Experts say the recent decline of the Monal bird in India is due to indiscriminate hunting. The Monal, the state bird of Himchal Pradesh, is prized by hunters because its feathers are in demand for use in the fashion industry. The bird’s meat is also popular. Read more in New Kerala.
A statewide TV campaign has begun to convince Michigan voters to vote against a proposed bill to allow dove hunting in the state. The birds are shot purely for sport, as they are not a nuisance nor suffer from overpopulation, and they are not eaten after they are shot. The state’s longtime ban on dove shooting was lifted in 2004 but petitioners suspended implementation of the law, leading to the upcoming November 7 vote. Read all about the campaign on M Live.
“Scientists at the University of New Hampshire hope to learn more about memory and its evolution by studying the Clark’s nutcracker, a bird with a particularly challenging task: remembering where it buried its supply of food for winter in a 15-mile area. Like many animals preparing for the winter, every fall the Clark’s nutcracker spends several weeks gathering food stores. What makes it unique is that it harvests more than 30,000 pine nuts, buries them in up to 5,000 caches, and then relies almost solely on its memory of where those caches are located to survive through winter.” Read more about the study on Newswise.
An Indian Myna bird has been spotted at the Launceston Airport in Tasmania. The bird is not native to Tasmania and could have a big impact on agriculture and native species if it becomes established. Read the full story Bird sighting fuels biosecurity fears.
“To help make up for sleep lost during marathon night flights, migratory birds take hundreds of powernaps during the day, each lasting only a few seconds, a new study suggests.” Read about the study in Migrating birds take hundreds of powernaps.
The Chicago Park District opened a bird hospital on the former Meigs Field in April. Last week, the hospital served more than 250 patients. Most injuries treated at the hospital involve birds crashing into buildings, and the number of injuries increases each year during the spring and fall migration periods. The central location is pivotal in saving birds which otherwise would have to be driven to suburban wildlife centers for rehabilitation. The survival rate for birds dropped off at the hospital is over 85 percent. Read more in the Chicago Tribune.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified the migratory Red Knot as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal was initiated by a petition submitted by the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society in 2004. The proposal is currently deferred while the Service works on other species which are at greater risk. Read more about the Red Knot proposal in Migratory bird named candidate for Endangered Species Act protection.
A colorful bird, previously unknown to science, has been discovered in a remote part of the Andean rainforest. The Yariguies brush-finch was named after a local tribe that used to live in the area where the bird was discovered. The bird has bright yellow coloring with a vibrant red crown. Read more in the article Colorful New Bird Found in Colombia.
“A wind-farm proposal has been abandoned because the area where it was to be built is used by golden eagles and red kites. The decision followed analysis of bird-survey data gathered over several years, and consultation with local RSPB officers, which showed that the 30Mw wind farm would pose a significant risk to the birds.” Read the full story in the Scotsman.
Volunteers counted birds at over 130 locations in the Netherlands last Saturday as part of World Birdwatch 2006. From the spotting points as many birds as possible were counted during their migration south.
This year the European Starling was the most counted bird, just as last year. 114,000 individuals were counted. In second place was the Common Chaffinch, and the Lapwing came in third place. In total 193 different species were counted.
Here is the complete top 10:
European Starling
Common Chaffinch
Lapwing
Meadow Pipit
Cormorant
Black-headed Gull
Greylag Goose
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Eurasian Wigeon
Mew Gull
Sightings of note:
One group of 68,807 Common Starlings at Kinderdijk
1025 Northern Gannets
83 Great Egrets
36 Peregrine Falcons
14 Ospreys
5 European Honey Buzzards
2 Little Bitterns
One Rose-colored Starling
One Black Stork
One Little Bunting
One Eurasian Hoopoe
