1. Love them or hate them, there’s no doubt the European Starling is a wildly successful bird. Researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology are examining what exactly happened at the genetic level as the nonnative starling population exploded – from just 80 birds released in New York’s Central Park in 1890, to a peak of 200 million breeding adults spread across North America. “The amazing thing about the evolutionary changes among starling populations since they were introduced in North America is that the changes happened in a span of just 130 years in parallel with a huge expansion in the bird’s range and population size,” said doctoral student Natalie Hofmeister. (via Cornell Chronicle)
2. And speaking of adaptation: The European House Sparrow has a story to tell about survival in the modern world. In parts of its native range in Europe, House Sparrow numbers are down by nearly 60%. Their fate in the U.S. and Canada is less well known. A new study by Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientists aims to clarify the status of this non-native species, using 21 years of citizen science data from the Cornell Lab's Project FeederWatch. The results are published in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology. (via Science Daily)
3. UK birders take note: A North American species of gull rarely seen in the UK has been spotted in Guernsey, UK for the first time. Mark Lawlor, the island's bird recorder, was with his daughter at L'Eree Shingle Bank when he saw the Bonaparte's gull. The bird is thought to have crossed the Atlantic after getting caught in a weather front. An ornithologist at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said it was "an incredible find for the lucky finder". Mr Lawlor said he saw the gull at about midday on Monday. Mr Lawlor, whose job as a bird recorder for the Société Guernesiaise includes collating and verifying bird sightings, said he saw the small gull on the shoreline and "had a feeling" it looked slightly different to a common black-headed gull. (via The BBC)
4. Oh Canada #1: They glide over the lake, waiting for the best time to catch fish. In the blink of an eye, they dive into the water without hesitation. They are fish hawks, also known as osprey, which are marsh birds commonly seen on the shoreline. This bird is one of the focal species in Joanna Grand’s research about Great Lakes birds, with the help of data contributed by Canadian researchers. As a Massachusetts-based senior spatial ecologist with the National Audubon Society, Grand is on the Great Lakes team that works on coastal wetland restoration. She said a lot of marsh birds are experiencing steep declines in their populations, especially with water levels rising because their habitats, coastal wetlands, are being affected ahead of them. (via Great Lake Echo)
5. Oh Canada #2: There are competing schools of thought on when to punish someone for killing a migratory bird, and the Canadian government found itself at odds with the Trump administration. There's the broad, existing practice: that penalties should apply to industries whose products and activities accidentally kill birds. Then there's the narrower interpretation: that punishment be limited to people who intentionally kill a bird unlawfully. The Trump administration planned to limit penalties under a new regulation that was going to take effect this week on U.S. territory. Now that move has been delayed by the new U.S. administration. On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a one-month delay to allow further public comment on the new regulation. (via CBC)
6. Wonderful Op-Ed from the New York Times: The mechanics of owling is simple — you go outside and try to spot an owl. But there is also a complexity to it: For one, owling requires consideration and respect for the owl. You need to channel owl empathy. An owl is wild. On their minds are three concerns: shelter, food, reproduction. Whatever calories their bodies are expending, it is to secure those needs. To survive. Owls feed their strongest babies first. They are not sentimental; they are savage. Owling can be done anywhere, as owls live on every continent except Antarctica. They nest in trees, caves, barns, attics, just about any structure with a cavity or hollow. (via The New York Times)
7. For our life listers: There's no doubt that birds are one of the most bizarre and beautiful creatures on earth. That is why some people are fond of bird watching and travel to places like Africa just to watch rare and magnificent bird species. Africa is blessed with a variety of wildlife, particularly birds. It is home to an estimate of 2,341 bird species. With that large quantity, 67% are considered endemic to the continent. It is indeed a wildlife paradise. To help you be equipped on your next birdwatching trip to Africa, you can browse at www.birdinformer.com for some dose of bird knowledge and trivia. Here is a list of the 14 best wild birds found in the mesmerizing continent. (via Science Times)
8. Another feather in the red-eyed vireo’s cap: Mark McKone, Carleton’s Towsley Professor of Biology, reached a professional milestone in October 2020: his first article published in a music journal. The paper, titled “The Iowa Bird That Inspired Antonín Dvořák’s American String Quartet in 1893: Controversy over the Species’ Identity and Why It Matters,” digs deep into both music history and ecology. It argues that the birdsong inspiration for the third movement of Dvořák’s “American” String Quartet in F major was not the scarlet tanager as has long been believed, but the red-eyed vireo. (via Carleton)
9. Oh Canada #3: For two years, “Birds on the Niagara” was content as North America’s only international birding festival. Oh sure, 3,000 people or so attended and it was a great start. That was then, this is now. This year, the audience has gone virtual because of the pandemic. The bad news: You can’t go for a guided walk and have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see that slaty-backed gull from Siberia to add to your life list. The good news: From the comfort of your couch, you can watch speakers, learn about birds and you don’t have to travel. U.S. Event Chairperson Jay Burney said Tuesday 30,000 people have pre-registered for the event which is focused on the Niagara River Corridor as a Globally Significant Important Bird Area. (via Niagara Gazette)
BNI Extra: A special Saturday event, The Atlantic’s fifth annual photographic essay celebrating these magnificent birds of prey. These nocturnal hunters hail from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, and are captured here in photos from recent years. If you have some time today before the big game (or are skipping the event entirely), I invite you to take a look; as always, it was a hoot to put this together. (via The Atlantic)
Bird Photo of the Week
Photo by Mike Hamilton, Great Blue Heron.
Bird Video of the Week
By KHON2, “Wisdom hatches chick at Midway Atoll; Wisdom is world’s oldest known, banded bird”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Western Meadowlark.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Black-capped Chickadees.