Unusually warm winter weather is helping spread the deadly salmonelosis virus among songbirds in Michigan and Wisconsin. Read the whole story on the WLUC-TV website, including tips from experts on what to do if you find a dead bird.
A short circuit caused a four-alarm fire in the Belgian town of Lovendegem Monday night. The fire began in an unoccupied garden shed. But next to the shed stood a pigeon house. Fortunately, the pigeons were saved.
According to the homeowner, “We were sitting at the table when our youngest son came to tell us that smoke was coming from our shed. At first we did not believe him.” The child persisted and the homeowners finally saw the smoke for themselves.
The family tried to put out the fire themselves by beating the flames. There were two garden hoses in the yard, but one was too short and the other was completely frozen.
Meanwhile, some flames reached the trees and shrubs around the shed. The fire threatened the nearby pigeon keep, where the innocent birds sat behind locked doors.
The homeowners continued their effort, trying to keep the flames from reaching the pigeons. Neighbors informed the fire department, who arrived with four fire trucks. Two police cars were also at the scene.
The fire department got the fire under control and the pigeons were saved. Unfortunately, the family lost all of their garden furniture and some other personal belongings.
Source: Duiven gered van vuurdood
“BirdLife is hopeful that the drug blamed for the deaths of millions of south Asian vultures will soon be banned in India and elsewhere.” Read the story BirdLife hopeful of dicolefenac ban at BirdLife International.
Bird spotters in Juneau, Alaska have noticed that local pigeons are acting lethargic. Salt on the roads and sideswalks may be affecting the birds, making them suseptible to attacks by ravens. Read the whole story in The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.
Crime turns to comedy as three racing pigeons stolen from their home worth GBP 30 each had flown back just three days after being stolen.
read more | digg story
Twenty pigeons will be fitted with high-tech backpacks and set free over San Jose, California this August in order to monitor air quality. The data they collect on air pollution, including photos taken from miniature cameras, will be posted on a special “pigeon blog”.
read more | digg story
Female ovenbirds are attracted to males of the species who have strong, high-quality mating songs. Biologists say that noise created by industrial oil and gas machinery in Alberta, Canada may be hampering the mating success of the birds. Read the full story Bird songs muted by oil and gas machinery on CBC News.
Science News Online has an article about a study conducted on birds and their singing patterns. Often, birds sing so well together that they sound as one. They even preform different parts and movements.
read more | digg story
There is no proof that migratory birds are involved in spreading the deadly bird flu virus H5N1. In a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives, bird advocacy group Vogelbescherming Nederland urged members of the house to stop making statements to the contrary without scientific proof to back them up.
Ten thousand migratory birds have been tested for signs of the virus, with no positive results so far. According to Vogelbescherming, it is much more likely that the flu is being spread by the transport of contaminated poultry birds or meat.
Virologist A. Osterhaus advised that the possibility of migratory birds contributing to the spread of the virus has also not been formally ruled out. The fast spread of the virus from China to Siberia in the direction of Eastern Europe does warrant further investigation.
Vogelbescherming points out that the spread of the virus has not followed normal bird migration patterns. The fact that the virus has so far not shown up in Africa, parts of South-East Asia and Australia is also in favor of their theory, as migratory birds from virus-infected lands would be wintering in those lands this season.
The main message that Vogelbescherming wants to get across is that politicians should rather concentrate on taking measures to control the movement of poultry birds and products across land borders rather than waste time inciting needless panic over the perceived dangers of wild, migrating birds.
Last week interior minister Veerman said that measures should be taken to prevent returning migratory birds from coming in contact with poultry birds in the spring in case they bring the bird flu with them. In principle, Vogelbescherming is not against the quarantining of poultry birds.
The animal protection group Dierenbescherming, however, is against any unnecessary quarantine plan for chickens and other domestic fowl. The protection it would offer the birds is miniscule, while the potential suffering (being kept indoors, in small cages, for example) would be great.
According to virologist Osterhaus, every week hundreds of wild birds are examined for traces of bird flu. Some mild versions of the H5 virus have been discovered in wild birds in Holland, but so far none have had the deadly H5N1 strain.
Source: ‘Trekvogels geen bewezen rol in verspreiding vogelgriep’
The death toll in Saturday’s exhibition-hall collapse disaster in Katowice, Poland has risen to at least 67 62. On Monday, a 34-year-old man died in hospital from injuries sustained during the collapse.
The pigeon fair brought visitors from many European nations and among the dead were seven foreigners, including one person from the Netherlands. At least 140 people were injured. 91 of the injured remained in hospital as of Sunday. About 500 people were believed to be inside the building when the roof collapsed at about 5:00 p.m. local time on Saturday. It is estimated that fair attendance was as high as 4,000 people earlier in the day.
The last survivor was pulled from the wrecked building on Saturday night. By Sunday, rescuers stopped searching for survivors. The cause of the collapse is still under dispute. Local police have said that heavy snow on the roof caused it to collapse, but building officials stated that snow was removed regularly and the cause of the collapse was still unknown. Vibrations from loud music and the great difference in exterior and interior temperatures have also been named as possible causes. The exhibition hall was constructed in 2000.
Polish president Lech Kaczynski has visited the site, and declared a national period of mourning to last for three days.
Sources:
Polish roof collapse kills at least 66 at racing pigeon exhibition
Dodental ramp Polen opgelopen
Tientallen doden door instorten hal Katowice
Roof collapse: ‘No more survivors’
