Birdingonthe.NetRecent Postings from
> Home > Mail |
Owl |
|
18 Nov New study sheds light on nightjar [Jeremy Taylor ] 17 Nov Newly evolved finch appears on the Galapagos Islands [Jeremy Taylor ] 10 Nov New reserve declared within Dominican Republic IBA [Jeremy Taylor ] 9 Nov Making Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries seabird friendly [Jeremy Taylor ] 6 Nov North Pacific Albatrosses added to ACAP [Jeremy Taylor ] 5 Nov IBA Caretaker network established in Latvia [Jeremy Taylor ] 4 Nov Latest news from BirdLife International [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 Sep Madagascar NGOs unite against plunder of natural resources [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 Sep Hunting: an extinction threat to Middle East's most threatened bird [Jeremy Taylor ] 14 Sep BirdLife welcomes ECJ decision on spring hunting in Malta [Jeremy Taylor ] 10 Sep Fiji Petrel found at sea – pungent fish attracts “lost” species [Jeremy Taylor ] 10 Sep Spring collection debut for Araripe mannequin! [Jeremy Taylor ] 9 Sep SAVE Brasil launches conservation corridor project at Boa Nova [Jeremy Taylor ] 2 Sep Go birdwatching with BirdLife in Latvia! [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Sep Middle East trainers take the flyways approach home with them [Jeremy Taylor ] 26 Aug International Vulture Awareness Day [Jeremy Taylor ] 26 Aug Lake Natron faces renewed threat from soda-ash mining [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 Aug Malta: the return of 'common' birds [Jeremy Taylor ] 24 Aug Quest launched to find 'lost' birds [Jeremy Taylor ] 23 Aug Tribal effort to fix broken world hinges on condor [Jeremy Taylor ] 23 Aug Exxon Mobil Pleads Guilty to Killing Migratory Birds [Jeremy Taylor ] 12 Aug Endangered Piping Plover Chicks Make History [Jeremy Taylor ] 12 Aug U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Proposal to List Seven Foreign Bird Species as Endangered under Endangered Species Act [Jeremy Taylor ] 12 Aug Link shared by jeremyjtaylor@yahoo.com [] 9 Aug DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia praised for Corncrake project [Jeremy Taylor ] 9 Aug New nestlings bring cautious hope for Asia's Threatened vultures [Jeremy Taylor ] 5 Aug Preachers and teachers help conserve Turkish wetland [Jeremy Taylor ] 30 Jul New 'bald' bird discovered [Jeremy Taylor ] 30 Jul New 'bald' bird discovered [Jeremy Taylor ] 29 Jul New guidelines bring hope for world's seabirds [Jeremy Taylor ] 22 Jul Earth Survey Project - Update [Jeremy Taylor ] 22 Jul Earth Survey Project - Update [Jeremy Taylor ] 22 Jul Earth Survey Project - Update [Jeremy Taylor ] 22 Jul Northern Bald Ibis gets Royal Support [Jeremy Taylor ] 20 Jul Lures ensure more murres... [Jeremy Taylor ] 17 Jul Have your say - BirdLife needs your views... [Jeremy Taylor ] 16 Jul Mainland China IBA directory is published – in Chinese [Jeremy Taylor ] 15 Jul South American fishermen help to save seabirds [Jeremy Taylor ] 15 Jul H.I.H. Princess Takamado of Japan celebrates BirdLife’s Spring Alive campaign [Jeremy Taylor ] 8 Jul Jerdon's Courser seeks Champion, as survey work resumes [Jeremy Taylor ] 2 Jul One million South African bird records! [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Jul Wildlife crisis worse than economic crisis – IUCN [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Jul 'One of worst years' for attacks on peregrine falcons [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Jul Hi-tech puffins to monitor decline in seabird populations [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Jul Record brood for rare bird colony [Jeremy Taylor ] 28 Jun Three Spix macaws, one of the world’s rarest birds, hatched in captivity [Jeremy Taylor ] 28 Jun Future Looks Brighter for One of World's Most Threatened Birds [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 Jun Aves Argentinas launches a national fund for IBA conservation [Jeremy Taylor ] 24 Jun BirdLife News [Jeremy Taylor ] 21 Jun Peregrine Falcons Taken Off Florida's Endangered Species List [Jeremy Taylor ] 21 Jun latest news from BirdLife International [Jeremy Taylor ] 3 Jun African IBA network 'robust' in the face of climate change [Jeremy Taylor ] 1 Jun Margaret Atwood supports BirdLife’s Born to Travel Campaign [Jeremy Taylor ] 31 May How green is EU's development aid [Jeremy Taylor ] 31 May Bird migrations set to increase [Jeremy Taylor ] 31 May New fund to strengthen conservation in key countries [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 May The aliens have landed [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 May Conservation Leadership Programme announces awards [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 May Will Cyprus spring shooting be banned forever? [Jeremy Taylor ] 25 May Where have all our birds gone? (Britain) [Jeremy Taylor ] 17 May Trans-boundary Rainforest Park will be a symbol of peace and stability [Jeremy Taylor ] 13 May BirdLife International announces more Critically Endangered birds than ever before [Jeremy Taylor ] 13 May “Flying High” conserving the Spanish Imperial Eagle [Jeremy Taylor ] 12 May Successful translocation sees first petrel chick [Jeremy Taylor ] 12 May Could do better! [Jeremy Taylor ] 5 May Stopping seabirds going under [Jeremy Taylor ] 3 May G8 ministers pledge support for biodiversity [Jeremy Taylor ] 3 May Soaring high: BirdLife launches new migratory bird project [Jeremy Taylor ] 24 Apr BirdLife Likes Rock Music! [Jeremy Taylor ] 23 Apr Conservation boost for Tahiti Monarch [Jeremy Taylor ] 22 Apr Green Paper last chance for green fisheries [Jeremy Taylor ] 21 Apr Jeremy Taylor sent you a Care2 eCard! ["Jeremy Taylor" ] 19 Apr Bermuda says rare national bird born on reserve [Jeremy Taylor ] 19 Apr Paraguayan Chaco up for review [Jeremy Taylor ] 19 Apr The Red List 2009 is coming and Africa is in the spotlight. [Jeremy Taylor ] 5 Apr Another endangered condor found shot [Jeremy Taylor ] Subject: New study sheds light on nightjar From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:17:55 -0800 (PST) New study sheds light on nightjar 18-11-2009 A new study of the Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Nightjar Caprimulgus noctitherus suggests that the species's geographic range is greater than previously estimated. This is the major finding of Geographic distribution of the Puerto Rican Nightjar: A patch occupancy approach, a joint effort between the Sociedad Ornitolgica Puertorriquea, Inc. (SOPI, the BirdLife Partner and Species Guardian for Puerto Rican Nightjar), Mississippi State University, USGS Cooperative Research Units, BirdLife International, and The British Birdwatching Fair. With an estimated population of 1,400-2,000 individuals, Puerto Rican Nightjar is a single-island endemic species found in coastal dry and lower montane forests in the south-west of Puerto Rico. Fragmentation, loss and degradation of its habitat, especially from residential, industrial and recreational expansion are the main threats. SOPI, as part of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions programme, liaised with researchers, Dr. Francisco Vilella and graduate student Rafael Gonzlez to carry out the first systematic presence-absence survey to improve current knowledge on habitat and distribution of the nightjar. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/sopi_nightjar.htmlSubject: Newly evolved finch appears on the Galapagos Islands From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:45:37 -0800 (PST) Newly evolved finch appears on the Galapagos Islands Evolution caught in the act? An isolated population of finches have odd-shaped beaks, sing differently, and don't breed with others. By Bryan Nelson Mon, Nov 16 2009 at 9:40 PM EST Just a few years ago, the husband and wife team of Peter and B. Rosemary Grant made the breakthrough discovery that the beak sizes of some of the finches on the Galapagos Islands had already changed since Darwin's visit in 1835. Now they believe they may have witnessed the evolution of a brand new species. Even more remarkable, the scientists have tracked the evolution of the new lineage back to a single bird. As Nature reports, it began in 1981 when the Grants spotted an unusually heavy, medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis) on the Galapagos Island of Daphne Major. At 29.7 grams, the male was markedly heavier than any of the other finches they had found there. Genetic analysis revealed that the odd bird likely came from the neighboring island of Santa Cruz, where the species is larger. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/ybfsqz9Subject: New reserve declared within Dominican Republic IBA From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:23:08 -0800 (PST) New reserve declared within Dominican Republic IBA 10-11-2009 Grupo Jaragua (BirdLife in the Dominican Republic) has celebrated the creation of a new reserve, 'Reserva Biolgica Loma Charco Azul' (La Placa), within the Sierra de Bahoruco Important Bird Area (IBA) in the south-west of the Dominican Republic. This IBA holds essential habitat for high numbers (32 of the 34) of Hispaniola restricted-range birds, 14 threatened bird species and over 30 Neotropical migratory birds. Loma Charco Azul has been declared a reserve after several years of active lobbying by Grupo Jaragua and its partners. The President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernndez, proudly announced the decision to extend the protection in Sierra de Bahoruco by 28,748 hectares. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/dom_rep_IBA.htmlSubject: Making Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries seabird friendly From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 17:23:20 -0800 (PST) Making Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries seabird friendly 09-11-2009 As scientists gather today in Recife, in Brazil, to agree on quotas for the Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks of tuna and swordfish in the latest round of fisheries talks, BirdLife International and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) are reminding delegates that at least 37 species of seabird are at risk from these fisheries. Indeed, 18 of these species are albatrosses facing extinction. Getting caught in fishing gear is the greatest single threat that some of these seabirds face. BirdLife International and the RSPB hope that talks - organised by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) - will agree measures to prevent the deaths of these seabirds in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. In tuna and swordfish fisheries, albatrosses and other seabirds die on the end of longline hooks in unsustainable numbers and, for many species, this is their greatest extinction threat. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/iccat_albatross.htmlSubject: North Pacific Albatrosses added to ACAP From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:25:42 -0800 (PST) North Pacific Albatrosses added to ACAP 06-11-2009 The Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) have added the three North Pacific species of albatross, Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus, Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis and Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes to Annex 1 of the Agreement. ACAP is a legally binding international treaty which requires signatory governments to take action to reduce albatross and petrel bycatch in fisheries, and to protect breeding colonies. Annex 1, which lists the species covered by the agreement, previously included only albatross species occurring in the southern hemisphere, together with seven southern hemisphere petrel species. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/acap_species.htmlSubject: IBA Caretaker network established in Latvia From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:03:21 -0800 (PST) IBA Caretaker network established in Latvia 05-11-2009 LOB (BirdLife in Latvia) recently completed a two-year project to establish a network of volunteer Caretakers at Important Bird Areas (IBAs) across the country, and to create an online database for nature observations. Important Bird Areas (IBAs) form a worldwide network of sites for the conservation of birds. When complete, this global network is likely to comprise around 15,000 IBAs covering some 10 million km2 (c.7% of the world’s land surface) identified on the basis of about 40% of the world’s bird species. The effective conservation of these sites will contribute substantially to the protection of the world's biological diversity. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/latvia_iba.htmlSubject: Latest news from BirdLife International From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 16:37:16 -0800 (PST) Apologies for not sending anything out to the list lately. Been busy with work, family, and dealing with a broken computer. Back online, and slowly working on getting caught up on everything! In the meantime, here is a list of the most recent news releases from BirdLife International…. The future of Europe’s seabirds is in your hands, Commissioner http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/seabirds.html Deathly owl scares Zimbabwean family http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/zimbabwean_owl.html Triple helping of good news for Jerdon's Courser http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/jerdons_courser.html The first Portuguese Marine IBA inventory published http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/spea_marine.html Thousands say goodbye to migratory birds http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/eurobirdwatch.html Dr Nigel Collar nominated for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/nigel_collar_award.html Solving the mysteries of migratory bird declines http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/migratory_bird_decline_project.html Lake Nakuru becomes Africa's first IBA-branded National Park http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/lake_nakuru_iba.html BirdLife embraces online advertising to fund conservation http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/advertising_goes_live.html Albatross-cam captures amazing images http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/albatross_cameras.html Global population of Gurney's Pitta far greater than previously estimated http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/gurneys_pitta.html Albatrosses, birds of legend http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/lpo_albatross.html Via Baltica - Another landmark victory for Poland's nature http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/via_baltica.html Australia's IBAs provide the first nationwide conservation blueprint http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/australia_ibas.html Translating biodiversity monitoring into action http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/uganda_workshop.html Natron community vows to protect the lake and its flamingos http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/natron_community.html Endemics thrive on Timor-Leste's "Lost World" mountain http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/timor_lost_world.html Princess Eleonora's falcons leave for Africa http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/eleonora_falcon.html Presidents further their commitment to peace, cooperation and fighting climate change. http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/10/peace_park_west_africa.html Extinction crisis continues apace http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/iucn_red_list.html Conserving Argentina http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/conservar_la_argentina.html Regards, Jeremy ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: Madagascar NGOs unite against plunder of natural resources From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:02:28 -0700 (PDT) Madagascar NGOs unite against plunder of natural resources 23-09-2009 Asity Madagascar (BirdLife in Madagascar) has joined a group of Malagasy civil society organisations, Voahary Gasy, calling for an end to the plundering of natural resources in the national parks of north-east Madagascar. Following the change of government in March this year, all but essential humanitarian aid has been withdrawn by the international community, leaving Madagascar's national park and forestry services with little or no funding. Loggers have moved into the protected areas, stripping the forests of valuable hardwoods such as rosewood, ebony and mahogany. They work for influential business people who are in possession of illegal but "official" documentation permitting them to export these hardwoods. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/madagascar.htmlSubject: Hunting: an extinction threat to Middle East's most threatened bird From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:53 -0700 (PDT) Hunting: an extinction threat to Middle East's most threatened bird 25-09-2009 Conservationists trying to prevent the extinction of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita are distraught that one of the last remaining wild birds in the Middle East has been shot by a hunter in Saudi Arabia, bringing the known wild Middle Eastern population of this Critically Endangered species to just four individuals. Formerly, the range of this species extended across parts of southern and central Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It even features in the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt. Following a huge population and range decline, the bulk of the wild population of 210 birds now occurs in Morocco, but a tiny population was rediscovered in 2002, in Syria. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/nbi_shooting.htmlSubject: BirdLife welcomes ECJ decision on spring hunting in Malta From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:05:30 -0700 (PDT) BirdLife welcomes ECJ decision on spring hunting in Malta 14-09-2009 In a verdict delivered on 10 September, the European Court of Justice (ECJ, case C-76/08) declared that Malta has breached European law by allowing spring hunting of Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and Common Quail Coturnix coturnix in the years 2004-2007. BirdLife International and BirdLife Malta welcomed the ruling as it shows that this practice jeopardizes the conservation of these species, which have been classified by BirdLife as being in unfavourable conservation status in Europe. As a consequence, BirdLife concludes spring hunting has to end permanently. Hunting in autumn can continue for these and 30 other species in Malta, under certain conditions laid out in the EU Birds Directive. BirdLife International and BirdLife Malta had submitted a complaint to the European Commission on Malta’s insistence on spring hunting in 2005. “This ruling is good news for millions of European birds, including Turtle Dove and Quail that cross Malta every spring on their dangerous migration back from Africa. Once again we have an example how the EU Birds Directive can help our common natural heritage”, said Konstantin Kreiser, EU Policy Manager at BirdLife International in Brussels. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/malta_ruling.htmlSubject: Fiji Petrel found at sea – pungent fish attracts “lost” species From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:09:03 -0700 (PDT) Fiji Petrel found at sea – pungent fish attracts “lost” species 11-09-2009 An expedition to find the Critically Endangered Fiji Petrel Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi at sea has been successful, returning with stunning images and new information on one of the world’s least-known seabirds. The expedition was partially financed by a grant from the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme and its official sponsor, the British Birdwatching Fair. The team included members of NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, the BirdLife Species Guardian for Fiji Petrel. Known from just one specimen collected in 1855 on Gau Island, Fiji, the Fiji Petrel was lost for the next 130 years. Since 1984 there have been a handful of reports of “grounded” birds that had crashed onto village roofs on Gau. Until now there had been no confirmed sightings of the seabird at sea. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/fiji_petrel_discovery.htmlSubject: Spring collection debut for Araripe mannequin! From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:56:52 -0700 (PDT) Spring collection debut for Araripe mannequin! 10-09-2009 At the launch of Maria Elvira Crosara’s Spring 2010 collection at Anunciação on Oscar Freire Street, São Paulo, the most celebrated street for luxury shopping in Brazil, the Araripe Manakin will take its place alongside the fashion mannequins. The Critically Endangered Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni is one of two bird designs, supplied by Barcelona-based Colombian artist Catalina Estrada, which feature in the collection. A percentage of sales of selected T-shirts featuring the manakin, and the Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota, will go to support the work of BirdLife Partner SAVE Brasil. “This is our first cause-related marketing campaign and we are very excited about it”, said Priscila Napoli, SAVE Brasil’s Manager of Institutional Development. “As well as raising money, each garment will come with a tag describing the species, and another tag with information about SAVE Brasil, so this will raise awareness both about our work, and about the importance of Brazilian birds.” Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/araripe_mannequin.htmlSubject: SAVE Brasil launches conservation corridor project at Boa Nova From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 17:38:22 -0700 (PDT) SAVE Brasil launches conservation corridor project at Boa Nova 08-09-2009 SAVE Brasil has launched the project Boa nova para a natureza for the implementation of the Serra da Ouricana ecological corridor, in Bahia, Brazil. The work is supported by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, through its Ecological Corridors Project, and the German Bank KFW. Boa nova para a natureza means “good news for nature”, and Boa Nova is also the name of the main city in the project area. The region of Boa Nova, located in the Serra da Ouricana, south west Bahia, has a unique flora and fauna because of the overlap of two biomes: lush montane Atlantic Forest, and semi-arid caatinga. The dry deciduous forest of the transitional area, known as mata-de-cipó, is the habitat of two restricted range species, the Endangered Slender Antbird Rhopornis ardesiacus and Near Threatened Narrow-billed Antwren Formicivora iheringi. More than 350 bird species have been recorded at Boa Nova, ten of them globally threatened. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/boa_nova.htmlSubject: Go birdwatching with BirdLife in Latvia! From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 12:00:18 -0700 (PDT) Go birdwatching with BirdLife in Latvia! 02-09-2009 LOB (BirdLife in Latvia) has established 'Motacilla', a new company aimed at promoting and developing birdwatching tourism in Latvia. The name comes from Motacilla alba, the scientific name for Pied Wagtail, the national Latvian bird and symbol of LOB. The company will also sell bird-related products and in the future will organise educational trips and conferences. As part of LOB, the income from 'Motacilla's’ activities will fund research and bird protection activities in Latvia. Ilze Vilskerste, Director of 'Motacilla', explains that she thought about establishing such a company during the BirdLife World Conference she attended in Buenos Aires last year, where she was impressed by the projects of the Argentine ‘Seriema Nature Tours’. “It is amazing to see how new and great ideas start when there is the opportunity to exchange experiences with similar organisations engaged in the same field of work”, she commented. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/latvia_motacilla.htmlSubject: Middle East trainers take the flyways approach home with them From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 07:02:53 -0700 (PDT) Middle East trainers take the flyways approach home with them 01-09-2009 The first training course aimed at spreading the flyways approach to the conservation of waterbirds and wetlands across an entire region has taken place in Amman, Jordan. The regional “training of trainers” (ToT) workshop was conducted by the BirdLife International Middle East Secretariat, in its capacity as the Regional Centre for the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Project, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (BirdLife in Jordan). A group of trainers from ten countries across the region learned how to train others effectively, and to bring flyway conservation into the mainstream of their countries’ conservation planning. Fifteen people from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories and Qatar took part, representing governmental organisations and civil society organisations, and led by the BirdLife Partners and network organisations in these countries. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/09/wow_tot.htmlSubject: International Vulture Awareness Day From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:00:23 -0700 (PDT) International Vulture Awareness Day Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas that they occur. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction. The International Vulture Awareness Day has grown from Vulture Awareness Days run by the Birds of Prey Working Group in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in England, who decided to work together and expand the initiative into an international event. It is now recognised that a co—ordinated international day will publicise the conservation of vultures to a wider audience and highlight the important work being carried out by the world’s vulture conservationists. On September 5th 2009, the aim is for each participating organisation to carry out their own activities that highlight vulture conservation and awareness. This website, established in July 2009, provides a central place for all participants to outline these activities and see the extent of vulture conservation across the world More information available at http://www.ivad09.org/Subject: Lake Natron faces renewed threat from soda-ash mining From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:49:33 -0700 (PDT) Lake Natron faces renewed threat from soda-ash mining 26-08-2009 BirdLife has learnt that a Tanzanian Government Agency is seeking to buy mining equipment for large-scale soda ash extraction from Lake Natron – the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor [Near Threatened] in the world. “This is worrying indeed”, said Lota Melamari - the CEO of Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST-BirdLife in Tanzania). “An advert for the supply of mining equipment, and a recent announcement of the expansion of the railway and building of new port at Tanga to handle soda ash all point to deliberate efforts to keep alive the intention of mining Lake Natron's soda ash", added Lota Melamari. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/think_pink.htmlSubject: Malta: the return of 'common' birds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:32:06 -0700 (PDT) Malta: the return of 'common' birds 25-08-2009 A new report released by BirdLife Malta (BirdLife in Malta) highlighted how 2009 has been a remarkable year for breeding birds in Malta. The results of the ‘2009 Rare Breeding Bird Report’ showed that nine rare breeding species, most of which are relatively common in other countries, increased their overall distribution in the Maltese islands compared to 2008, with a further four species recorded breeding in 2009 but not recorded last year. The highlights of the study were the first confirmed breeding records of two pairs of Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus in 15 years and the colonisation of Malta by a species new to the island – Pallid Swift Apus pallidus. The first confirmed breeding record of a pair of Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea in almost 100 years and only the fourth confirmed breeding record of a pair of Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus were other important breeding records. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/malta_rare_bird.htmlSubject: Quest launched to find 'lost' birds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:11:48 -0700 (PDT) Quest launched to find 'lost' birds 21-08-2009 BirdLife International is launching a global bid to try to confirm the continued existence of 47 species of bird that have not been seen for up to 184 years. The list of potentially lost birds is a tantalising mix of species ranging from some inhabiting the least visited places on earth - such as remote islands and the western Himalayas – to those occurring in parts of Europe and the United States. "The mention of species such as Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Jamaican Petrel, Hooded Seedeater, Himalayan Quail, and Pink-headed Duck will set scientists' pulses racing. Some of these species haven’t been seen by any living person, but birdwatchers around the world still dream of rediscovering these long lost ghosts", said Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International's chief executive. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/lost_and_found.htmlSubject: Tribal effort to fix broken world hinges on condor From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:43:43 -0700 (PDT) Tribal effort to fix broken world hinges on condor By JEFF BARNARD (AP) – Aug 15, 2009 ORICK, Calif. — The tribes of the lower Klamath River have since ancient times decorated themselves with condor feathers when they performed the dances designed to heal a world gone wrong. "It can soar the highest, so we figured that was the one to get our prayers to heaven when we were asking for the world to be in balance," said Richard Myers, a member of the Yurok Tribal Council and a leader in the revival of the tribe's world renewal ceremonies. Now the Yurok Tribe is using modern science in hopes of restoring condors, which have not soared above the northern coast of California since 1914. If they establish that condors can survive here, and get federal permission to introduce birds from a captive breeding program, it would be the first restoration of condors in the northern half of its historic range, and a stepping stone to condors soaring over Oregon and Washington. Lewis and Clark collected some as they trekked down the Columbia River. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/mq3mo2Subject: Exxon Mobil Pleads Guilty to Killing Migratory Birds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:42:57 -0700 (PDT) Exxon Mobil Pleads Guilty to Killing Migratory Birds By JENNIFER KOONS of Greenwire Published: August 13, 2009 This story was updated at 12:27 p.m. EDT. Exxon Mobil Corp. pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to killing at least 85 protected waterfowl, hawks and owls in five states over the past five years, the Department of Justice announced today. The birds died from exposure to natural gas well reserve pits and waste water storage facilities at Exxon Mobil drilling and production facilities in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming between 2004 and 2009. Under the plea agreement reached yesterday with DOJ, the company will pay $600,000, as well as make changes to prevent related deaths in the future. Exxon told the court it has already spent $2.5 million on the effort. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/m8kl9dSubject: Endangered Piping Plover Chicks Make History From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:51:41 -0700 (PDT) Endangered Piping Plover Chicks Make History Three tiny chicks, rescued before hatching from the first piping plover nest found in Illinois in 30 years, were released August 7, 2009, at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, representing new hope for the recovery of this endangered shorebird.. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources confirmed that a pair of piping plovers constructed a nest and tended four eggs this summer on a remote stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline in northern Illinois. This is the first piping plover nest found in Illinois since 1979. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/mdv34kSubject: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Proposal to List Seven Foreign Bird Species as Endangered under Endangered Species Act From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:50:50 -0700 (PDT) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Proposal to List Seven Foreign Bird Species as Endangered under Endangered Species Act The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to protect seven Brazilian bird species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). If made final, the measure would extend ESA protection to these species. The decision by the Service was published in today’s Federal Register. Addition of a foreign species to the federal list of threatened and endangered species places restrictions on the importation of either the animal or its parts. Listing also serves to heighten awareness of the importance of conserving these species among foreign governments, conservation organizations and the public. The seven species are all native to the Atlantic Forest and neighboring regions of southeastern Brazil and include the black-hooded antwren, Brazilian merganser, cherry-throated tanager, fringe-backed fire-eye, Kaempfer’s tody-tyrant, Margaretta’s hermit, and southeastern rufous-vented ground-cuckoo. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/ldroauSubject: Link shared by jeremyjtaylor@yahoo.com From: jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:45:42 -0400 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/JustOneThing/story?id=8293261&page=1 [Message sent by jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com via AddThis.com.]Subject: DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia praised for Corncrake project From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 20:35:37 -0700 (PDT) DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia praised for Corncrake project 07-08-2009 The LIFE Nature project for the long–term conservation of Corncrake Crex crex in Slovenia has been evaluated by the European Commission as one of the 26 Best LIFE Nature projects in 2007-2008. This project is of particular importance as DOPPS' data showed that the species has been declining since 2002. The project activities were conducted in three main Corncrake Natura 2000 areas in Slovenia including Ljubljansko barje, the main breeding area for Corncrakes, Cerknica lake and Nanoščica river basin, as in these areas its declining was particularly evident. "Our LIFE project has finally opened some concrete discussions on the future of the agriculture policy in Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia", said Andrej Medved, Project manager and Director of DOPPS- BirdLife Slovenia. Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/slovenia_award.htmlSubject: New nestlings bring cautious hope for Asia's Threatened vultures From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 20:34:45 -0700 (PDT) New nestlings bring cautious hope for Asia's Threatened vultures 06-08-2009 The Critically Endangered Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris has been successfully bred in captivity for the first time, raising hopes that captive breeding has the potential to save this and other Critically Endangered Asian vultures. Two Slender-billed Vultures - which are rarer and more threatened in India than the tiger - have been reared at dedicated breeding centres in India, along with three White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis (another Critically Endangered species). It is estimated that only 1,000 Slender-billed Vultures remain in the wild and their population is decreasing dramatically every year. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/vulture_success.htmlSubject: Preachers and teachers help conserve Turkish wetland From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 17:02:06 -0700 (PDT) Preachers and teachers help conserve Turkish wetland 03-08-2009 Lake Burdur is internationally important for wintering and passage waterbirds, and has been threatened in recent years by pollution, urban development and unsustainable agricultural practices. In response, Doğa Derneği - the BirdLife Partner Designate for Turkey - recently drafted a sermon to educate the local community of Burdur on the importance of conserving their lake. “…Water is one of the countless blessings and a source of life for us, as well as for all of Earth’s creatures”, said Burdur’s Provincial Mufti. “A world without it would be very terrifying and we should be grateful for being blessed with water. We should especially learn appropriate irrigation techniques and farming practices in line with our soil characteristics and implement them wisely”. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/08/wow_lake_burder.htmlSubject: New 'bald' bird discovered From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:21:15 -0700 (PDT) New 'bald' bird discovered 30-07-2009 An odd songbird with a bald head living in a rugged region in Laos has been discovered by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Melbourne, as part of a project funded and managed by the mining company MMG (Minerals and Metals Group). The species has been named Bare-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus hualon because of the lack of feathers on its face and part of its head, it is the only example of a bald songbird in mainland Asia. It is the first new species of bulbul – a family of about 130 species – described in Asia in over 100 years. A description of the new species has been published in the July issue of Forktail, the journal of the Oriental Bird Club. "This is exciting news and a great discovery", said Dr Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife's Global Important Bird Areas Coordinator. "It highlights the importance of this region for birds and biodiversity." Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/new_bulbul.htmlSubject: New 'bald' bird discovered From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:21:15 -0700 (PDT) New 'bald' bird discovered 30-07-2009 An odd songbird with a bald head living in a rugged region in Laos has been discovered by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Melbourne, as part of a project funded and managed by the mining company MMG (Minerals and Metals Group). The species has been named Bare-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus hualon because of the lack of feathers on its face and part of its head, it is the only example of a bald songbird in mainland Asia. It is the first new species of bulbul – a family of about 130 species – described in Asia in over 100 years. A description of the new species has been published in the July issue of Forktail, the journal of the Oriental Bird Club. "This is exciting news and a great discovery", said Dr Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife's Global Important Bird Areas Coordinator. "It highlights the importance of this region for birds and biodiversity." Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/new_bulbul.htmlSubject: New guidelines bring hope for world's seabirds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:24:37 -0700 (PDT) New guidelines bring hope for world's seabirds 27-07-2009 BirdLife has taken a major step towards the identification of Marine Important Bird Areas (mIBAs) for seabirds around the globe. “We now have agreed guidelines which can be used to track seabirds and analyse the data to identify Marine IBAs for any seabird species”, said Ben Lascelles – BirdLife’s Global Marine IBA officer. The world’s oceans are seriously under-protected. Just 0.65% of the global ocean is within protected area systems, and most of that is within the first miles of the shore. As a result, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development set a target to establish a globally representative network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2012. However, the IUCN estimates that unless progress is accelerated, this goal will not be met until 2060 - half a century late. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/marine_iba_guidelines.htmlSubject: Earth Survey Project - Update From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:49:37 -0700 (PDT) Hello, For those of you who are interested, I wanted to give you a brief update about my Earth Survey project. To date I have gotten back more than 500 responses to my questionnaire, which I am continuing to post on my blog for now, although at some point I would like to do something more with the results, such as a book or documentary. I continue to accept results, as this is basically an on-going project, and to help make it easier for people to participate, I have created an online version of the survey. For anyone who has not taken part and would like to, you can submit your answers to my questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 I am hoping that by making the survey available online, I will greatly increase participation in the project, which I have been working on for more than 3 years now. Feel free to forward this to others who you think might be interested. I am really interested in getting responses from a wide cross-section of society, and am interested in the interactions between society/culture, religion, and nature/the environment. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments you would like to share, and I would welcome your responses to my questionnaire if you have not already taken part. Thanks, Jeremy ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: Earth Survey Project - Update From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:49:37 -0700 (PDT) Hello, For those of you who are interested, I wanted to give you a brief update about my Earth Survey project. To date I have gotten back more than 500 responses to my questionnaire, which I am continuing to post on my blog for now, although at some point I would like to do something more with the results, such as a book or documentary. I continue to accept results, as this is basically an on-going project, and to help make it easier for people to participate, I have created an online version of the survey. For anyone who has not taken part and would like to, you can submit your answers to my questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 I am hoping that by making the survey available online, I will greatly increase participation in the project, which I have been working on for more than 3 years now. Feel free to forward this to others who you think might be interested. I am really interested in getting responses from a wide cross-section of society, and am interested in the interactions between society/culture, religion, and nature/the environment. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments you would like to share, and I would welcome your responses to my questionnaire if you have not already taken part. Thanks, Jeremy ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: Earth Survey Project - Update From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:49:37 -0700 (PDT) Hello, For those of you who are interested, I wanted to give you a brief update about my Earth Survey project. To date I have gotten back more than 500 responses to my questionnaire, which I am continuing to post on my blog for now, although at some point I would like to do something more with the results, such as a book or documentary. I continue to accept results, as this is basically an on-going project, and to help make it easier for people to participate, I have created an online version of the survey. For anyone who has not taken part and would like to, you can submit your answers to my questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 I am hoping that by making the survey available online, I will greatly increase participation in the project, which I have been working on for more than 3 years now. Feel free to forward this to others who you think might be interested. I am really interested in getting responses from a wide cross-section of society, and am interested in the interactions between society/culture, religion, and nature/the environment. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments you would like to share, and I would welcome your responses to my questionnaire if you have not already taken part. Thanks, Jeremy ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: Northern Bald Ibis gets Royal Support From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:58:23 -0700 (PDT) Northern Bald Ibis gets Royal Support 22-07-2009 One of the rarest birds in North Africa and the Middle East has received a conservation boost from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Once revered by the Egyptian Pharaohs, Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita has become extinct in the majority of its former range in North Africa, the European Alps and the Middle East, and is now listed as Critically Endangered the highest threat level of extinction. However, ongoing conservation efforts will now benefit from a three year grant from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. During a visit to Monaco, BirdLife Honorary President HIH Princess Takamado of Japan offered HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco the title of BirdLife Species Champion for the Northern Bald Ibis. This is a special recognition that BirdLife grants to individuals, companies or foundations that significantly support targeted conservation efforts for threatened species under the BirdLife Preventing Extinction Programme. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/nbi_champion.htmlSubject: Lures ensure more murres... From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:19:34 -0700 (PDT) Lures ensure more murres... 20-07-2009 For the first time in more than a century, a Common Guillemot Uria aalge - also known as Common Murre - egg has been discovered south of the Canadian border on the east coast of the United States. The egg boosts hopes for the success of valiant efforts to restore the species. "We are absolutely elated”, said Dr Stephen Kress - Director of Audubon’s (BirdLife in the U.S.) Seabird Restoration Program. “The return of the Common Murre to its long-lost nesting grounds shows that conservation works – even against great odds". The egg was discovered by a volunteer working for Audubon’s Seabird Restoration program on Matinicus Rock, one of 50 islands in Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. It marks marks the first time since 1883 that the species, which spends most of its life at sea, has nested south of the Canadian border on east coast of the United States. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/guillemot_egg.html ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Answer my Earth Survey questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7 Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: Have your say - BirdLife needs your views... From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:11:52 -0700 (PDT) Have your say - BirdLife needs your views... 17-07-2009 BirdLife’s website is visited by over a million people every year, and is a fantastic resource for anybody interested in global conservation issues. “We’re now looking to improve our website and are asking people to use three minutes of their day to influence a global conservation partnership, and tell us what they think of our site”, announced Ade Long – BirdLife’s Head of Communications. We’re looking to hear from anybody who’s been to BirdLife.org – whether it’s your first time to our site or if you’re a regular visitor. “We’re giving people the opportunity to have their say, and let us know what they like and dislike about our site”, added Ade. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/survey.html ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/ Amazon store http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com/amazon.html Cafe Press store http://www.cafepress.com/jeremy775Subject: Mainland China IBA directory is published – in Chinese From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:32:45 -0700 (PDT) Mainland China IBA directory is published – in Chinese 16-07-2009 A revised and enlarged directory of Important Bird Areas in China has been launched at the Society of Conservation Biology meeting in Beijing. Published in Chinese, with English summaries, the directory describes 512 sites covering a total of 1,185,543 km2 (12.4% of the land area) of China’s mainland, and a further 56 sites in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. With an area comparable to the whole of Europe, China has an amazing variety of habitats and biodiversity. More than 1,300 bird species have been recorded, in nine distinct bioregions. Of the 49 Endemic Bird Areas which BirdLife has identified in Asia, 14 are in China. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/china_ibas.htmlSubject: South American fishermen help to save seabirds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:46:31 -0700 (PDT) South American fishermen help to save seabirds 15-07-2009 South America is blessed with one of the world's most charismatic birds - one which sadly is in danger of disappearing forever. "Modern fishing methods are accidentally killing around 100,000 albatrosses globally every year - that's one every five minutes", said Dr Ben Sullivan - BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme Coordinator. However, South American fishermen are working alongside BirdLife staff to help save their favourite of birds, and early results of their united efforts are capturing global attention. "We love to watch albatrosses when we're out at sea", said Jorge Rivera Vergara, captain of the longline vessel Tami II of fishing company Pesquera Omega in Coquimbo, Chile. "It's amazing to think these birds fly round the world for thousands of miles without landing and have wingspan of over three meters". Sadly, 18 of the world's 22 albatross species are facing extinction, with four of those species being classified as Critically Endangered according to BirdLife on behalf of the IUCN. In longline fisheries albatrosses die when they try to steal fish bait from hooks; in trawl fisheries they are killed when they birds collide with the fishing gear whilst trying to collect discarded fish. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/atf_callingcard.htmlSubject: H.I.H. Princess Takamado of Japan celebrates BirdLife’s Spring Alive campaign From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:45:43 -0700 (PDT) H.I.H. Princess Takamado of Japan celebrates BirdLife’s Spring Alive campaign 13-07-2009 On 12 July 2009, BirdLife International and the Mitsubishi Corporation Fund for Europe and Africa (MCFEA), celebrated the success of Spring Alive in the presence of H.I.H. Princess Takamado of Japan, BirdLife’s Honorary President. Spring Alive is BirdLife’s online campaign, inviting European children to enter their sightings of four species of migratory birds on the Campaign website. During the event, H.I.H Princess Takamado praised the efforts of more than 30 European BirdLife Partners in bringing children and their families closer to the wonder of bird migration and thanked MCFEA, the official Spring Alive Partner since 2007, for the successful collaboration. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/spring_alive_event.htmlSubject: Jerdon's Courser seeks Champion, as survey work resumes From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 14:34:17 -0700 (PDT) Jerdon's Courser seeks Champion, as survey work resumes 08-07-2009 Studies of the population and conservation requirements of the Critically Endangered Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus have been stepped up again, after three years in which resources had to be diverted to a successful campaign against the construction of the Teluga Ganga Canal through the bird’s last known stronghold, in eastern India. Construction of the canal went ahead in spite of a legal requirement that work should not continue until a large area of the courser’s scrub jungle home had been transferred to Andra Pradesh's Forestry Department for protection. However, the canal has followed the route stipulated by India's Supreme Court, following lobbying by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS, BirdLife in India). It passes to one side of the scrub jungle, rather than through it, as originally proposed. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/jerdons_courser.htmlSubject: One million South African bird records! From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:53:32 -0700 (PDT) One million South African bird records! 02-07-2009 Just two years ago, an exciting project was initiated to map the distribution of birds in Southern Africa using the efforts of keen civil society volunteers. Early on the morning of Monday 29 June, the millionth record was submitted to the project! Southern Africa's birdwatchers are making a massive contribution to one of the country's most important biodiversity research projects. Ornithologists and conservationists are tapping into the skills and enthusiasm of Southern Africa's birdwatchers to collect information about the distribution and relative abundance of its 850 or so bird species. "The Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2) builds on the success of SABAP1, which was undertaken from 1987 to 1991", said Doug Harebottle, the manager of SABAP2. The dedication of 554 birdwatchers is certainly paying off. Professor Les Underhill, Director of the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town which is coordinating the project, said "The 30th June 2009 was the second anniversary of the project, with 780,000 of the million records being submitted in the past 12 months". Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/07/southern_african_atlas.htmlSubject: Wildlife crisis worse than economic crisis – IUCN From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 18:14:24 -0700 (PDT) Wildlife crisis worse than economic crisis – IUCN International Desk July 01, 2009 Life on Earth is under serious threat, despite the commitment by world leaders to reverse the trend, according to a detailed analysis of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. The IUCN analysis, which is published every four years, comes just before the deadline governments set themselves to evaluate how successful they were in achieving the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity loss. The IUCN report, Wildlife in a Changing World, shows the 2010 target will not be met. "When governments take action to reduce biodiversity loss there are some conservation successes, but we are still a long way from reversing the trend," says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Head of IUCN´s Species Programme and senior editor of the publication. "It´s time to recognize that nature is the largest company on Earth working for the benefit of 100 percent of humankind – and it´s doing it for free. Governments should put as much effort, if not more, into saving nature as they do into saving economic and financial sectors." Full story at http://www.worldsentinel.com/articles/view/108351Subject: 'One of worst years' for attacks on peregrine falcons From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:36:15 -0700 (PDT) 'One of worst years' for attacks on peregrine falcons Published Date: 01 July 2009 By Emily Beament THIS year has been one of the worst on record for the persecution of peregrine falcons, conservationists said yesterday. The RSPB called on the government to add peregrines to the list of species being prioritised in efforts to tackle wildlife crime, after dozens of reports of the birds being poisoned, trapped and shot, and chicks being taken from nests. The RSPB has had more than 50 reports of crimes against the protected birds of prey already this year – compared to 79 for the whole of 2007. Mark Thomas, RSPB investigations officer, said: "In the last few weeks barely a day has gone by without a call about peregrine persecution." Full story at http://news.scotsman.com/uk/39One-of-worst-years39-for.5415943.jpSubject: Hi-tech puffins to monitor decline in seabird populations From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:34:16 -0700 (PDT) Hi-tech puffins to monitor decline in seabird populations Stubby seabird with comedy beak to help scientists investigate steep decline in seabird populations across Britain Short, stubby and gifted with a distinctive comedy beak, the puffin is an iconic bird. But seabird may also be the bellwether for a crisis in the seas around Britain. The puffin now has a new role, helping scientists investigate the causes of a steep decline in seabird numbers across the British Isles using miniaturised digital tracking devices, including one borrowed from in-car satellite navigation systems. Data for last year shows puffin numbers suddenly and sharply crashed. Scientists found that on the most significant North Sea colonies, puffin populations fell by a third or more. Adult puffins were malnourished, with large numbers washed up dead along the UK's coast. Full story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/01/puffin-decline-satelliteSubject: Record brood for rare bird colony From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:35:08 -0700 (PDT) Record brood for rare bird colony A colony of rare sea birds in County Durham has had a record breeding year. Little terns are among the UK's rarest seabirds and the colony at the mouth of Crimdon Dene has become one of the most successful in the UK. The Industry Nature Conservation Association (INCA) set up a protective fence in 2005 and there are now 57 breeding pairs at the site. Ornithologists have ringed a total of 108 chicks so far this breeding year, and it is hoped there is more to come. Full story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8128359.stmSubject: Three Spix macaws, one of the world’s rarest birds, hatched in captivity From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:57:14 -0700 (PDT) Three Spix macaws, one of the world’s rarest birds, hatched in captivity 28/06/2009 11:27:27 June 2009. Three critically endangered Spix's macaws have hatched at the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation Centre (AWWP), located in the Arabian Gulf State of Qatar. What makes this breeding success so important is that it came from AWWP's genetically most important pairing, including the genetically most important female in the international studbook managed population. The first two chicks hatched in late February and the third on the 2nd of March. All three hatched without complications in AWWP's new bird nursery, which has three rooms exclusively for Spix's macaws; one for incubation, another for hand-rearing and an extra large room for fledglings. Full story at http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/spix-chicks009.htmlSubject: Future Looks Brighter for One of World's Most Threatened Birds From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:54:34 -0700 (PDT) Future Looks Brighter for One of World's Most Threatened Birds Reserve Created for Niceforo's Wren – Just 50 Birds Remain (Washington, D.C. June 23, 2009) American Bird Conservancy, its Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, and World Land Trust–US have taken a significant step forward in their efforts to protect the Niceforo's Wren, a Critically Endangered bird restricted to the last remnants of dry forest in the Chicamocha Valley of the eastern Andes of Colombia. The purchase of over 3,200 acres of some of the highest quality forest of this type remaining in the region has resulted in the creation of a new reserve to protect the wren, as well as several other endemic species, including the endangered Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, and the Apical Flycatcher. Surveys have established that Niceforo's Wren is one of the most imperiled bird species in the world, with a global population of fewer than 25 pairs, and a tiny range centered on the reserve. With a core population of just 14 pairs at imminent risk of extinction from man-made fires and intensive goat grazing, American Bird Conservancy, World Land Trust-US, and ProAves acted decisively to acquire the private properties containing the core population and remove over 500 goats and 50 cattle. Full story at http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/090623.htmlSubject: Aves Argentinas launches a national fund for IBA conservation From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0700 (PDT) Aves Argentinas launches a national fund for IBA conservation 25-06-2009 Aves Argentinas (BirdLife in Argentina) is inviting applications for a new grants programme, "CONSERVAR LA ARGENTINA", aimed at promoting the conservation of the country's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and threatened birds. In its first year the programme will finance a dozen projects, with sums of up to 15,000 pesos (US$ 4000). The grants programme is supported by BirdLife International, the AP Leventis Foundation, Secretara de Turismo de la Nacin (Argentina) and Fundacin YPF. "This is an unprecedented programme for our country. We need urgent action at our IBAs, since half of them have no protection of any sort", explained Andrs Bosso, CEO of Aves Argentinas. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/argentine_grants.htmlSubject: BirdLife News From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:14:39 -0700 (PDT) The latest news from BirdLife International.... Sustainable forest management increases local income one hundred-fold http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/clp_forest_certification.html Hope for Seychelles' last Critically Endangered species http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/seychelles_paradise_flycatcher.html Help the storks while shopping! http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/lipu_credit_card.htmlSubject: Peregrine Falcons Taken Off Florida's Endangered Species List From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:05:02 -0700 (PDT) Peregrine Falcons Taken Off Florida's Endangered Species List June 18, 2009 7:08 a.m. EST Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor Tallahassee, FL (AHN) - The peregrine falcon has been taken off Florida's endangered species list. The world's fastest bird, peregrines had dwindled to 324 pairs in 1975 due to the widespread use of harmful pesticides. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday approved the delisting of the peregrine, calling the combined efforts of wildlife managers and individual to save the species as "one of the best examples of wise conservation practices." The agency will be implementing a management plan to continue to protect peregrines, which was delisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from its endangered list in 1999 but continues to be protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Commission will also decide in September whether to allow peregrines for falconry. Full story at http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015530847 ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: latest news from BirdLife International From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:02:56 -0700 (PDT) Apologies for not sending these out sooner or in the usual style- have been very busy with work and moving, and wanted to send them out before it got any later.... Jeremy Wader populations decline faster than ever http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/wader_atlas.html Imagine a world without fish http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/end_of_the_line.html Latvian Ornithological Society wins award http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/latvian_award.html Green 10: European Commission off target http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/g10_report.html TransCanada Corporation commits a million dollars to bird conservation http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/transcanada.html Neotropical migratory bird grants link sites and people along the Americas flyway http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/neotrop_migs.html BirdLife grant helps Endangered shorebird http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/shore_plover.html Exploring the 'Google forest' http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/mount_mabu.html ______________________________________________ "We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." ~Native American proverb Earth Survey Project http://earthsurvey.blogspot.com Project Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34705684632 Jeremy's website http://jeremyjtaylor.tripod.com Jeremy - Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jeremyjtaylor Jeremy's Photography http://jeremyjtaylor.shutterfly.com/Subject: African IBA network 'robust' in the face of climate change From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 18:59:30 -0700 (PDT) African IBA network 'robust' in the face of climate change 02-06-2009 Twenty first century climate change could see the ranges of many African bird species moving beyond the boundaries of the sites established for their protection, raising the spectre of even higher extinction rates than those currently projected. However, some sites are also likely to gain species whose ranges currently lie beyond the site’s borders. New research has examined the balance between these effects, and shows that under projected climate change over the next century, the African Important Bird Area (IBA) network will be an essential tool for conserving the region’s breeding species. A team of scientists from BirdLife, the Universities of Copenhagen and Durham, and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), have modeled impacts of climate change on the distributions of terrestrial breeding birds in sub-Saharan African. They have shown that turnover of species in the continent’s IBA network is likely to be substantial, but the network as a whole remains robust under projected climate change. Their paper, Projected impacts of climate change on a continent-wide protected area network, has been published in Ecology Letters. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/africa_climate_change.htmlSubject: Margaret Atwood supports BirdLife’s Born to Travel Campaign From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:52:09 -0700 (PDT) Margaret Atwood supports BirdLife’s Born to Travel Campaign 01-06-2009 “Conserving our precious migratory birds requires a united international effort”, said Margaret Atwood - Booker Prize-winning novelist and environmentalist. “With Partners located along the world’s many bird flyways, BirdLife is providing a safer journey for our endangered globe-trotters, but it needs more support”. With her husband, Graeme Gibson, Margaret is the Joint Honorary President of BirdLife’s Rare Bird Club, and they recently enjoyed attending BirdLife’s World Conference in Argentina. “I met some amazing BirdLife Partners - more than a hundred countries were represented, but all spoke a common language. BirdLife contains really passionate people - some of whom are literally putting their lives on the line to save birds and their habitats. There are BirdLifers out in war-zones - like Nature Iraq [BirdLife in Iraq] for instance - doing conservation work at great risk to themselves”. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/06/margaret_atwood.htmlSubject: How green is EU's development aid From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 18:41:37 -0700 (PDT) How green is EU's development aid 29-05-2009 BirdLife International, FERN and WWF recently presented a new study analysing how useful are the EU tools designed to integrate environmental concerns into its development aid. To do so the report looks at 21 geographically diverse Country and Regional Environment Profiles (CEP & REP)”,and assesses them on the quality and information they provide using a standardised checklist . The full report can be downloaded here. While recognising the importance of these Profiles and progress on their transparency, the three organisations have also highlighted some significant shortcomings.These include inadequate considerations of some of the key challenges such as climate change and degradation of ecosystems, inadequate involvement of civil society and local communities in the Profile drafting process, and lack of clear recommendations on how the environmental issues identified as country or regional concerns in the CEPs/REPs can be addressed through the EU development aid process. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/envi_tools.htmlSubject: Bird migrations set to increase From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 18:40:50 -0700 (PDT) Bird migrations set to increase 28-05-2009 Bird migrations are likely to get longer according to the first ever study of the potential impacts of climate change on the breeding and winter ranges of migrant birds. The length of some migrations could increase by as much as 400 km. “The predicted future temperature changes and the associated changes in habitat could have serious consequences for many species”, said lead-author Nathalie Doswald of Durham University (UK). A team of researchers - led by Durham University and with funding from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and Natural Environment Research Council – looked at the migration patterns of European Sylvia warblers, a group of birds that are common residents and visitors to Europe, like Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis and Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/sylvia_warbler_declines.htmlSubject: New fund to strengthen conservation in key countries From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 18:40:03 -0700 (PDT) New fund to strengthen conservation in key countries 27-05-2009 Thanks to a grant from Arcadia, formerly the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Trust, a new fund has been established to strengthen Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in key countries around the world This $1.5 million Arcadia/BirdLife Conservation Partnership Fund will finance the professional and organisational development of selected national conservation NGOs within the BirdLife network in key biodiversity countries around the world. This will help them achieve objectives shared by both BirdLife and Arcadia, such as preventing extinctions, securing land for conservation, and tackling climate change through strengthening local capacity. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/arcadia.htmlSubject: The aliens have landed From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 18:50:00 -0700 (PDT) The aliens have landed 22-05-2009 Invasive alien species are affecting native wildlife in almost every corner of the Earth. “An unwanted by-product of globalization, non-native species are harming ecosystem services, livelihoods and economies throughout the world”, said Ban Ki-moon - United Nations Secretary-General. Invasive alien species are plants, animals and other organisms that are not native to an ecosystem. Introduced species - such as rats and cats - are one of the greatest drivers of biodiversity loss, and have been implicated in almost half of all bird extinctions in the past five centuries. To increase understanding and raise awareness of biodiversity issues, the United Nations declared today - 22 May - the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). This year’s theme is drawing attention to the threats posed to biodiversity by invasive alien species. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/cbd_ibd.htmlSubject: Conservation Leadership Programme announces awards From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 18:49:21 -0700 (PDT) Conservation Leadership Programme announces awards 21-05-2009 The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) has announced the winners of the 2009 Team Conservation Awards. This year, the Programme granted 29 awards to research teams in 12 different countries with support totalling $500,000 (327,000). "The awards offered by the CLP provide a launching pad for young professionals who are just beginning a career in the field of environmental conservation", said Robyn Dalzen, CLP Executive Manager. "Through this programme, we are building the capabilities of future leaders and providing them with knowledge, skills and experience to address the most pressing conservation issues of our time." Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/clp_awards.htmlSubject: Will Cyprus spring shooting be banned forever? From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 18:48:44 -0700 (PDT) Will Cyprus spring shooting be banned forever? 19-05-2009 After a successful campaign led by BirdLife International and BirdLife Cyprus (BirdLife in Cyprus), the Cypriot Government has decided to stop the shooting of birds during the month of May on the island. “Banning hunting during May will greatly help to save migratory birds that pass through Cyprus”, said Martin Hellicar, Executive Manager from BirdLife Cyprus. Prior to the new law, hunting was allowed in 2008 for eight days in May to control crows – particularly Carrion Crow Corvus corone and Black-billed Magpie Pica pica. This initiative was then seen as an excuse to allow hunters to also shoot migratory species like European Turtle-doves Streptopelia turtur. However, this year the ‘corvid control decree’ has been reduced to just three days in June when the risk to migratory species is deemed to be low. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/cyprus_shooting.htmlSubject: Where have all our birds gone? (Britain) From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 16:12:43 -0700 (PDT) Where have all our birds gone? People have been listening to skylarks singing in Britain for 10,000 years. But now they, and many other much-loved species, are vanishing fast. David Adam finds out why The B1042 that winds from the Bedfordshire town of Sandy towards the village of Potton is a difficult road to cross. Fast and twisty, there are several blind bends where pedestrians must take their lives into their hands. That is trickier than it sounds, for most pedestrians who cross the B1042 already have a pair of binoculars in their hands. The road separates the grand headquarters of the RSPB, home to hundreds of birdwatchers, from some unkept fields, home to hundreds of watchable birds - hence the regular skips across the tarmac. The skips, though, are now less regular for many RSPB staff, for the star attraction of the neighbouring fields has flown. Until a year ago, a clutch of woodlark nested there, one of Britain's rarest birds with just 1,000 or so thought to remain. Then their home was ploughed up and replaced with a giant field of swaying hemp plants. The woodlark have not been seen since. Full story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/25/birds-wildlife-conservationSubject: Trans-boundary Rainforest Park will be a symbol of peace and stability From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 19:18:04 -0700 (PDT) Trans-boundary Rainforest Park will be a symbol of peace and stability 15-05-2009 The Presidents of Sierra Leone and Liberia today met in the Gola Forest, Sierra Leone, to announce the establishment of a new Trans-boundary Peace Park, to protect one of the largest remaining blocks of intact forest in the Upper Guinea Area of West Africa. The Peace Park unites the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone (75,000 ha) and the Lofa and Foya Forest Reserves in Liberia (80,000 ha and 100,000 ha respectively), with additional forest to provide corridors for the movement of wildlife between them. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/peace_park_west_africa.htmlSubject: BirdLife International announces more Critically Endangered birds than ever before From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 17:18:49 -0700 (PDT) BirdLife International announces more Critically Endangered birds than ever before 14-05-2009 BirdLife International's latest evaluation of the world's birds has revealed that more species than ever are threatened with extinction. A staggering 1,227 species (12%) are now classified as Globally Threatened but the good news is that when conservation action is put in place, species can be saved. "In global terms, things continue to get worse – but there are some real conservation success stories this year to give us hope and point the way forward", said Dr Leon Bennun, BirdLife's Director of Science and Policy. The rarest of the rare are growing in number BirdLife International's annual Red List update, on behalf of the IUCN, now lists 192 species of bird as Critically Endangered, the highest threat category, a total of two more than in the 2008 update. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/pr/2009/05/red_list.htmlSubject: “Flying High” conserving the Spanish Imperial Eagle From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 09:31:50 -0700 (PDT) “Flying High” conserving the Spanish Imperial Eagle 13-05-2009 The Flying High Programme, (Alzando el vuelo in Spanish), was created by SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain) in 2006 and has just begun its second phase. The first phase involved national authorities, local communities and private landowners in protecting habitats where Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti lives. Spanish Imperial Eagle is a flagship species in Spain, with a population of 253 breeding pairs it occurs in only five Spanish regions and also in Portugal. Spain holds 99% of the world breeding population. The Alzando el vuelo programme focused its activities in Campo de Montiel and Eastern Sierra Morena in the Ciudad Real province, one of the most important breeding and dispersal areas for the species. A “land stewardship programme” has signed agreements with 17 private properties in which it has invested near €100,000 in habitat management. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/flying.htmlSubject: Successful translocation sees first petrel chick From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 18:42:52 -0700 (PDT) Successful translocation sees first petrel chick 11-05-2009 The first Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow chick to be born on Nonsuch Island, Bermuda, for almost 400 years, has recently hatched, the result of a successful translocation programme. "The birth of this chick is an extraordinary achievement for those who have dedicated their lives to saving this rare bird from the brink of extinction", said Glenn Blakeney, the Bermuda Minister of the Environment and Sports. Bermuda Petrel (also known as the Cahow) once numbered in the tens of thousands before the island’s discovery by the Spanish in the early 1500s. The Cahow changed Bermuda’s history, as the ghostly sounds made at night by the island’s huge Cahow population so frightened the superstitious Spanish sailors that they thought Bermuda was inhabited by devils and never settled there. However, although they didn’t settle, they left pigs on the island as food for shipwrecked sailors. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/cahow_chick.htmlSubject: Could do better! From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 18:41:57 -0700 (PDT) Could do better! Why EU Rural Development Policy is failing to reach its biodiversity potential 07-05-2009 New study reveals poor implementation is undermining a biodiversity friendly policy On 7 May 2009 BirdLife International and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, launched their new study at an event held in Brussels. The study ‘Could do Better, How is EU Rural Development Policy delivering for biodiversity’ reviews the potential effects on biodiversity of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programmes across the European Union – and underlines the need for fundamental agriculture policy reform for the post 2013 period. At the event BirdLife blamed national governments for not using the environmental opportunities the Rural Development Policy provides. The main findings of the report show that, although EU Rural Development policy has the potential to tackle the decline of biodiversity, only a very small proportion of current Rural Development spending is benefiting Europe’s nature, while many potentially harmful investments such as irrigation expansion, drainage and extension of road networks, are still funded without appropriate safeguards. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/capstudy.htmlSubject: Stopping seabirds going under From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 17:35:27 -0700 (PDT) Stopping seabirds going under 05-05-2009 Even among disheartening conservation statistics, those for seabirds don’t look good. With devastating deaths and fishing bycatch indicated as a critical problem, 80% of marine bird species are in decline. BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme is working to curb the destructive effect of this interaction with fisheries, and – with a generous grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation – are supporting a series of satellite-tracking projects. Within seabirds, albatrosses and petrels are particularly at risk. They are slow-maturing and breed infrequently, raising only a single chick. “The loss of a few birds can have serious implications”, said Dr Ben Sullivan – BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme Coordinator. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/seabird_tracking.htmlSubject: G8 ministers pledge support for biodiversity From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 18:32:17 -0700 (PDT) G8 ministers pledge support for biodiversity 30-04-2009 At the recent G8 summit in Siracusa, Italy, global environment ministers agreed strong actions which underline the links between conserving biodiversity, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and reducing poverty. “The BirdLife Partnership welcomes the principles outlined in the Siracusa Charter on Biodiversity, and urges more action to agree concrete conservation targets post 2010”, said Dr Marco Lambertini – BirdLife’s CEO – as he addressed the G8 delegates. The Minister of the Environment of Italy convened the meeting which was attended by G8 Environment Ministers - together with the Ministers of Australia, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic and Sweden as the current and upcoming Presidencies of the European Union, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and South Africa. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/siracusa_charter.htmlSubject: Soaring high: BirdLife launches new migratory bird project From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 18:31:45 -0700 (PDT) Soaring high: BirdLife launches new migratory bird project 01-05-2009 BirdLife’s newest flyways project is being launched this week at an inception workshop in Jordan. “This marks a significant increase in our efforts to conserve migratory soaring birds in one of world’s most important migratory flyways”, said Dr Jonathan Barnard, Senior Programme Manager at BirdLife International. Government and NGO partners from eleven countries across the Middle East and Africa have come together in Amman, Jordan, to discuss and launch the UNDP-GEF / BirdLife International ‘Migratory Soaring Birds’ project. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/soaring_birds_launch.htmlSubject: BirdLife Likes Rock Music! From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:58:09 -0700 (PDT) BirdLife Likes Rock Music! 24-04-2009 Last night British Sea Power - a band nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize for the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland – enthralled fans by playing a unique composition inspired by migratory birds at the British Film Institute (BFI), London. “BirdLife are delighted that British Sea Power are supporting our Born to Travel campaign”, said Ade Long - BirdLife’s head of Communications - as he introduced the band on stage. British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton (UK) who draw a lot of musical inspiration from wild nature – live performances often involve their stages being adorned with plastic birds and plants. On their most recent album - Do You Like Rock Music? - there is a track called ‘The Great Skua’ which pays homage to the large aggressive migratory seabird which deliberately harasses birds to steal a free meal. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/british_sea_power.htmlSubject: Conservation boost for Tahiti Monarch From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:12:14 -0700 (PDT) Conservation boost for Tahiti Monarch 23-04-2009 A conservation programme for one of world's most threatened birds, Tahiti Monarch Pomarea nigra, has received a welcome double boost by the appointment of La Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie "MANU" (BirdLife in French Polynesia) as the Species Guardian and financial support from the BirdLife Preventing Extinction Programme. Tahiti Monarch was once widespread in Tahiti but predation of the nests by Black Rat Rattus rattus – that not only eat the eggs and young, but kill the females on the nests – meant that by the 1990s Tahiti Monarch was limited to four valleys in Western Tahiti. It is now classified as Critically Endangered by BirdLife on behalf of the IUCN Red List. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/tahiti_monarch.htmlSubject: Green Paper last chance for green fisheries From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:51:58 -0700 (PDT) Green Paper last chance for green fisheries 22-04-2009 BirdLife reaction to European Commission’s Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy The European Commission has unveiled its eagerly anticipated ‘Green Paper on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)’ in preparation for the CFP’s next fundamental round of reform in 2013. BirdLife International has welcomed it as an encouraging start for urgently needed radical changes. The Green Paper opens with its vision of what the CFP would need to look like in 2020, when ‘rampant overfishing’ would be a thing of the past. The European Commission recognises that this aspiration is ‘a far cry from the current reality of overfishing, fleet overcapacity, heavy subsidies, low economic resilience, and decline in the volume of fish caught by European fishermen’. Last year the European Commission painted a picture of the EU’s fisheries underperforming spectacularly compared with the rest of the world: 80% of the Community’s stocks are overfished compared with a global average of just 25%. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/cfp.htmlSubject: Jeremy Taylor sent you a Care2 eCard! From: "Jeremy Taylor" <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:07:17 -0700 Jeremy Taylor sent you an eCard from Care2! Click on the following link to view your eCard, or paste it into your browser: http://www.care2.com/send/pickup/1110-52678-52221-3515 This Care2 eCard was sent April 21, 2009 and will be available for 14 days. Warm wishes, www.Care2.com Where spreading love & laughter helps save the world. Every time you send a FREE Care2 eCard you save a square foot of rain forest.Subject: Bermuda says rare national bird born on reserve From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:53:14 -0700 (PDT) Bermuda says rare national bird born on reserve By DAVID McFADDEN The Associated Press Saturday, April 18, 2009; 9:34 AM SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A fuzzy fledgling of Bermuda's national bird, spotted on a secluded offshore sanctuary this week, may help bring the rare creature back from the brink of extinction. The baby bird _ found nestled in an artificial concrete burrow on protected Nonsuch Island by scientists _ is the first recorded Bermuda petrel chick seen on the 16-acre (6-hectare) site for centuries, Bermuda's Department of Conservation said Thursday. Just 300 of the endangered birds, commonly known as Cahows, exist in and around Bermuda. They breed nowhere else in the world. Full story at http://tinyurl.com/cowmhzSubject: Paraguayan Chaco up for review From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:53:18 -0700 (PDT) Paraguayan Chaco up for review 09-04-2009 At a recent event, Guyra Paraguay (BirdLife in Paraguay), the Paraguay Secretary of the Environment (SEAM), the UN Development Program (UNDP), and the municipality of Baha Negra launched the review of the Management Plan for the Chaco National Park. The Chaco National Park was the first national park created in Paraguay and consists of 700,000 hectares of Dry Chaco eco-region. The Chaco ecosysytem is shared between Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina and is made up of mostly dry open forest, but is being degraded by conversion to arable farming and ranching. However, the risk to the Chaco is increasing. The latest satellite monitoring conducted by Guyra Paraguay in coordination with the SEAM shows that deforestation in the Chaco region of Paraguay, has increased from 500 to 728 hectares per day. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/paraguayan_chaco.htmlSubject: The Red List 2009 is coming and Africa is in the spotlight. From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:52:19 -0700 (PDT) The Red List 2009 is coming and Africa is in the spotlight. 14-04-2009 On May 14 BirdLife International will release the 2009 Red List update for birds. BirdLife is the official IUCN Red List Authority for birds and this year will see a number of species being uplisted – meaning their situation is getting worse. The 2009 update highlights the plight of Sidamo Lark Heteromirafra sidamoensis. Found only in south-central Ethiopia, its global range was previously estimated at 760 km2 with a population size of almost 2,000 individuals. But studies in 2007-2008 by researchers from BirdLife, the University of Cambridge, Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (BirdLife in Ethiopia) and University of East Anglia discovered that available habitat covered just 35 km2, and density estimates provided a global population estimate of only 90-256 adults, all found on the Liben plain. This new information – recently published as a paper in the journal Animal Conservation – means that Sidamo Lark is being uplisted to Critically Endangered – the highest level of threat – in the 2009 Red List update. If it were to go to extinct, it would have the dubious honour of being the first known bird extinction for mainland Africa. Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/04/red_list_sidamo.htmlSubject: Another endangered condor found shot From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 18:40:34 -0700 (PDT) Another endangered condor found shot The Associated Press Posted: 04/05/2009 05:41:07 PM PDT MONTEREY, Calif.—Wildlife biologists say a second California condor has been found with pellets embedded in its body, the second bird in a month found shot. Ventana Wildlife Society Director Kelly Sorenson says the endangered condor was trapped on March 26 in Big Sur and is suffering from lead poisoning, likely from eating carrion that had also been shot. When biologists were treating the juvenile female, they found three lead shotgun pellets in its body. The condor was sent to the Los Angeles Zoo for treatment. About three weeks ago lead pellets were discovered in another bird being tested for lead poisoning. That adult male condor is being kept alive with a feeding tube. Sorenson says it is unclear whether either bird will ever be healthy enough to be returned to the wild. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12078624 |