1. In the coming weeks, up to 60,000 shorebirds and 150,000 sandhill cranes will arrive at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge for their annual fall migration, which peaks in mid-August through September. Quivira is designated as a Wetland of International Importance and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The refuge’s unique habitats, including freshwater and saltwater wetlands, make it a hotspot of bird diversity. About a third of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping cranes, the largest remaining population of the endangered species, come to the refuge each year on their journey between the Northwest Territories and Texas. (via The Wichita Eagle)
2. A California wildfire has destroyed a sanctuary for the endangered California condor and the fates of several condors remain unknown. A blaze began last Wednesday in Los Padres National Forest northwest of Los Angeles. By Friday, it had destroyed the 80-acre sanctuary in Big Sur that since 1997 has been used to release captive-bred condors into the wild. There weren’t any people or condors at the facility when it burned. However, at least four condors in the area are unaccounted for. One is a four-month-old condor chick named Iniko that was living in a nest in a redwood tree about a mile (1.6km) from the facility. (via The New York Times, The Guardian)
By Christopher Ellis, California Condor.
3. With hurricanes coming into the Gulf of Mexico, one wonders how the birds will fare. You’d think that because birds can fly, they would head to safety before a storm, but that is not the case for many. An area that has taken a direct hit from a major hurricane can be almost totally devoid of birds for up to a year or more afterward. In late summer or fall, migratory birds are moving south for the winter in our area. Storms can affect their movements, making them shift to less productive areas or forcing them to take longer routes. Those migrants trying to build up fat reserves before leaving the Texas coast will struggle to make the long journey. (via The Victoria Advocate)
4. Almost 25 years ago, a survey conducted by conservationists revealed a disconcerting fact - only 61 sarus cranes had been spotted in Ayeyarwady Region’s wetlands, the bird’s natural habitat in Myanmar. In the 1960s and 70s, the birds had gone extinct in Thailand and the Philippines. Based on the declining numbers spotted in Ayeyarwady, from 122 to 61 in 1998, it appeared the sarus crane population in the country was also headed to oblivion. Fortunately, through collective action by conservationists, farmers, and the government, the number of sarus cranes in Ayeyarwady has risen to about 600. (via The Myanmar Times)
5. Before the first Polynesian settlers arrived roughly 1,500 years ago, the Hawaiian Islands were ruled from the sky. Not a single land-dwelling reptile or mammal called the archipelago home – just winged insects, one variety of bat, and a truly vast array of birds. While Hawaii is still flush with life today, many of those birds are now gone – roughly 67% of all endemic Hawaiian birds have been wiped from existence since humans first arrived on the islands. To protect Hawaii’s native birds, conservationists at the Kīlauea Point national wildlife refuge on the island of Kauai are trying something new: building a sprawling wall around the birds’ nesting ground. (via The Guardian)
6. The white, sleek exterior of the wind turbine definitely looks good to me. But birds probably wouldn’t agree. According to a new paper, the current design of our wind turbines makes them hard to see for birds, promoting impacts. Researchers are suggesting to paint wind turbines black so that birds can identify them before its too late. Not only would such a change help save bird lives, but it would also help our bottom line. Birds in flight hit hard, and turbines are expensive to repair or replace. All in all, painting one of the three rotor blades black is enough to help birds see the turbines and avoid collisions. (via ZME Science, The Journal of Ecology and Evolution)
By Hap Ellis, Red-tailed Hawk.
7. Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, a barn owl has just eaten a mouse. Twelve hours from now, give or take, it will regurgitate a compact mass of fur and bones known as an owl pellet. The pellet will contain a near-perfect skeleton of the devoured rodent and a treasure trove of data for researchers, providing insights on the owl, its prey and the environment in which it lives. How that pellet makes it from the gut of an owl and into a classroom begins with a wet “plop” as it hits the forest floor, setting off an unusual supply chain that stretches from the wooded expanses of the West Coast to schools, museums and research laboratories around the world, fueling an entire industry of people who’ve devoted their lives and livelihoods to this unique economic and ecological niche. (via The Washington Post)
8. The nightingale is, as its name suggests, an infamous nocturnal singer known throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its song signals the onset of springtime and, perhaps more importantly for the nightingale, the commencement of the mating season. Down in Australia, they have their own nightingales: the Australian magpie whose iconic warbling is recognized throughout the cities and bush; and the lesser known, but even more prolific nocturnal crooner, the willie wagtail. And they’ve discovered that the willie wagtail doesn't just sit in darkness and sing to cheer its own solitude—it howls by the light of the moon. (via Phys Org, Birds of the World)
9. French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered hunters in southern France to stop the controversial practice of trapping birds on glue-covered twigs. The suspension follows a warning to France from the European Commission that it could face legal action at EU level if the practice continued. President Macron's decision came when he and Minister for Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili met the head of the French hunting lobby, Willy Schraen, at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Wednesday. It is a suspension of the practice for this year, pending a legal opinion from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the issue. (via The BBC, The Guardian)
10. Ever seen a wobbly bird flying haphazardly, looking like it’s drunk? Well, it probably is. First frosts cause remaining berries and tree fruit to ferment. Hungry birds prepping for winter binge on the boozy buffet. The result? Inebriated birds that can’t fly straight. So, Environment Yukon, the Canadian territory's environment agency, set up a drunk tank where the birds can sober up safely. The birds stay in the tank—actually a hamster cage—until they dry out, then they’re free to fly. Instances of avian intoxication have been well documented in both the scientific literature and the press. (via Audubon)
Bird Photo of the Week
By Hap Ellis, Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Bird Video of the Week
By National Audubon Society, “Ciénega: Protecting Wetlands for Birds”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, “Savannah Osprey Highlights”.
Cornell Live Bird Cam, Visiting Cooper’s Hawk.