1. Clearly, something fantastic is there: Halfway between Scotland and Bermuda, a wild expanse of ocean draws millions of seabirds from vast distances every year. A new study published in Conservation Letters uses decades of tracking data to document that at least five million migratory birds, representing about two dozen species from both hemispheres, rely on a North Atlantic hotspot of almost 600,000 square kilometers for food. Analyzing individual birds’ satellite-tracked migration patterns, the researchers were stunned by their sheer numbers and diversity, as well as how steadily this part of the ocean is used year-round. (via New Scientist)
If you find this story interesting and the pelagic birds mentioned intriguing, BNI once again highly recommends A Seabird’s Cry by Adam Nicolson.
2. Speaking of seabirds: Albatrosses, some of the world’s most loyally monogamous creatures, are “divorcing” more often – and researchers say global heating may be to blame. In a new Royal Society study, researchers say climate change and warming waters are pushing black-browed albatross break-up rates higher. Typically after choosing a partner, only 1-3% would separate in search of greener romantic pastures. But in the years with unusually warm water temperatures, that average consistently rose, with up to 8% of couples splitting up. The study looked at a wild population of 15,500 breeding pairs in the Falkland Islands over 15 years. (via The Guardian)
3. Thanksgiving inspired news item: There is an old myth about turkeys that never seems to die. The basic premise is this: Every time there is a rainstorm, turkeys will turn their heads upward out of curiosity to observe the drops as they fall. Because they are reputed to be unintelligent, the folk tale says the turkeys will remain in this position even after it has become difficult to breath. Eventually, the turkeys will drown. The moral, it seems, is that turkeys are literally too dumb to survive. While there is exactly zero scientific evidence supporting this belief, it underscores the larger cultural stereotype that turkeys are not very bright. Yet, science makes it clear that turkeys are actually pretty smart. (via Salon)
4. As is this: They are lounging next to bike racks and outside dorms. They are strutting across Harvard Yard. And, yes, they are occasionally fanning their feathers and charging at innocent students. Across the nation, from the riverbanks of the University of Minnesota to the forests of the University of California, Santa Cruz, wild turkeys have gone to college. And they seem to like it. Maybe too much. Once rare in most of the United States, turkeys became one of the great conservation success stories of the last half-century. But as efforts to expand the bird’s range flourished across the countryside, the turkeys also trotted into cities, laying down roosts in alleys, parks, backyards and, increasingly, at institutions of higher learning. (via The New York Times)
5. Strike that possibility: Many animals can sense things that humans cannot — the humble pigeon, for instance, is capable of sensing and navigating via the Earth's invisible geomagnetic field. Scientists have long been interested in how this is possible. Now, a new study published in the journal PNAS suggests that promising structures in the pigeons' inner ears are not, in fact, the answer. A few different parts in the pigeon's anatomy have been suggested as sources of magnetoreception, including structures in the eye and in the region of the pigeon's beak. But the inner ear has also been a candidate, due to the presence of iron-rich, roughly ball-shaped objects called cuticulosomes within sensory cells of the ear. (via ABC News)
6. Among the capitals of big economies, Beijing enjoys a surprising distinction. Despite its sometimes harsh weather and chronically polluted air, it hosts more species of birds than any other such city apart from Brasília. Remarkably, however, birdwatching remains uncommon. In many countries, birders play an important role in spotting changes in bird populations and avian behaviour. A British enthusiast in Beijing, Terry Townshend, has recently set up a means of doing so without needing to stand for hours outdoors. It involves a digital listening device, installed on the roof of a 15-storey building in northern Beijing. (via The Economist)
7. Give pigs a chance: Pigs may not actually fly, but they might have a role to play in keeping air travel safe. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has employed 20 of the animals as part of a pilot project aiming to reduce the number of bird strikes on aircraft. Collisions between aircraft and larger birds, such as geese, can pose serious danger, particularly if the animals are sucked into the engines. The pilot involved pigs foraging on a five-acre plot where sugar beets had recently been harvested in between two runways, the airport said in a press release announcing the project in September. The first benefit is that the pigs help to make the area less attractive to birds by removing a source of food, Gloudemans said. A second benefit is the fact that, as meat eaters, pigs will also try to catch geese that land in the field to rest. (via CNN Travel)
8. An issue anywhere there are wind turbines: A new wind park in Switzerland must scale back its plans to deliver renewable energy in order to protect vulnerable bird species, the country's supreme court ruled on Wednesday. Plans for the new wind park, in the Grenchenberg region in the Jura mountains, had sparked opposition from ornithologists and conservationists, who argued it would interfere with local populations of woodlarks and peregrine falcons, deemed vulnerable in Switzerland. The wind park had aimed to deliver 16 megawatts of energy by 2023 through six new wind turbines, enough to cover two-thirds of the nearby town of Grenchen's electricity consumption. Now, operator Windkraft Grenchen will be permitted to install only four of the six turbines. (via Reuters)
9. For our southwest Florida birders: Humans aren't the only animals that head north for the summer months and back here to Florida for the fall, winter and spring. And while we sometime jokingly refer to those people as "snowbirds," there are, well, actual birds that make similar seasonal travels. It starts in the fall with the arrival of non-resident bald eagles, birds that travel to the northeast for summer, and ends with the departure of the swallow-tailed kites — the spring breakers that just won't go home. Some make a cross-country annual trip while others migrate here from South America or Canada. To celebrate our avian visitors, here is a list of five wintering birds found in Southwest Florida. (via News Press)
10. Rare bird alert in Montreal: About two weeks ago on a chilly Saturday morning, Joël Coutu was birdwatching in Montreal with some friends when they spotted something they've never seen before. "We got closer, and I knew right away we were looking at a rare bird," he said. Coutu is an avian behavioural specialist, and working on a five-person team, they identified the bird as a scissor-tailed flycatcher. Usually found in southern U.S., Coutu said there have been maybe 20 recorded sightings in the province of Quebec and none before in Montreal. But there it was, flitting around in St-Laurent borough's Technoparc. "At one point there were like a hundred cars parked there and it wasn't to watch the planes, it was to watch him," said Coutu. "He's a very popular guy." (via CBC)
11. From London, Ontario, raise a glass to the Northern Cardinal: Londoners have teamed up to create a custom beer called 'The Northern Cardin-ale', which honours the city's official bird -- the Northern Cardinal. The beer is a blend of homegrown Saskatoon berries grown in Bayfield, Ont., which are an important part of the Cardinal's diet, along with Golden and Amber Ale. The project is a collaboration between Bird Friendly London, the London Environmental Network, and LBC to improve awareness about threats to bird species. The beer cans feature artwork by local artist Beth Stewart. "These groups are all about sustainability and conservation, so it fit exactly with our path," said Stewart. (via CBC)
12. And finally, a pean to English hedgerows: Hedgerows are as British as fish and chips. Without these walls of woody plants cross-stitching the countryside into a harmonious quilt of pastures and crop fields, the landscape wouldn't be the same. Over the centuries, numerous hedges were planted to keep in grazing livestock, and some of today's are as historic as many old churches, dating back as far as 800 years. They form a vital reservoir of biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes where many species might otherwise struggle to survive. By nurturing pollinating insects, they can enhance the yield of crops. And they do it all while pulling carbon out of the atmosphere. (via BBC)
Bird Photo of the Week
Photo by Hap Ellis, Red-tailed Hawk.
Bird Videos of the Week
By Business Insider, “The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day…”
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Feeder Friends.
Cornell Live Bird Cam - Savannah Osprey.