Protecting Pelicans.
Bird News Items
1. Let's start with how an indigenous community in the Amazon "flipped the script" on how research gets done: As the sun rises over the white sand beaches and reddish-black waters of the Cubate River in the Brazilian Amazon, a shrill cry echoes through the thatched-roof houses in the Indigenous village of Nazaré. It is the call of the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, or galo-da-serra, as the bird is locally known. Despite its bright orange feathers and exuberant half-moon crest, this exquisite forest bird is difficult to spot in the wild. But Darlene Florentino, a middle-aged Baniwa woman, keeps the two males her husband gifted her in a branch-fenced coop in her home. Indigenous families in the Amazon commonly raise wild animals, and the Baniwa in Nazaré love birds. (via Audubon Magazine)
2. Project ICARUS, the power of technology and an aim that is nothing short of an "Internet of Aniimals": In the late 1990s, as an ecologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Martin Wikelski guesses he drove every mile of the Prairie State’s backroads in a two-toned Oldsmobile. But these were no joyrides; they were high-adrenaline all-nighters in the name of science. Each spring and fall evening, having outfitted another Swainson’s Thrush with a tiny radio transmitter, Wikelski drove like a “tornado chaser,” staying close enough to record the bird’s heartbeat, wingbeats, and vocalizations. His shift ended when the migrating thrush touched down, often hundreds of miles from where he’d tagged it—except when flashing red and blue lights in the rear-view mirror cut short his gonzo fieldwork. These days researchers no longer have to go to such extremes. Thanks to powerful new technology, an untold number of birds now wear some kind of sensor. (via Audubon)
By Hap Ellis, Pied-billed Grebe - Green Cay Nature Center & Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL.
3. No place quite like the Bear Divide in the Spring - and it's not 45 minutes from metro LA: “Personally, I really think it’s one of the best birding spots in the world,” Ryan Terrill, science director at the Klamath Bird Observatory. Within a 45 minute drive from the urban chaos of downtown Los Angeles, lies a natural, ornithological marvel: Bear Divide, a vital corridor for the annual migration of numerous bird species. Every year — roughly between March 15 and June 15, with peak migration between April 10 and May 20 — thousands of birds funnel through the narrow pass. The divide is a small dip in the otherwise impregnable San Gabriel mountains, allowing birds in the midst of their migration to pass through safely at relatively low altitudes. This area is not just a haven for bird enthusiasts but also a critical research site, especially for the team from the Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College, who have been delving into the intricacies of these migratory patterns. (via California Curated)
4. And maybe after you visit the Bear Divide, how about America's "Duck Factory"? (spoiler alert: think the Dakotas): The spring migration winging north over America’s midsection is often overlooked by birders. Yet some of the continent’s richest birdlife can be found among the ephemeral wetlands of the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Called the Prairie Pothole Region, this unique ecosystem spans parts of five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. It’s a little off the beaten path, but with the right preparation, birders who make the trek can expect to see an extraordinary variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and grassland species in and around these shallow pools and ponds, some of which hold water for mere days in the spring. This is where to look for long-distance migrants like Hudsonian Godwits and White-rumped Sandpipers, refueling on journeys that span the hemisphere, from southern South America to breeding grounds in the far north. (via Audubon)
5. For those that missed the latest (and worrying) "State of The Birds", here is a concise Executive Summary: A 2019 study published in the journal Science sounded the alarm—showing a net loss of 3 billion birds in North America in the past 50 years. The 2025 State of the Birds report shows those losses are continuing, with declines among several bird trend indicators. Notably duck populations—a bright spot in past State of the Birds reports, with strong increases since 1970—have trended downward in recent years. Examples spotlighted throughout this report—from coastal restoration and conservation ranching to forest renewal and seabird translocations—show how proactive, concerted efforts and strategic investments can recover bird populations. The science is solid on how to bring birds back. Private lands conservation programs, and voluntary conservation partnerships for working lands, hold some of the best opportunities for sparking immediate turnarounds for birds. (via NABCI)
6. A sound that is "beautiful, a little mysterious, and a delightful accompaniment to a morning walk" - what could it be? Check out this short video from the Corbell Lab: Ruffed Grouse are beautiful, richly patterned birds that are common across much of North America from the Appalachians and Rockies to Quebec and Alaska. They have fancy neck feathers that they can fluff up into a “ruff” when displaying to a mate. But perhaps their most-loved trait is their ability to create a low, accelerating drumming sound that carries through the forest understory. It’s beautiful, a little mysterious, and a delightful accompaniment to a morning walk. But how do they do it? Male Ruffed Grouse drum in order to claim territory and advertise to females. They typically stand on a fallen log, brace with their tail, and flap their wings vigorously. It’s tempting to think that the grouse is actually beating its wings against the log to create the sound like a drummer playing a kettle drum. But the truth is even more impressive. (via All About Birds)
By Hap Ellis, Tricolored Heron - Green Cay Nature Center & Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL.
7. Bird flu news - Very disturbing news from Marion Island on Wandering Albatross colonies: A fast spreading form of bird flu is devastating colonies where almost half of the world’s wandering albatrosses breed on a remote island group halfway between South Africa and Antarctica. High pathogenicity avian influenza, or HPAI, H5N1 virus has been confirmed on South Africa’s Marion Island after samples were shipped back to the mainland, the country’s environment department said in a statement on Sunday. (via Bloomberg)
8. "New carrier birds" and how avian flu spreads: Bird flu cases are rising rapidly in the U.S. and around the world. A new study traces how the disease spread over the last two decades from Asia to Europe, Africa and the Americas. New bird species, from pelicans to peregrine falcons, are catching and carrying the disease, the study finds. The pattern may be a clue to why culling domestic birds has not dampened down the most recent outbreak. The study shows the important role a wider range of wild birds have as both victims and vectors of disease spread, upending previous assumptions about which birds spread the virus. (via Phys Org)
9. Science: "Dopamine acts like an internal 'compass' " to steer young Zebra Finches' : By watching the ebb and flow of the brain's chemical signals, researchers are beginning to disentangle the molecular mechanisms underlying the intrinsic motivation to learn. In a new study of zebra finches, researchers show that a hit a dopamine tells baby birds when their song practice is paying off. The findings suggest that dopamine acts like an internal 'compass' to steer their learning when external incentives are absent. (via Science Daily)
10. The "first-ever global study of the factors that influence bird sounds" from UW-Madison: Birds make sounds to communicate, whether to find a potential mate, ward off predators, or just sing for pleasure. But the conditions that contribute to the immense diversity of the sounds they make are not well understood. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have conducted the first-ever global study of the factors that influence bird sounds, using more than 100,000 audio recordings from around the world. The new study, recently published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed insightful patterns for why birds make certain noises and at what frequency. (via University of Wisconsin)
By Hap Ellis, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks - Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, FL.
11. More science - When you have no one to follow during migration, quantum mechanics (yes, not a typo) can help - dense but interesting article in The Guardian: To the seasoned ear, the trilling of chiffchaffs and wheatears is as sure a sign of spring as the first defiant crocuses. By March, these birds have started to return from their winter breaks, navigating their way home to breeding grounds thousands of kilometres away – some species returning to home territory with centimetre precision. Although the idea of migration often conjures up striking visions of vast flocks of geese and murmurations of starlings, “the majority,” says Miriam Liedvogel, director of the Institute of Avian Research (IAR) in Germany, “migrate at night and by themselves, so they have no one to follow.” Liedvogel has had a fascination with birds since childhood, and often wondered how they navigate these lengthy migrations. (via The Guardian)
12. A "sobering reminder of the impact of our changing climate" from this study reported in PhysOrg: Habitat degradation and erratic rainfall conditions are impacting the movement of birds through northern Australia's fragmented landscape. Analyzing 17 years of data about the movement of nearly 800 endangered purple-crowned fairy-wrens in north-west Western Australia, researchers have for the first time been able to identify exactly how human-induced habitat degradation and climate change are impacting the movement of birds who live alongside creeks and rivers in northern Australia. These birds often move from their birthplace to a new location to raise a family, a process known as “dispersal." Those born in low-quality habitats were found to travel further distances in search of a better patch to settle and breed, but their ability to do so is threatened by population declines and changing climatic conditions like drought. (via Phys Org)
13. There are birding hotspots and then there are - unfortunately - "forever chemical" hotspots such as the Cape Fear River: South Pelican Island belongs to the birds. Royal Terns circle and screech above this spit of sand and shrub, which juts out of North Carolina’s winding Cape Fear River. Grackles hop among the bushes as sandpipers dart along the water. And as the name of the island suggests, Brown Pelicans abound. Two volunteers perched on overturned buckets try to steady their current patient, a young Brown Pelican stretched across their laps. The bird ruffles its downy feathers and lets out dinosaur-like squawks as Lindsay Addison, a coastal biologist with Audubon North Carolina, examines its leg. She gently inserts a needle to draw deep red blood, while volunteer Marylou Moeller offers comfort. “Good job, buddy,” Moeller says. “Easy, easy, easy.” The vial goes into a cooler as the team—which works under a federal bird banding permit—secures a silver band around the bird’s leg, plucks several feathers, and swirls a swab down its yawning throat pouch and another around its cloaca. (via Audubon)
By Hap Ellis, Hooded Warbler - Longboat Key, FL.
14. Hmmm...is the idea of a "bird sit" really catching on?: Group trips are a great way for birders to enjoy nature together. While guided walks are the go-to outing for many event organizers, why not let the birds come to you? A bird sit is an outing in which participants observe birds together from a single location—often supplemented by snacks and socializing. Whether your goal is to see a lot of species, kick back with fellow bird enthusiasts, or a bit of both, bird sits are versatile events, easily adapted to meet your group’s needs. Because the whole point is to stay put, they can be a great option for people with mobility challenges when planned with accessibility in mind. For birders who love lengthy lists, a Big Sit puts a competitive spin on birding in place. (via Audubon)
15. Three books (which of course we've covered previously) this reviewer thinks can help you "lean into" being a bird nerd: When my grandparents built their cabin, they installed a giant window in the dining room so my grandma could watch her beloved birds flitting around in her backyard. My grandfather set up a host of bird feeders in front of almost every window. Hummingbird feeders lined the roof of the back porch. It was a bird paradise. Some of my fondest memories are of sitting with grandma sharing her binoculars as she pointed out the different species of birds. Now as an adult, I live in more urban spaces that don’t have many opportunities for bird watching. But I still love to read books about different people’s relationships with bird watching. Here are a few of my must-read nonfiction titles about bird watching. (via BookRiot)
16. Finally, we'll leave you with a short update we came across on one of the world's rarest sandpipers: The Lifeline of a Vanishing Sandpiper, news via @RareBirdAlertUK: The Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) is teetering on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 800 individuals left in the wild. A newly published study highlights a crucial factor in the species’ survival. The availability of high-quality foraging grounds during migration. Conducted in the Tiaozini Wetland of China’s Yellow Sea region, the research underscores the significance of shallow water habitats as vital feeding stations that provide energy-rich prey during this shorebird’s perilous journey.
* The Cornell Lab Conservation Media produced these stunning video images of this beautiful sandpiper: Spoon-billed Sandpiper:
Bird Videos of the Week
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Albatross Chick!
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Cornell Hawk eggs!
Video by Bob Duchesne, “This is the worst way to identify a bird”.