1. The Birds of Paradise are some of the planet’s most beautiful and intriguing birds, and none more so than the Magnificent Riflebird. Click on this video and you'll see why.
By Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Birds of Paradise: Magnificent Riflebird”.
2. For breeding birds, timing is everything. Most species have just a narrow window to get the food they need to feed their brood—after spring’s bounty has sprung, but before other bird species swoop in to compete. A new study suggests that as the climate warms, birds are not only breeding earlier, but their breeding windows are also shrinking—some by as many as 4 to 5 days. This could lead to increased competition for food that might threaten many bird populations. (via Science Mag)
3. Millions of birds meet an untimely end by flying into buildings every year, but researchers weren’t always clear whether specific types were more vulnerable than others. Now, researchers tapped into a large survey of bird deaths at university campuses in North America to identify which birds are more often the victims of window strikes. “Species that are migratory, are woodland inhabitants and insectivores collide more,” said Jared Elmore, a PhD candidate in ecology at Oklahoma State University and the lead author of a study published recently in Conservation Biology. Former First Lady Laura Bush continues to raise awareness about this issue, read more about her partnership with the Lights Out Texas initiative here. (via Wildlife, Dallas News)
By Hap Ellis, American Oystercatcher.
4. On July 6, Howard County became the first county in Maryland and the second jurisdiction on the East Coast to mandate building projects meet bird-friendly design standards. The Howard County Council voted 4 to 1 along party lines on for the new standards, with Republican David Yungmann the sole vote against the measure. County Executive Calvin Ball, a Democrat, signed the legislation into law the next day. Now when building permit applications are submitted to the county, applicants also must submit documentation showing the design meets bird-friendly specifications from the global Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program. (via The Washington Post)
5. Over five days in fall 2019, more than 900 Peruvians from 30 communities gathered in five villages in the Loreto region of Peru for festivals celebrating birds of the Peruvian Amazon. It was the latest chapter in an ongoing project – spanning three years of activity in 55 rural Amazonian communities and reaching 2,000 K-12 students – to co-create with community leaders, teachers and students a science project focused on birds and their role in the culture and ecosystem. The project – Celebra las Aves en la Amazonía Peruana – is a partnership between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Civil Association for the Conservation of the Peruvian Amazon Environment (CONAPAC), a nonprofit in Iquitos, Peru. (via Cornell Chronicle)
6. The global population of the critically endangered Chinese crested tern has more than doubled thanks to a historic, decade-long collaboration among Oregon State University researchers and scientists and conservationists in China, Taiwan and Japan. The project included OSU's Dan Roby and Don Lyons and was led by Chen Shuihua of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History. When it began, fewer than 50 of the seabirds remained. "The species is still far from being safe from extinction, but the population is now well over 100 adults and the future is much brighter than 10 years ago," said Roby, professor emeritus in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Agricultural Sciences. (via Science Daily)
By Hap Ellis, Merlin.
7. A new study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology highlights specific features of urban green spaces that support the greatest diversity of bird species. The findings were published today in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. The study focuses specifically on parks in New York City. It uses observations submitted to the eBird citizen-science database from 2002 through 2019 to estimate the variety of species found on an annual and seasonal basis. Bottom line: the more green space available, the greater the diversity of birds. Models show that Increasing the area of green space by 50% would result in an 11.5% increase in annual and an 8.2% increase in seasonal species diversity. (via Science Direct, News Wise)
8. Across the globe, community-science projects such as eBird and the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) motivate birders to hone their skills while also aiding science. Some large-scale annual efforts like the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Audubon’s Climate Watch program have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are other ways birders can use their identification prowess while under lockdown. You can find a variety of opportunities at Zooniverse.org, where researchers invite community scientists to help with their nature-related datasets. Penguin Watch, Project Plumage, and Wildwatch Burrowing Owl are three bird-focused projects to get you started. (via Audubon, Zooniverse)
Bird Photo of the Week
By Hap Ellis, Great Egret.
Are you an avid birder and photographer? Submit your photos to our Bird Photo of the Week! Include a short summary of when and where your photograph was taken, what kind of bird, and anything else you’d like to share. Send submissions to our editor Lisa at birdnewsitems@gmail.com.
Bird Videos of the Week
By Harvard Museum of Natural History, “Ornithology and Evolution at Harvard”. Professor and curator of ornithology at Harvard University Scott Edwards is currently biking and birding across America. Follow along his exciting journey on Twitter via @ScottVEdwards1.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, “Savannah Ospreys”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, “Cornell FeederWatch Cam”.