1. Let’s start with a look back at the Movement to make buildings safer for birds: As a bird enthusiast, I knew that the city’s position on the Atlantic Flyway makes it a risky place—that the built environment and a preponderance of glass create a dystopian house of mirrors for migrants drawn in and disoriented by electric lights. But I didn’t grasp the problem’s scale until, in 2020, I stumbled across a photo on social media of 26 birds that struck one building in a single morning. In an instant, the abstract idea of window collisions became concrete. I couldn’t remain a passive witness. That fall, I began volunteering to log collisions with New York City Audubon’s Project Safe Flight. Started in 1997, the community science initiative puts boots on the ground during migration season to record birds injured or killed by window strikes. As with similar efforts around the country, trained volunteers walk prescribed routes at deadly hotspots citywide to collect comprehensive data about the victims they encounter. NYC Audubon uses the information to support advocacy, legislation, and research. (via Audubon Magazine)
2. Oh boy - Controversy in “listing” land: In late 2023, 70-year-old birder Peter Kaestner was within striking distance of a goal that had never been accomplished: seeing more than 10,000 different species of birds in the wild. Such a record had previously been unthinkable, but with new technology facilitating rare bird sightings, improved DNA testing identifying a growing number of bird species, and public listing platforms making it easier to keep track of and share findings, more super-birders are inching towards the five digits. Just as Kaestner approached the finish line for his record 10,000 birds, though, a previously unknown competitor by the name Jason Mann flew in out of nowhere to snatch the record out from under him. The mystery birder seemed to have uploaded a backlog of thousands of species he had seen over several decades to now-defunct birding site Surfbirds.com, listing more than 9,000 birds over the course of a few months in a move that took Kaestner and others by surprise. (via The Guardian)
3. An interesting question posed by a NY Times reporter: I once dreamed a kiss that hadn’t yet happened. I dreamed the angle at which our heads tilted, the fit of my fingers behind her ear, the exact pressure exerted on the lips by this transfer of trust and tenderness. Freud, who catalyzed the study of dreams with his foundational 1899 treatise, would have discounted this as a mere chimera of the wishful unconscious. But what we have since discovered about the mind — particularly about the dream-rich sleep state of rapid-eye movement, or REM, unknown in Freud’s day — suggests another possibility for the adaptive function of these parallel lives in the night. One cold morning not long after the kiss dream, I watched a young night heron sleep on a naked branch over the pond in Brooklyn Bridge Park, head folded into chest, and found myself wondering whether birds dream. (via The New York Times)
4. CBS tells us The Masters (April 11-14) is “a tradition unlike any other”; well, check out this tradition dating back to the Qing Dynasty in China: Passersby in Beijing during winter or early spring might happen upon groups of residents playing fetch with birds. The players blow plastic beads into the air through carbon tubes for the birds — often from the migratory wutong species — to catch and return, in exchange for a treat. It’s a Beijing tradition dating back to the Qing Dynasty, which ruled between the 17th century and early 20th century. Today, only about 50 to 60 people in Beijing are believed to still practice it. Xie Yufeng, a 39-year-old cook, is one of them. Xie and his friends brought along their winged playmates — most of them wutong birds, with their distinctive yellow beaks and which fly southward from China’s northeast to Beijing every fall to escape the bitter winter. (via The Associated Press)
5. The looming solar eclipse sets up “a huge ‘experiment’ for us”: On April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will race across North America. At the same time, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners will be hurrying to measure the impact of daytime darkness on the movements of birds, bats and insects – flying creatures that are very attuned to changes in light levels. Spring migration is underway right now and with most birds flying at night, a solar eclipse could heavily impact them. “Light is such a fundamental and ubiquitous cue, governing so many aspects of life on Earth,” said Cecilia Nilsson, lead author of a previous Cornell Lab study when she was a Rose Postdoctoral Fellow. “But it’s pretty hard to manipulate light at large scales. Here we have this unique natural phenomenon setting up a huge ‘experiment’ for us.” (via Cornell Chronicle)
6. And then there’s this from the Washington Post on the eclipse: A total eclipse isn’t just a spectacle in the sky. When the moon consumes the sun on April 8, day will plunge into twilight, the temperature will drop — and nature will take notice. Reports abound of unusual animal and plant behavior during eclipses. A swarm of ants carrying food froze until the sun reemerged during an 1851 eclipse in Sweden. A pantry in Massachusetts was “greatly infested” with cockroaches just after totality in 1932. Sap flowed more slowly in a 75-year-old beech tree in Belgium in 1999. Orb-weaving spiders started tearing down their webs and North American side-blotched lizards closed their eyes during an eclipse in Mexico in 1991. That’s why teams across the country produced a swarm of studies about plant and animal behavior during the last total eclipse to cut across the United States in 2017. (via The Washington Post)
7. The power of AI in ornithological research: Each spring, scientists hide more than 1,600 lunchbox-size recorders across the lush forests of the Sierra Nevada range in the western U.S. Until they’re retrieved at summer’s end, these devices record a million hours of audio, which often contains the hoots, barks, and whistles of the California spotted owl—valuable information about where the endangered species spends its time. But it’s a lot of recordings for a human to sift through. "There's no way we can listen to that—not even close, right?" says Connor Wood, a research associate who co-leads the owl project at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. It turns out this team actually can process this deluge of data—they just need a little help from BirdNET, an AI-powered system launched in 2018 that can identify more than 6,000 species of birds across the globe just by their calls. (via National Geographic)
8. Match the hatch: Bugs are a blessing and a curse for birders. Being swarmed by a squadron of mosquitos while walking through a marsh might as well be a birding rite of passage. And what would a summer outing be without the after-trip ritual of canvassing your entire body for ticks? And yet, as birders we are keenly aware of the critical role insects play in the lives of avians. From the cornucopia of caterpillars that nourish young chicks in the spring to the droves of winged insects that supply valuable protein and energy for migrants, bugs are vital to birds and our ecosystems. And there’s no better place to start than with an insect hatch. Here’s a quick primer on five hatches popular with birds and how you can take advantage. (via Audubon)
9. “After You” and the “criteria of gestures”: When a mated pair of small birds called Japanese tits arrives at the nest, one of them might flutter its wings at the other. The second bird then typically enters the nest first. This motion might be a signal, meant to convey the message “after you” to the other bird, scientists reported Monday in the journal Current Biology. The research provides the first evidence of animals besides primates using gestures to communicate meaning. (via Smithsonian Magazine)
10. Earlier nesting? Cornell Lab’s NestWatch is looking for answers: Did spring arrive early this year? Some people think so. Apparently, some birds do, too. The NestWatch project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology documents when and where birds are nesting. The evidence from recent years shows that birds are nesting weeks earlier than they used to and this spring may be no exception. As climate change causes seasons to shift and the world to get hotter, becoming a NestWatcher is an even more important part of the overall effort to understand its impact on birds. Joining NestWatch is free, and it only takes about 15 minutes to learn how to participate, keeping the safety of the birds in mind. (via Phys Org)
11. Migratory bird tourism - It’s a big market!: The migratory birds tourism market is poised to reach a valuation of US$ 12 Billion in 2022. Sales are projected to increase at a 7% CAGR, with the market size reaching US$ 35 Billion by 2032. There has been a rise in the number of people interested in bird watching, while migratory birds are fascinated by most of the population. While governments and associations all over the world are taking great initiatives to tackle the restraints in the migration of birds and their survival. This has increased the amount of destinations in migratory birds’ flight routes. The tour providers are coming up with exciting packages to gain attention of more and more tourists. This has provided a rigid foundation for the extension of Migratory Birds Tourism Market and is anticipated to grow at an appreciable pace. (via Market Research Blog)
12. And speaking of bird tourism - “…the nation's biggest, longest and wildest…” (it can only be in Texas, right?): Registration remains open until April 1 for those wishing to join more than 1,000 birders who will flock to the coast, forests, prairies and mountains of Texas to compete in the nation's biggest, longest and wildest bird watching tournament. The 28th annual Great Texas Birding Classic runs from April 15-May 15. This statewide tournament invites participants to document the different species of birds migrating through Texas during the spring. "Since the Classic started a lot has changed," Shelly Plante, nature tourism manager for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said in a news release. "The competition has expanded statewide to record participation and is no longer just for experts since the new categories appeal to budding naturalists and avid birders alike." (via AOL)
13. Or this low-key pitch from the Derby Hill Bird Observatory in Mexico - Mexico, New York, that is: Each spring, 40,000 to 90,000 raptors, as well as hundreds of other migrating bird species, fly by the Derby Hill Bird Observatory. Located in Mexico, Oswego County, at the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario, this is one of the premier places to hawk watch in the Northeastern United States. The hawk watch season officially runs from the beginning of March until the end of May, and birders can spot species like Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Golden Eagles. This site includes two hawk watch lookouts that are used according to the wind direction. The Sage Creek Marsh in the south offers a kiosk and platform for watching waterfowl, herons, and other wetland species. (via New York Almanac)
14. Bored of buying eggs made of chocolate?: Bored of buying eggs made of chocolate and wrapped in foil with predictable bunny motifs? This Easter in South Africa you could instead spend your cash an egg that will hatch a live penguin. But these ones are not for taking home. Since the start of the year, a South African conservation group has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were previously rescued from two colonies. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is soliciting donations to meet the cost of incubating them by inviting people to "adopt an egg." (via Reuters)
15. Those looking for new binoculars might find this guide useful: Bird-watching, or birding, is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the United States, thanks in part to the pandemic. According to a 2022 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than a third of Americans have taken up the pastime. While you can observe birds without any special equipment, a good pair of binoculars for bird watching can help enhance the experience. With so many great options out there, it’s important to know what to look for. Generally, binoculars can cost anywhere from the mid $100s to over $2,000 with a wide range of features. Harbison recommends trying as many binoculars for bird-watching as you can to find the right fit for your eyes, body, and needs. Read on for more. (via National Geographic)
16. Finally, every birder knows this “magic” when they see it: My mom called me last week to tell me about the latest visit from her parents in the form of a cardinal. Every time she showed up for an appointment at the cancer institute in Greenville, South Carolina, a single red bird would greet her in the branches above the parking lot. “They say cardinals are people that have passed on,” she explained. “I see my mom and dad every time.” The day after she called me, I received a visitor of my own—one that looked to be a long, long way from home. With feathers the color of mango flesh and gray wings streaked with white, he stuck out like a mythical creature from the branches of the water oak in my yard in Charleston. I texted a photo to my mom, who had absolutely no idea what the species was, but offered up a prophetic reading of its energy anyway: That bird is a sign of beauty and peace. (via Garden & Gun)
Bird Videos of the Week
By CBS Sunday Morning, “Birds of Costa Rica”
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Southeast Asian Woodpecker.
Cornell Live Bird Cam -Greater Flameback.