Author Archives: Amy

Vulture Migrates In Cargo Class

by Amy Posted on 24 December 2006

An unhealthy vulture found in an Oak Park Illinois parking lot last month is heading south for the winter, on a commercial flight from Chicago to Tampa.

The Willowbrook Wildlife Center cared for the vulture until it was healthy again. The bird would be unlikely to survive the winter in Chicagoland so sending it to the usual winter hangout for vultures is the best solution.

Now, the center is caring for a Scarlett Tanager that survived a cat attack in October. Tanagers typically travel as far south as South America during the winter migration. The Tanager will remain in the center for the winter and be released in the spring. And a Great Blue Heron found injured in Lisle earlier this year will be driven south to Texas by a center volunteer.

Read more about these unusual wildlife rescues.

Posted in Florida, Illinois, North America, Offbeat, Rehabilitation | Leave a comment

Dutch Study Feral Rose-Ringed Parakeets

by Amy Posted on 23 December 2006

Dutch bird researchers hope to learn more about how local groups of feral Rose-Ringed Parakeets survive the cold winters of the Netherlands. The parakeets have lived wild in the Netherlands since 1968.

The first wild birds were noticed in the Ockenburg area of the Hague in 1968. Today large populations of the birds live around big cities like Amsterdam and the Hague and outlying urban areas. We have seen them around Leiden as well.

Source: Landelijke telling van halsbandparkieten

Posted in Invasive / Non-native, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Western Tanager Spotted Outside Normal Range – In Ohio

by Amy Posted on 22 December 2006

A female Western Tanager was spotted in Grandview Heights, Ohio last week. The bird’s normal range is in the western United States, particularly in the Rocky Mountains.

Prior to this year, confirmed sightings of the Western Tanager in Ohio were recorded once in the 1980’s and once in the 1990’s. This year there have been three verified sightings.

Read more about the Tanager’s visit to Ohio.

Posted in Aside, North America, Rare / Vagrant | 1 Comment

BirdLife Opposes Proposed Bridge Between Germany & Denmark

by Amy Posted on 21 December 2006

A huge cable bridge has been proposed to link Fehmarn in Germany with Lolland in Denmark. The proposal, by the European Union along with Denmark and Germany, could threaten more than 90 million birds.

The German partner of BirdLife International opposes the proposed bridge as construction could have serious consequences for millions of migratory birds as well as sea life including seals and porpoises. The group has an online petition against the bridge which can be signed here.

Read more about the proposed bridge between Germany and Denmark.

Posted in Aside, Europe | Leave a comment

House Sparrow Tops Dutch Garden Bird Count

by Amy Posted on 20 December 2006

Volunteers counted back yard birds throughout the Netherlands last weekend and the winner again this year is the House Sparrow.

The top three birds remained the same as last year: 1) House Sparrow; 2) Great Tit; and 3) Blackbird.

The one newcomer to this year’s list is the Wood Pigeon, replacing the Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Source: Huismus weer meest gezien

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus indicus)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus indicus) by Lip Kee, Creative Commons on Flickr

Posted in Aside, Netherlands, Yard Birds | Leave a comment

More Birds Breeding In Dutch ‘Harderbos’

by Amy Posted on 19 December 2006

It was revealed that this year three new bird species have been breeding in the forest ‘Broekbos’, part of the larger Harderbos natural area in Flevoland, the Netherlands. At least 61 different species are known to raise chicks in the woods.

Of the 61 species of birds breeding in the Broekbos, twelve of them are rare or endangered, including Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus).

Forest management for the woods has made the environment more appealing for birds by increasing the amount of water in the area. Forest workers have also repaired the reedbed to make more enticing habitat. Because of efforts like this, the Bearded Reedling has increased from one breeding pair to five breeding pairs in three years.

The Broekbos has also been successful in appealing to migratory birds to use the area as a stopping off point during their trek. In October and November this year 375 Red-Crested Pochards were counted in the waters of Broekbos, which accounts for about 2% of the global population.

Natuurmonumenten has created four routes for visitors to walk through the Broekbos, ranging from 2.5 to 9.5 kilometers. Because the trails can be wet, it is recommended to wear waterproof shoes or boots. There is one bird hide along the routes.

Source: WEER MEER BROEDVOGELS IN HET HARDERBOS

Posted in Netherlands | Leave a comment

French Migrants Not Leaving

by Amy Posted on 18 December 2006

Like the Netherlands, France has recorded record high temperatures this fall, and the migratory birds that normally only spend the summer months in the country are still there in mid-December.

This autumn was the warmest in France since 1950, with temperatures almost 3 degrees Celsius higher than normal. For example, warblers have been seen all over the country, although they normally head for Africa in August or September.

Read the full article Birds bask in warmest French autumn since 1950.

Posted in Aside, Europe, France, Migration | Leave a comment

Stone Curlew Numbers Up In Britain

by Amy Posted on 17 December 2006

The number of Stone Curlews breeding in Britain has risen in the last few years, with a record number of at least 300 pairs recorded last year.

The success is due partly to the RSPB joining up with farmers in Southern England to create appealing habitats for the picky birds to nest. Government grants and EU subsidies reward farmers for creating and protecting the habitats.

Read more about the Stone Curlew in Britain.

Posted in Aside, Endangered, Europe | Leave a comment

Inside The Bizarre World Of Egg Thieves

by Amy Posted on 16 December 2006

Egg collecting is a dangerous and illegal activity that began when Victorian-era explorers returned to the U.K. with exotic treasures from around the world, including bird eggs. Today the ‘sport’ is practiced by an alarming number of furtive obsessives who break the law each time they add to their collections.

A special police task force dubbed Operation Easter was started in the late 1990’s, when egg thieves appeared to be on the rise. At that time, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds received about one nest theft report per day. Last year, the RSPB received just over 50 reports. Taking wild eggs has been illegal since 1954, and imprisonment became a possible punishment in 2001. Still, the threat of fines and jail time does not discourage the most hard-core egg collectors, some of whom have been living with their obsession since childhood.

Read The Guardian’s investigative report.

Posted in Europe, Law, Offbeat | Leave a comment

Leiden Study: City Birds Sing A Different Tune

by Amy Posted on 15 December 2006

A recent study indicates that birds living in urban environments sing faster, shorter songs than their country counterparts. The study was conducted by Dr. Hans Slabbekoorn of the University of Leiden.

Songs of Great Tits in different European cities were recorded and compared to songs from the same species in nearby natural areas. City birds were found to use higher frequencies in their songs, and to sing faster.

Read more about this fascinating study.

Posted in Behavior, Netherlands, Science & Tech | Leave a comment