a must!
8. Very cool news – Golden Eagles in …Maine: The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is studying golden eagles in Maine, and they are asking for help. The department launched a study of the eagles, which are endangered in Maine, in January. Officials say information has been reported about golden eagle observations at seven new locations, six of which are in towns where golden eagles have not been documented in the last 10 years. Golden eagles are a species of concern throughout their eastern range due to the small population, vulnerability to human-related threats, and considerable gaps in knowledge about habitat use and movement. (via WMTW News)
9. “Machine learning” Stork-style: White storks take increasingly quicker and more direct routes for their migrations as they get older, which suggests they learn by experience to perfect these paths. “We’ve been able to track these animals and gain detailed information on when and where they go,” says Ellen Aikens at the University of Wyoming. “But we wanted to learn more about how migration is refined and developed over the stork’s lifetime.” White storks (Ciconia ciconia) mostly breed in Europe, but fly to central or southern Africa for the winter. Between 2013 and 2020, Aikens and her colleagues captured 258 juvenile white storks at five breeding sites in Germany and Austria. They fitted them with tags that tracked their location before releasing them. In total, the team managed to record 301 migration events from 40 white storks, which had all completed at least two consecutive migrations. (via New Scientist)
10. The same can be said of captive-bred Egyptian Vultures: Researchers have discovered that captive-bred Egyptian Vultures are able to match the performance of wild birds by their second migration. A young bird's environment shapes its behavioral skills, as does the individual's experience built up over time. GPS transmitters were fitted to two groups of Egyptian Vultures, one of captive-bred birds and the other from the wild. In total, 65 individuals were tracked, giving information on 127 individual autumn migrations. The results showed that both groups honed their migration efficiency and flight skills with time, as they gained experience of their surroundings and their migration route. (via BirdGuides)
11. Why are birds so smart? Researchers At Ruhr University Bochum have an answer – and its complicated: Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explain how it is possible for the small brains of pigeons, parrots and corvids to perform equally well as those of mammals, despite their significant differences. Since the late 19th century, it has been a common belief among researchers that high intelligence requires the high computing capacity of large brains. They also discovered that the cerebral cortex as typical of mammals is necessary to analyze and link information in great detail. Avian brains, by contrast, are very small and lack any structure resembling a cortex. Nevertheless, scientists showed that parrots and corvids are capable of planning for the future, forging social strategies, recognizing themselves in mirrors and building tools. These and similar aptitudes put them on a par with chimpanzees. (via Phys Org)
12. Saving Lake Abert – worth a read: The water level in Oregon’s remote, salty Lake Abert fell to unusually low levels in July 2013. As it did, the salt concentrations became too high even for the few species adapted to its saline waters. Tiny brine shrimp and alkali flies died en masse. By September, so much water had been lost that the salts precipitated into a shimmering white crust of triangular crystals. Daily counts of shorebirds had reached 350,000 in July – a higher density than is found even at the Great Salt Lake – but after the lake dried out and remained empty the following summer, bird counts dropped by 90%. In 2014, 2015, 2021 and 2022, the lake remained largely dry, with bird numbers decimated. Last winter, an unusually wet season replenished some of the lake’s water but scientists warn that the overall trend is still one of decline and the factors that dried up the lake remain. (via The Guardian)
13. For Bird Cam fans, welcome and watch Athena, a Great Horned Owl, nesting at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center: A new feathered face has just popped up in front of the live cameras hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams project. Athena, a great horned owl, is poised to become the next international avian superstar. For a dozen years, she’s been nesting just feet away from streams of visitors at the 284-acre Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, part of the University of Texas. Now, she’s doing it before a global audience. “Our pan-tilt-zoom camera is tucked into the existing architecture, about 20 feet away from the nest site,” said Charles Eldermire, the Cornell Lab’s Bird Cams project leader. “In addition to the usual daytime views, the camera also has an infrared light that the birds can’t see but which makes it possible for us to see them at night, when a lot of the action takes place.” Some of that nighttime action will include bringing in prey. (via Cornell Chronicle)
14. Travel tip – Spring migration in British Columbia: This spring, grab your binoculars and join The BC Bird Trailin celebrating the start of another amazing birdwatching season. As millions of migratory birds return to British Columbia, bird enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels have the incredible opportunity to observe these remarkable creatures complete another annual migration. Whether you're a novice birder or a seasoned expert with years of experience, the best part of birding is that the qualifications are simply some curiosity and an appreciation of nature. As you hit the trail, you'll be sure to spot vibrant warblers, swift swallows, grosbeaks and more as they pass through the province. Let the songs of sparrows, trills of chickadees, and sightings of majestic raptors captivate you during this exceptional time of year. (via Forbes)
15. Let’s finish with a wonderful read from The New Yorker about trying to train crows to pick up trash for food, only to find “We were the crow vending machine”: At around 9 A.M. every weekday, a crow caws in the Jardin des Plantes, the oldest botanical garden in Paris. The sound is a warning to every other crow: Frédéric Jiguet, a tall ornithologist whose dark hair is graying around the ears, has shown up for work. As Jiguet walks to his office at the French National Museum of Natural History, which is on the garden’s grounds, dozens of the black vandals take to the trees and rain abuse on him, as though he were a condemned man. “I think I’m the best friend of French crows,” Jiguet told me. “But I am probably the man they hate most.” Crows are famous for holding grudges. Their beef with Jiguet started in 2015, when the Paris government hired him to study their movements around the city. Farmers blame crows for crop damage, and hunters shoot hundreds of thousands of the birds each year; in Paris, some district managers wanted permission to cull them for tearing into trash bags and digging up lawns. But Jiguet questioned the wisdom of killing so many crows. “It costs a lot to destroy pests,” he remembers thinking. “Can it really be efficient to destroy all these lives?” (via The New Yorker)
Bird Videos of the week
Inside Edition, “California ‘Love Bird Eagles’ are Couple Goals”.
Cornell Live Bird - Yellow Warblers
Cornell Live Bird - Blue and White Tree Swallows.
Snowy Owl - Twitter