1. Part of the magic of migratory birds is their annual disappearing act—one autumn day there might be an oriole in a treetop, and the next day it’s gone, not to be seen again until spring. Birders in the U.S. and Canada are accustomed to saying that birds spend the winter down south, but because the seasons are reversed on either side of the equator, scientists prefer to use the term nonbreeding season. An ornithologist’s year is comprised of four parts: prebreeding (spring) migration, breeding season, postbreeding (fall) migration, and the nonbreeding season. But not all parts of a bird’s annual cycle are created equal. (via Living Bird Magazine)
2. Seeing our world through the eyes of a migratory bird would be a rather spooky experience. Something about their visual system allows them to 'see' our planet's magnetic field, a clever trick of quantum physics and biochemistry that helps them navigate vast distances. Now, for the first time ever, scientists from the University of Tokyo have directly observed a key reaction hypothesised to be behind birds', and many other creatures', talents for sensing the direction of the planet's poles. Importantly, this is evidence of quantum physics directly affecting a biochemical reaction in a cell - something we've long hypothesized but haven't seen in action before. (via Science Alert)
3. The end of another year offers time to take stock of the good, the bad, and in the case of Nathan Goldberg, the birds. Goldberg just wrapped a record-breaking year for birds spotted in Illinois, ending with 341 species seen across the state — one more bird than his friend Steve Huggins. Goldberg lucked out in his big year — a challenge birders take to see as many species as possible in a given area in 365 days — after picking up a bird Huggins missed. Now they can look back on a nonstop year of birding triumphs and flaps. And consider taking a break. (via The Chicago Tribune)
4. The first complete map of a platypus genome has just been released, and it's every bit as strange as you'd expect from a creature with 10 sex chromosomes, a pair of venomous spurs, a coat of fluorescent fur, and skin that 'sweats' milk. The duck-billed platypus is truly one of the oddest creatures on Earth. Along with the spiky echidna, these two Australian animals belong to a highly-specialised group of mammals, known as monotremes, which both lay eggs but also nurse their young with milk. The genes of both are relatively primitive and unchanged, revealing a bizarre blend of several vertebrate animal classes, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. (via Science Alert)
5. Diplomatic birder! The Washington Post’s story about how the appearance of a rare Painted Bunting in Maryland captivated local birders includes an unusual photo credit: It’s by Switzerland’s ambassador to the US. As it turns out, His Excellency Jacques Pitteloud is no stranger to sharing his hobby as a birder with the world; a biography from the embassy notes that he has “published his pictures in several books and publications in Kenya and South Africa.” Indeed, he says that he was disappointed with the photo that ran in the Postbecause he took it in bad weather. He returned to the Maryland shores of Great Falls the next day for a better picture, which like many of his birding photos he posts on his Facebook page. (via The Washington Post, The Washingtonian)
6. Hammer a nail into a tree, and it will get stuck. So why doesn’t the same thing happen to the sharp beaks of woodpeckers? Scientists say they finally have the answer. In a new study, researchers took high-speed videos of two black woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius) pecking away at hardwood trunks in zoos and analyzed them frame by frame to see how the head and beak moved throughout each peck. The bird’s secret: an ability to move its upper and lower beaks independently, the team reports this week at the virtual annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. (via Science Mag)
7. The Clean Air Act, the sweeping federal law designed to control air pollution, has been celebrated for saving millions of human lives since it was first enacted in 1963 and expanded four more times. Its checks on industrial and tailpipe pollutants are expected to prevent more than 230,000 deaths in 2020 alone, along with millions of asthma attacks and thousands of ER visits during a year of a raging pandemic. But people were not the only ones to benefit from the act. A recent study led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology finds that that the policy, designed to protect human health, has also saved as many as 1.5 billion birds in the past 40 years. That’s about 20 percent of the total estimated North American bird population. (via Audubon)
8. Freezing cold temperatures. Bright white snow that can wash out photos. Or in areas that don’t get snow, no color at all—just a dull brown everywhere. It can be difficult for bird photographers to find the motivation to get out in winter. However, winter also offers some great opportunities that aren’t available in other seasons. Different migratory birds show up in many areas, species that aren’t around in spring through fall. Generally, there are fewer people outside. With a bit of planning, the willingness to push yourself a bit, lots of warm layers—and a few winter bird photography tricks—you can be rewarded by making some incredibly unique and creative photos of your local birds in winter. (via Living Bird Magazine)
Bird Photo of the Week
By Hap Ellis, Hooded Merganser.
Bird Videos of the Week
In lieu of a video-of-the-week, we present to you a wonderful photo essay from Living Bird Magazine, “The Fragile Forest Home of the Birds-of-Paradise”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, Crested Oropendola and Chestnut-headed Oropendola.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, Ladder-backed Woodpecker.