NASA is trying to rid the Kennedy Space Center of vultures after the shuttle struck one of the large birds during lift-off last year. The space agency, which is located within a protected natural area, has set up a ‘road-kill posse’ to clean up the vultures’ food source.
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The Dutch BirdLife International affiliate Vogelbescherming conducted a survey of city dwellers and found that at least 93% of respondents find bird life in their city important.
The Netherlands is urbanizing at a fast pace and that means that more and more birds have to find a home in a city environment. They have to adapt to find their food, nesting locations and shelter in urban areas as their more natural habitats are developed by humans. Most people find that bird life makes a city more attractive and therefore space must be created for our feathered friends.
Vogelbescherming has developed an Action Plan with guidelines for cities to follow in order to make the environment more bird-friendly. The plan also has bird-friendly ideas for city planners, architects, housing agencies and construction companies.
The action plan calls to attention several projects which have already been completed which help to make cities friendlier for birds. These include swallow projects in Woensdrecht, Kampen, Almere and Bergen op Zoom.
The top three beloved city birds in the Netherlands are the House Sparrow, Tit and European Robin.
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Nederlanders houden van stadsvogels! The Dutch love city birds!
“Birds such as ospreys, sea eagles and red kites make a multi-million pound contribution to Scotland’s economy every year, according to an RSPB study. The osprey is the most popular attraction, bringing in 125,000 visitors who spend an additional £2.2m every year. ” Read the story Scotland flies high on bird money on the BBC.
On 13 December, 1999, an adult Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) was ringed at Hamble Point, England. The adult bird was at least three years old at the time. Since then, the bird has been spotted feeding at Hamble Point and at the popular Dutch bird hangout Starrevaart.
The bird is often spotted at Starrevaart in the springtime, so it is presumed the bird breeds in the Netherlands. The bird was spotted in Starrevaart as recently as April 2006; sightings are posted on the bird’s official website at Vogelwerkgroep Vlietland.
The story of the bird, An Oystercatcher’s Tale, can be found at this link.
The simplest grammar, long thought to be one of the skills that separate man from beast, can be taught to a common songbird, new research suggests.
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Wednesday the Chicago City Council voted to ban sale of foie gras in the city. The appetizer is still served at a handful of Chicago restaurants but will be illegal when the ban goes into effect in 90 days. Read the full story Good News For Ducks: City Council Bans Foie Gras at CBS 2 Chicago.
The police in the Dutch town of Aarle-Rixtel last week arrested three people in connection with illegal killing of birds of prey. Two men and one woman were apprehended after an investigation into the poisoning deaths of six buzzards found in nearby parkland.
During a search of the suspects’ house, dead pigeons and poison were found. The pigeons were used to bait the birds of prey.
In nearby Laarbeek a day earlier the police arrested a man for killing a Northern Goshawk. The man, who was caught red-handed, explained he was eliminating raptors in order to preserve the other wildlife in the area.
The man also used dead pigeons to lure the birds of prey into cages. Once caught, he would kill the birds. Authorities were able to save a buzzard and some crows which sat in his cages.
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AID en politie pakken illegale roofvogeljagers
Inspection Service and police catch illegal raptor hunters
Smuggling in the Middle East and Asia is driving some falcon species to extinction. The black market in birds of prey can yield bigger profits than selling drugs or weapons. Read the full story Falcon smugglers swoop to profits, endanger birds from Reuters.
Even drab male finches eventually get the girl. Evolutionary biologists discover why, even though female birds prefer bright coloration in a guy, some settle for the dull ones.
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“Eighteen globally threatened species of bird occur in the marshes between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, alongside three types of bird that are found almost nowhere else in the world. Drained of water during the Saddam Hussein era, 90% of the marshes became almost devoid of wildlife. Since the collapse of the regime, a rehabilitation programme has begun. Water has started to return to the internationally important wetland, restoring a vital habitat that is critical for the survival of several bird species in the region.” Read the full story at BirdLife International.
