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27 Aug Hilton Pond 08/22/10 (Front Yards & Sourwoods) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 24 Aug FW: Ed Henckel passes away last night [stan moore ] 22 Aug Hilton Pond 08/11/10 (New River Hummingbirds) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 20 Aug GCBO's Assoc. Dir Position Description [Ellen Paul ] 20 Aug Available Position - Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation ["CECIL, John" ] 18 Aug Funds for parrot conservation – final call [David Waugh ] 16 Aug 2d job notice - NJ Audubon [Ellen Paul ] 16 Aug Job announcement NJ Audubon [Ellen Paul ] 16 Aug Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research [Ellen Paul ] 13 Aug New listserve for raptor conservation [Ellen Paul ] 11 Aug Hilton Pond 08/01/10 (Land Between the Lakes) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 10 Aug Color-banded Semipalmated Plover [Emily Weiser ] 9 Aug rideshare to Fort Collins, CO RRF meeting? [stan moore ] 9 Aug Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife [Anthony Zemba ] 9 Aug patagially-marked "seagull" [Randy Lauff ] 5 Aug Waterbird biologist position [Ellen Paul ] 3 Aug Re: Five penguin species now protected under Endangered Species Act [Jack Clinton Eitniear ] 3 Aug Paper on effect of climate change on boreal owls [Ellen Paul ] 3 Aug Bird Job Announcement for Starr Ranch Bird Observatory [Ellen Paul ] 3 Aug Five penguin species now protected under Endangered Species Act [Ellen Paul ] 2 Aug Free checklists for major world areas [Santa Barbara Software Products ] 31 Jul Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife ["SERGIO ." ] 31 Jul Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife [Larry Sirvio ] 30 Jul suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife [stan moore ] 29 Jul Biological Technical Publications, correcting web address [Stephanie Jones ] 29 Jul Posting for List Serve [Ann Burke ] 28 Jul Status review and conservation recommendations for the Gull-billed Tern in North America [Stephanie Jones ] 28 Jul Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [Ellen Paul ] 28 Jul Re: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [david merker ] 27 Jul FW: new Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management launches June 2010 with RSHA article included [stan moore ] 28 Jul Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [Ellen Paul ] 26 Jul Re: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [Wayne E Thogmartin ] 26 Jul Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. [Ellen Paul ] 26 Jul post-doc fragmented forests Hawaii [David Flaspohler ] 23 Jul Avian Conservation and Ecology - New Issue Announcement [Jennifer Miner ] 23 Jul Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL): 5th Edition [Ellen Paul ] 20 Jul JOB OPPORTUNITY [Tom Gardali ] 16 Jul FW: Hawk Hill, CA appears to be 2010 victim of Obama Stimulus program [stan moore ] 16 Jul Sad news [Ellen Paul ] 16 Jul Kimball Garrett's tribute to Michael San Miguel [Ellen Paul ] 12 Jul U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Names Science Advisor [Ellen Paul ] 9 Jul U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Draft Impact Statement on Waterfowl Regulations [Ellen Paul ] 8 Jul Hilton Pond 07/01/10 (Bluebirds & Wood Ducks) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 8 Jul Kearney 2011: Call for Symposium Proposals [Ellen Paul ] 8 Jul OXFORD UNIVERSITY: 3-year postdoc on tool use and culture in crows [Christian Rutz ] 7 Jul White-necked Crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) [Joseph Sullivan ] 4 Jul Hilton Pond 06/24/10 (Milkweed Beetle) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 25 Jun Re: eggs [Grant Stevenson ] 25 Jun Austral migration workshop - 29-30 August in Brazil [Kimberly Smith ] 24 Jun Re: website for identifying bird eggs [Jane Austin ] 24 Jun Hilton Pond 06/22/10 (New York Wildflowers) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 24 Jun website for identifying bird eggs? [Randy Lauff ] 22 Jun Scientific/common names spelling checker [Santa Barbara Software Products ] 21 Jun Invitation to become an EOL Curator [Cynthia Parr ] 15 Jun After Nearly 2 Decades, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Scientific Journals [Ellen Paul ] 14 Jun Mangoverde??? [Larry Sirvio ] 14 Jun A new method of learning bird ID [Bruce Kirchoff ] 10 Jun Hilton Pond 06/01/10 (Mourning Doves) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 2 Jun Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals [Ellen Paul ] 31 May Hilton Pond 05/22/10 ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 29 May Contents of Western Birds, vol. 41, no. 1 (2010) [Ted Floyd ] 25 May Richard ffrench 1929 - 2010] [Ellen Paul ] 21 May Hilton Pond 05/11/10 (Macroscopic Magic) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 18 May Job Announcement - SFBJV Science Coordinator [Tom Gardali ] 17 May Waterbird Biologist Position ["French, Lloyd S" ] 10 May Hilton Pond 05/01/10 (Springtime Ferns) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 3 May Hilton Pond 04/22/10 (Appalachian Spring) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 1 May Newe updates of BirdBase and BirdArea programs [Santa Barbara Software Products ] 20 Apr Re: Contacts for application of digiscoping in field research / ornithology [Frank Bubo ] 23 Apr Contents of Western Birds, vol. 40, no. 4 (2009) Options [Ted Floyd ] 22 Apr Hilton Pond 04/15/10 (Hummer Trips to the Tropics) ["Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" ] 20 Apr Re: banding piping plover [Marianne Korosy ] 20 Apr Contacts for application of digiscoping in field research / ornithology [Martin Riesing ] 20 Apr banding piping plover [Dan Brooks ] 20 Apr Re: feather colour in flamingos [sue anne zollinger ] 19 Apr Re: feather colour in flamingos [Thomas Knight ] Subject: Hilton Pond 08/22/10 (Front Yards & Sourwoods) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:55:06 -0400 "This Week at Hilton Pond" we explore our small front yard at the Center, finding and photographing a diverse assemblage of flora and fauna from predatory insects to immature hummingbirds to unexpected orchids. For a photo essay about these organisms that could be hanging out in your own front yard, please see our installment for 22-26 August 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100822.html . We also pose a question about the importance of Sourwood trees as a hummingbird nectar source. This edition includes the exiting first announcement of how YOU--thanks to the amazing generosity of an alumnus from past Operation RubyThroat expeditions--can go with us for FREE next winter to Costa Rica. If you've always wanted to study hummingbirds in the warm, sunny Neotropics when winter weather is at its worst in North America, here's your big chance to receive one of TWO $1,799 trip scholarships while supporting Hilton Pond Center's education, research, and conservation endeavors. Don't forget to scroll down for a list of birds banded at Hilton Pond during the most recent period, as well as a couple of miscellaneous nature notes. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: FW: Ed Henckel passes away last night From: stan moore <hawkman11 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:54:32 +0000 Dear all -- I am profoundly grieved to announce the news that Ed Henckel, long-time raptor bander and vulture researcher from Pennsylvania passed away last night after battling cancer. Ed was a genuine person. He spoke his mind and had strong opinions. He was not duplicitous and he was not devious. You knew exactly where you stood with Ed. He battled you sometimes, encouraged you sometimes, worked hard, and showed us the power of fortitude. In my last phone conversation with Ed, he told me of his day-to-day struggles with the insidious disease, and how he had good days and not so good ones. But his voice was so strong that I was not aware of the gravity of his illness except by hearing from mutual friends. I am sure that Ed Henckel was enthusiastic about raptors until his last breath. I could feel him and his influence when I visited hawk nests, banded individuals or thought about what raptors need and what they deserve. He was an inspiration and a mentor. Ed Henckel will be sorely missed and never forgotten. Condolences go out to Ed's wife, Judy, and to others of his extended friends and family. Stan Moore Subject: Hilton Pond 08/11/10 (New River Hummingbirds) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:23:00 -0400 We wandered off to the Mountain State this past week for the first-ever New River Hummingbird Festival in Fayette County WV. For an account of what this was all about, please see our "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 11-21 August 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100811.html While there don't forget to scroll down for a list of birds banded and recaptured back at Hilton Pond, as well as miscellaneous nature notes and an acknowledgement of recent donors. Happy (Still Hot!) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: GCBO's Assoc. Dir Position Description From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:40:45 -0400 Subject: Available Position - Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation From: "CECIL, John" <jcecil AT AUDUBON.ORG> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:58:51 -0400 Apologies for duplicate postings. NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY POSITION OPENING Available Position: Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation Location: TBD, possibly Moss Point, MS, or Baton Rouge, LA Purpose of the Position: The Gulf of Mexico Director of Bird Conservation will work as part of a team to implement Audubon's conservation plan for the Gulf of Mexico. This person will play a leadership role in helping Audubon identify and prioritize sites for conservation along the coast, design and implement scientifically rigorous conservation plans, design and implement evaluation programs for measuring conservation progress, and assist in leading a team of IBA coordinators. The Director will lead the implementation of Audubon's IBA assessment tools in evaluating the status, threats, conservation opportunity, and response to conservation actions of Important Bird Areas in the Gulf region. This is an approach modeled after BirdLife International's IBA monitoring framework, which ensures a unified approach to understanding bird population status, major threats, extent and condition of the habitats, and facilitates the determination or evaluation of conservation actions at IBAs. In particular, the Director will determine the extent of damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to Important Bird Areas (IBA) and other priority sites and on bird populations along the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. This position will serve to coordinate and deliver IBA assessment, conservation and volunteer coordination, all essential aspects of the Important Bird Areas Program, which is Audubon's centerpiece conservation program. This is an integral part of the organization's mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. This person selected to fill this position will be a key player in Audubon's Gulf of Mexico conservation initiative. He/She will work in conjunction with the VP Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration and collaborate closely with staff on the state, regional and national level. He/She will also work closely with staff, chapters and partners across multiple disciplines, serving an integrative role to bring scientific information from the IBA program to the advocacy, policy and communication arenas. Essential Functions: Specifically this position will: * Be part of an integrated multidisciplinary team and work with VP Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration, national, state and regional staff to develop overall conservation strategy that stabilizes or increases regional populations of focal bird species and restores and protects coastal habitats essential to focal species with a major focus on Important Bird Areas' * Work with Audubon staff, partners, and volunteers to identify and prioritize IBAs in the Gulf region, implement the IBA Assessment protocol and complete monitoring of the status of these sites relative to oil spill threats; * Work with Audubon staff to implement Audubon's IBA assessment tools in evaluating status, threats, conservation opportunity, and response to conservation actions at IBAs in the Gulf and ensure that the assessment approach is aligned and integrates with BirdLife International's monitoring framework and other relevant state, federal, and conservation organization site assessment programs; * Play a leadership role in helping Audubon staff develop and implement conservation plans at priority sites and feed conservation needs into broader landscape and policy conservation agendas; * Work with Audubon staff to effectively deliver results to federal, state and other partners that play important roles in the conservation and protection of these sites and the landscapes in which they reside. * Achieving the above may involve convening and coordinating meetings and workshops, developing and testing field protocols, assisting in the development of the relevant data storage and reporting tools, and assisting in the recruiting and training of staff and volunteers. * Work with State IBA staff to make sure data are collected in scientifically credible manner (meeting national and BirdLife Standards), entered into appropriate databases, used in regional and national analyses, and presented in scientific and conservation reports, and other conservation products; Additional Functions: Participate, as a member of the national IBA staff, in the development and implementation of the U.S. Important Bird Areas Program. Work closely with national IBA staff to insure that work in the Gulf maintains and enhances the scientific rigor and credibility of the national and international IBA network. Measurement of Performance: Annual Performance Management Plan (PMP) developed collaboratively with National Director of Important Bird Area program and Vice President of Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration. Relationships: Internal: Director of the Important Bird Areas Program as immediate supervisor. Dotted line reporting to Vice President for Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration. Strong interrelationships with national and state level IBA Program, science, education, policy and field staff. External: Extensive contact with IBA program partners this includes: Audubon chapter members, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, donors, media, and volunteers. Equipment: Standard office equipment (i.e., phone, fax, copier, MS Windows operating system computer, etc.). Familiarity if not expertise with Microsoft Excel, Power Point Word and other desktop applications. Ability to use ArcView GIS software for map presentation and basic data analysis. Qualifications: Masters Degree or higher in conservation biology, wildlife management, ornithology, natural resources, or equivalent and at least three years work experience in the conservation profession or related field. Candidate should have a keen interest in and familiarity if not expertise with site-based conservation planning and implementation, bird conservation, avian monitoring, habitat characterization and threat assessment methodologies. The Director of Bird Conservation for the Gulf will have a keen knowledge of birds, bird conservation issues and partnerships throughout the U.S., will be skilled in basic bird monitoring techniques, habitat assessment techniques, and have an understanding of the threat and conservation action taxonomies as defined by the Conservation Measures Partnership and IUCN. Understanding how to use the tools of the Conservation Measures Partnership in developing conservation plans would be a plus. The candidate should have exceptional public speaking, public presentation, and writing skills. Additionally, an understanding and appreciation for working for a decentralized organization where excellent communication skills are essential. Ability to organize and coordinate large projects, and an attention to details are essential. Willingness to travel and work weekends and nights as required. Fundraising experience is beneficial. Contact: To apply send via e-mail a cover letter stating interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to: John Cecil; Director, Important Bird Areas Program National Audubon Society jcecil AT audubon.org Subject: Funds for parrot conservation – final call From: David Waugh <environment AT LOROPARQUE-FUNDACION.ORG> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:55:03 +0100 LORO PARQUE FUNDACION SUPPORT FOR PARROT IN-SITU CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH PROJECTS- FINAL CALL The total funds awarded by the Loro Parque Fundación for projects beginning or continuing in 2010 have been €/EUR 850,000. NOTICE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR PROJECTS TO BEGIN IN 2011 The Loro Parque Fundación supports projects which have parrot species as their focus of attention. Its main interest is to utilise these projects to improve the conservation prospects of threatened parrots and to promote biodiversity conservation. The Loro Parque Fundación supports projects in two categories: A “Principal Projects”: these tend to be long-term and have a significant proactive input by the Loro Parque Fundación; budgets are usually above €/EUR 20,000 per annum. B ”Small-scale grants”: created to address short-term parrot conservation research priorities, with a relatively small input by the Loro Parque Fundación. The total amount available every year for all projects of this type at present is €/EUR 25,000, and individual project budgets average €/EUR 4,000 per annum. Applications for projects to begin in 2011 will reviewed at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees and Advisors of the Loro Parque Fundación. To be included in the review, applications must be received by the Loro Parque Fundación by extended date of Monday 30th August 2010. For application forms and the Guidelines for Applicants, please go to the website: www.loroparque-fundacion.org/en or send an email to: environment AT loroparque-fundacion.org ************************************* Subject: 2d job notice - NJ Audubon From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:28:43 -0400 Position Title: Stewardship Project Coordinator Department Conservation Location: Center for Research and Education, Cape May Court House, NJ Reports To: Stewardship Project Director Job Classification Full-time (40 hour week) Job Description: The Stewardship Project Coordinator works with the Stewardship Project Director to address biodiversity and species conservation from a regional perspective by working closely with public and private landowners to simultaneously promote wildlife habitat creation and enhancement and agricultural sustainability. The Project Coordinator works to protect and restore focal areas by engaging in a wide range of activities including, but not limited to, sustainable agricultural practices that are compatible with the development of habitat conservation and protection plans/strategies for critical wildlife. The Project Coordinator will serve as the NJA representative on one or more initiatives and assist the Project Director in consulting on management practices as well as coordination, technical support, and field assessment. Other responsibilities will include aiding the development of habitat conservation and restoration activities and interacting with various partners (public, private and governmental) to promote effective, active conservation management actions associated with critical habitats. Major Responsibilities:  Provides oversight and assists with project management for implementation of specific field-based projects.  Participates in landowner outreach efforts.  Develops conservation plans in cooperation with Project Director.  Develops and implements demonstration habitat management plans on designated public and private lands.  Aids landowners in the development of project proposals for federal funding.  Delivers federal and state conservation incentive programs through landowner contacts.  Organizes and conducts conservation planning workshops for stakeholders.  Manages Important Bird Areas database and related GIS products.  Recruits volunteers to act as stewards of natural resources through data submission or participation in community restoration events.  Works with the Stewardship Project Director and other department staff to identify funding sources and prepares project reports and proposals.  Identifies and explores opportunities to expand NJA conservation programs and mission.  Works with the Stewardship Project Director to maintain existing key relationships with partners, funders, and other contacts as well as completing other tasks as requested.  Participates with other mission area staff to adopt a “team” approach towards daily operations at the assigned work station. Knowledge/Skills  A motivated self-starter who is also a strong team player.  Excellent writing and speaking skills essential.  Experience using GIS software (e.g. ESRI) essential.  Familiarity with a variety of software programs, including standard Microsoft software products. GPS experience is a plus.  Possess effective time management skills and the ability to organize complex projects.  Experience developing and implementing restoration projects.  Fundraising or grant writing experience is beneficial. Qualifications:  M.S. in wildlife biology, natural resources, or related field preferred including an emphasis in land management and/or conservation planning. Relevant experience may be substituted for education.  Two years experience working in the natural resources or conservation field.  Must be willing to travel and work weekends and nights as required. This requires a reliable vehicle and a valid New Jersey Driver’s License.  Must be able to perform field work, such as planting and walking on uneven surfaces, and be able to lift at least 25 pounds.  Flexibility to adjust hours to meet specials needs of the department. Starting Date: Immediate. Salary: Competitive and Commensurate with experience. Application Deadline: August 27, 2010. Please submit a letter of interest and resume. Qualified individuals may apply by sending a resume with cover letter via email to Gylla Macgregor at gylla.macgregor AT njaudubon.org or mail 1024 Anderson Rd, Port Murray, NJ 07865. New Jersey Audubon Society is an equal opportunity employer. Subject: Job announcement NJ Audubon From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:27:15 -0400 Job Description Position Title: Stewardship Project Director - Forester Department Conservation Location: Statewide Reports To: Director of Conservation and Stewardship Job Classification Full-time (40 hour week) Job Description: Stewardship Project Director- Forester (SPDF) will serve as the lead biologist for NJA’s forest stewardship activities and take a leadership role on statewide forest management issues applying the tenets of ecological forestry on both public and private lands. The successful applicant should have an entrepreneurial and innovative attitude and be willing to explore novel opportunities to advance the mission of NJA. The FSPD will engage in a wide range of activities, including, but not limited to: developing and consulting on Forest Stewardship Plans, applying for and managing Forest Stewardship Council certification, providing management, coordination, technical support and development of habitat conservation and protection plans/strategies, performing field assessments that may include timber marking and cruising and oversight of forest management activities, aiding in habitat conservation and restoration activities, and interaction with various partners (public, private and governmental) to promote effective, active forest management actions associated with improving overall forest vitality as well as critical habitats for threatened, endangered and declining plants, animals and natural communities in specific focal areas. Major Responsibilities:  Lead biologist on forest stewardship initiatives for NJA including FSC certification and plan development.  Primary representative for NJA on statewide and regional forestry committees, boards, and councils.  Provides oversight and project management for implementation of specific field-based projects in focal areas.  Engages private and public landowners to develop regional forest management strategies for conservation.  Organizes and conducts conservation planning workshops for stakeholders within focal areas.  Works with the Director of Conservation and other department staff to identify funding sources and prepare project reports and proposals.  Identifies opportunities to expand NJA conservation programs.  Creates, manages and administers project grants and budgets.  Initiates and completes project reports and grant proposals as well as identifying and cultivating new opportunities to expand NJA conservation program.  Explores novel opportunities to advance the mission of NJA  Works with the Director of Conservation and Stewardship to maintain existing key relationships with partners, funders, and other contacts as well as completing other tasks as requested.  Flexibility to adjust hours to meet needs of the Conservation Department and organization as required.  Participates with other mission area staff to adopt a “team” approach towards daily operations at the assigned work station. Knowledge/Skills  A motivated self-starter who is also a strong team player.  Experience managing multiple projects.  Excellent writing and speaking skills essential.  Proficiency in the tools of modern forestry, including GIS software (e.g. ESRI) and modeling software  Familiarity with the laws and practices of forest stewardship in New Jersey are highly valued traits  Familiarity with a variety of software programs, including standard Microsoft software products. GPS experience is a plus.  Possess effective time management skills and the ability to organize complex projects.  Experience developing and implementing forest restoration projects.  Fundraising or grant writing experience is beneficial. Qualifications:  M.S. in forestry, wildlife biology, natural resources, or related field preferred including an emphasis in land management and/or conservation planning. Relevant experience may be substituted for education.  Strong, ecological forestry background with some knowledge of wildlife and habitat management within forest ecosystems.  Experienced in forest management and planning, timber inventory, marking and sales.  Experience with southern pine ecosystems and hardwood management is essential.  Minimum of two years experience as an applied forester developing forest stewardship plans.  Must be willing to travel and work weekends and nights as required. This requires a reliable vehicle and a valid New Jersey Driver’s License.  Must be able to perform field work, such as planting and walking on uneven surfaces, and be able to lift at least 25 pounds.  Flexibility to adjust hours to meet specials needs of the department and the organization Starting Date: Immediate. Salary: Commensurate with experience. Deadline: This position will remain open until filled Application: Qualified individuals may apply by sending resume with cover letter with salary requirements, three professional references, and three writing samples that include at least one example of a prepared forest stewardship plan, to gylla.macgregor AT njaudubon.org or by mail to Gylla MacGregor Wattles Stewardship Center 1024 Anderson Road Port Murray, NJ 07865 Phone: (908) 837-9571 New Jersey Audubon Society is an equal opportunity employer. Subject: Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:11:18 -0400 Subject: New listserve for raptor conservation From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:00:21 -0400 link =http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Raptor_conservation To all raptor lovers, researchers and conservationists -- This new list is intended to promote the interests of the birds we all love. It will endeavor to publicize and promote the best possible science, and to reveal weaknesses and bad science when they are discovered. It will attempt to show the differences between conservation, protection and restoration and why those differences matter and are significant. This list is not intended to be a daily log of all things raptor, but to focus on the serious side of raptors and how we can and should protect species, habitats, and populations so that future generations of humans can enjoy and relate to them as past generations have. There are many threats to raptors that we can discuss and strategize to deal with. Please tell other interested parties and groups about this list and hopefully we can make a difference for the sake of these spectacular birds! This list is a companion list toRaptorScienceLiterature AT yahoogroups.com and its archives will always be open to the general public so that anyone, anywhere in the world can access them for the benefit of any raptor species, any diurnal raptor, owl, vulture, eagle, etc. in the world. Stan Moore list owner and moderator Subject: Hilton Pond 08/01/10 (Land Between the Lakes) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:23:39 -0400 Hummingbirds must like it hot, for there were tons of them in sweltering 90-degree-plus weather at Land Between the Lakes this week when we went out for annual Hummingbird Festival at Woodlands Nature Station in Kentucky. We did see lots of hummers--including one with an interesting foot problem--but also encountered plenty of other birds, mammals, and insects worth showing to Ernesto Carman Jr., our Costa Rican guide who's been visiting "This Week at Hilton Pond." For a look at what Ernesto saw (plus one of his tropical hummer images), please visit our photo essay for 1-10 August 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100801.html . Don't forget to scroll down for a list of birds banded or recaptured at Hilton Pond during the period. There's also a nature note and acknowledgement for our most recent contributors. Happy (Hot) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Color-banded Semipalmated Plover From: Emily Weiser <emily.l.weiser AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:39:47 -0400 Hi everyone, A couple of days ago (8 Aug) I spotted a color-banded Semipalmated Plover on Seal Island, Maine (south of Penobscot Bay). It had a white flag on the upper right, metal band on the lower right, and green over yellow on the lower left. The color bands were all plastic without engravings. Photo available on request. Anyone know who may have banded this bird or who would like the resight info? Thanks, Emily Weiser emily.l.weiser AT gmail.com Subject: rideshare to Fort Collins, CO RRF meeting? From: stan moore <hawkman11 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 23:37:11 +0000 Is there anyone planning on driving from Northern California (or elsewhere in the state) to the Fort Collins meeting of the Raptor Research Foundation in the latter part of next month? Would you be interested in taking on a rider to share fuel expenses? I have a place to stay if I get there, and my vehicle is old and my funds are limited... Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA hawkman11 AT hotmail.com 707.479.9863 Subject: Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife From: Anthony Zemba <Anthony.Zemba AT GZA.COM> Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 21:22:30 +0000 Too add to what Stan Moore writes, I feel that it seems to me that the effort expended to clean individual birds and other oiled fauna could be better assessed if done in a systematic controlled way so that the products used to help clean the animals and their resultant survival could be tested (i.e., compared quantitatively) and the significance of any post cleaning survival rates could be compared statistically among the fauna cleaned and the products used. Expressed empirically then as follows: Wildlife Cleanup product A = X% post-cleaning survival rate Wildlife Cleanup product B = Y% post-cleaning survival rate Wildlife Cleanup product C = Z% post-cleaning survival rate Wildlife Cleanup Control Group = __% post-cleaning survival rate Test for statistical significance among difference in post-cleaning survival rate using parametric test for multivariate analysis where null hypothesis is that there is no significant difference in post-cleaning survival rate within a given species subjected to the various cleaning products used for this purpose. And of course, accurately determining survival rates of post-cleaning wildlife would require the remote sensing technology that Stan Moore writes about. Intuitively, it seems that the effort would be more valuable to rare fauna (endangered, threatened species) than to more common species since the loss of even one individual of an endangered species could potentially be significant to the whole population. Further the issue of whether or not it is a worthwhile use of time and funds should be addressed via some sort of net environmental benefit analysis where the overall cost of mobilizing and operating a wildlife cleanup operation could be tallied and compared to acquiring pristine unprotected high value wildlife areas elsewhere or applying the funding to threat reduction efforts elsewhere (likely already a part of the pending NRDA but if not, should be). Anyways, I am not sure that I have provided anything useful to you all here, but that is my two cents. In summary I think that wildlife clean-up efforts should continue so that they are constantly assessed and improved upon. To write it off completely would result in running the risk of not ever advancing the science to the point where it is very effective and can be used with acceptable results when absolutely necessary for instance to save a valuable population of any endangered species that may become oiled. anthony Anthony J. Zemba CHMM Senior Project Manager/Ecologist Professional Soil Scientist GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. 296 North Main Street East Longmeadow, MA 01028 Office Phone: 413-525-3822 Direct: 413-523-0227 Office Fax: 413-525-8348 From: ORNITH-L: the scientific discussion of Ornithology [mailto:ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU] On Behalf Of stan moore Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 1:42 PM To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Subject: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife Dear all -- One of the controversies that re-emerged during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe, and is ongoing, is how effective and beneficial clean-up/rescue operations are for individual birds that have been oiled. Some experienced rehabbers from Europe went on the record as saying that it would have been more humane to euthanize heavily oiled birds than to clean them up and release them because post-release survival rates were very low. Others felt that improved methodologies for cleaning and handling of such birds has improved the chance for survival of birds in the medium and long-term and could allow for rescued birds to successfully reenter the breeding pool. My suggestion is that the responsible parties for the spill, such as BP, should be mandated to fund research, including the use of best available technology and technical support to answer such questions definitively. BP should have been required to fund the purchase, for instance, of satellite telemetry equipment, satellite time and all necessary skilled labor to track the movements and survival of birds such as pelicans that could physically handle the equipment in order to scientifically track outcomes of rescue operations. These studies should be funded according to rigorous study designs for multi-year periods and not according to the financial interests of the corporations funding them. Smaller birds and other wildife should be tracked and their survival monitored by the best available technology with the best technical expertise in study design and analysis, and all at the expense of the responsible party which caused the spill that impacted those birds. This would be a means of BP or other parties who harm individual birds to show accountability that would demonstrate the full range of impacts. Control studies should also be funded simultaneously that could demonstrate issues such as avoidance of impacts by wild birds, use of habitats by birds not known to be oiled, or discovery of impacts of birds in the region that would not have been detected except for the technology. I have not heard of anyone else making such a suggestion in the context of this situation, but I would be very happy is the Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society, and other groups would use their influence to make the funding and implementation of such research a reality for future oil spills anywhere in the world, and particularly in US jurisdictions. Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA Subject: patagially-marked "seagull" From: Randy Lauff <rlauff AT STFX.CA> Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 10:36:04 -0300 All, A colleage (a cell biologist - so forgive the vagueness in this report) came into work and noted that one of the retired priests on campus was feeding pigeons and gulls; one of the so-called "seagulls" had a yellow patagial tag with a three-digit code on it. Given the range of species we have here, it was likely either a Ring-billed Gull or Herring Gull. I have alerted the birders on campus and in the area to be alert for this bird, so we can get the number and species. Is there anyone on the list who is doing such work, and whose bird this may be? I'd like to give the local birders some more background, if possible. Thanks, Randy ________________________ R.F. Lauff Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University 2320 Notre Dame Avenue Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 (902) 867-2471 rlauff AT stfx.ca (902) 867-2389 (fax) http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html Subject: Waterbird biologist position From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 19:28:33 -0400 A waterbird biologist position is open at Coastal Bend Bays& Estuaries Program in Corpus Christi, Texas. Feel free to pass along to people/groups you think might be interested. The position description is below. To apply, go to: http://www.cbbep.org/businessroom/employment.html GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Coastal Bend Bays& Estuaries Program (www.cbbep.org) is seeking candidates to become part of our efforts to address declining waterbird populations on the central Texas coast. This full-time salaried position is based in Corpus Christi, but the program area includes four major bay systems along more than 100 miles of coastline. We are seeking an enthusiastic and organized person with a strong work ethic. The successful candidate will report to the Waterbird Program Manager. The major focus of the work involves habitat management and monitoring on nesting islands for over 20 species of colonial-nesting waterbirds, but will also involve working on breeding and non-breeding shorebirds and other coastal bird guilds. The successful candidate will develop a greater understanding of waterbird ecology as well as the range of anthropogenic and other factors that affect their nesting success, and implement projects that address the most critical needs. Applicants should be aware that job duties sometimes require work outside of normal business hours, occasionally in inclement (especially, very hot) weather with some overnight travel required. Must possess a valid driver's license. EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED . Vegetation management including planting shrubs and maintaining bare ground habitat . Constructing and repairing nesting platforms . Trapping and removal of predators from nesting islands . Monitoring and assessment of nesting sites . Boat operation and maintenance . Collect, compile and organize field data . Enter data into spreadsheets, prepare tabular data, graphs, charts and reports . Presentations to professional groups on waterbird issues and program activities . Outreach to community and user groups to improve perception and conservation of waterbirds . Work with the Program's advisory committees . Perform other work as assigned GENERAL QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES Experience and Education Applicants should have a combination of education and experience and a strong interest in conservation of coastal birds and habitats. A degree in biology, ecology or related field from an accredited four-year college or university is preferred, but relevant experience may be substituted for education. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities The applicant must have good oral and written communication skills (including public speaking), be able to work efficiently both individually and as part of a group. Small boat handling and trailering skills are preferred. Must be proficient using basic computer software (word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint). We offer competitive salary and excellent benefits package. ******************************************************************************* Members of the WaterbirdsNetwork list can write to all other members by sending email to waterbirdsnetwork AT lists.fws.gov. Any interested party can join the list if they send a blank email to waterbirdsnetwork-request AT lists.fws.gov with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. ******************************************************************************* Subject: Re: Five penguin species now protected under Endangered Species Act From: Jack Clinton Eitniear <jce AT CSTBINC.ORG> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 13:10:17 -0700 Have to wonder what the point is in making the already robust ESA list even larger especially adding species that do not occur in the United States. I am especially concerned as the data on many of these foreign species is often incomplete (government uses best available evidence argument). Once proper studies are conducted the species are often not considered endangered but remain on the US list forever as noone is willing to tackle the delisting process. Harpy eagle is a good example. Has been downlisted by Birdlife for several years now to Near Threatened status. The more they pile onto this list that later prove to not be at risk the more they dilute the value of the list. My two cents. Jack Jack Clinton Eitniear "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave" Dakota Indian Saying --- On Tue, 8/3/10, Ellen Paul wrote: From: Ellen Paul Subject: Five penguin species now protected under Endangered Species Act To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Date: Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 9:35 AM See below. If you want the full notice, let me know. Off-list. -- Ellen Paul Executive Director The Ornithological Council Email: ellen.paul AT verizon.net "Providing Scientific Information about Birds" http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET" DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Threatened Status for Five Penguin Species AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened status for five penguins: The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes), white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata), Fiordland crested penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), and erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). DATES: This rule becomes effective September 2, 2010. ADDRESSES: This final rule is available on the Internet at http:// www.regulations.gov. Comments and materials received, as well as supporting documentation used in the preparation of this rule, will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 420, Arlington, VA 22203. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine Van Norman, Chief, Branch of Foreign Species, Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone 703-358-2171; facsimile 703-358-1735. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339. Subject: Paper on effect of climate change on boreal owls From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 20:38:14 -0400 Subject: Bird Job Announcement for Starr Ranch Bird Observatory From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 15:19:48 -0400 Subject: Five penguin species now protected under Endangered Species Act From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 10:35:42 -0400 Subject: Free checklists for major world areas From: Santa Barbara Software Products <SBSP AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 09:23:31 EDT We have authoritative and up to date checklists, with endemics labeled, for every nation in the world, almost all of the world's major islands or island groups, and each U.S. state or Canadian province. We will send you one as a text file attached to an e-mail in reply to an e-mail from you telling us which one you want. There is no charge. SANTA BARBARA SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Our world birding software is demonstrated at Web site: birdbase.com E-mail: _sbsp AT aol.com_ (mailto:sbsp AT aol.com) Subject: Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife From: "SERGIO ." <sergio_atm55 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:39:13 +0000 We don't have to underestimate general knowdledge of citizens. If cases like this one that is so shameful for a developed country are not completely punished what we have to expect for undeveloped countries. We are living in a complexity of ecological webs so the impact on birds is not just an independent case, but just working at maximun scale to prevent and reduce impact on birds, water resources, climate alterations, mineral alterations or restablish them from a brutal catastrophe like this one may allow us to have an adequate and completely fair quality of life. We dont need (always) to show people the monetary value of birds, but the importance to protect all the environment elements so in that way we are going to have a really strong easy way to respect our human rights imposing more strict contingency measures for multimillionaire companies. We always have to remember that the only ones that finally establish conservation actions are authorities (politicians), and because people react more by habits than common sense we need to show that giving importance and pressure to anthropogenyc catastrophes on any biological or physical element is going to be reflected on human welfare. Sergio Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:32:09 -0600 From: lmsirvio AT COMCAST.NET Subject: Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU I think one of the problems is that public perception via the news media plays a big role in what gets done to "save" birds. Can you imagine how it would look to an uninformed public if birds were euthanized because "research" says it is not worth the effort? In the long run some benefit results because the public is made to believe that these birds have value. The other think I think is that the oil spill in the gulf made the public aware that the gulf wetlands had a real value that should be preserved - A tough way to accomplish this though. Larry S ----- Original Message ----- From: stan moore To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 11:41 AM Subject: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife Dear all -- One of the controversies that re-emerged during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe, and is ongoing, is how effective and beneficial clean-up/rescue operations are for individual birds that have been oiled. Some experienced rehabbers from Europe went on the record as saying that it would have been more humane to euthanize heavily oiled birds than to clean them up and release them because post-release survival rates were very low. Others felt that improved methodologies for cleaning and handling of such birds has improved the chance for survival of birds in the medium and long-term and could allow for rescued birds to successfully reenter the breeding pool. My suggestion is that the responsible parties for the spill, such as BP, should be mandated to fund research, including the use of best available technology and technical support to answer such questions definitively. BP should have been required to fund the purchase, for instance, of satellite telemetry equipment, satellite time and all necessary skilled labor to track the movements and survival of birds such as pelicans that could physically handle the equipment in order to scientifically track outcomes of rescue operations. These studies should be funded according to rigorous study designs for multi-year periods and not according to the financial interests of the corporations funding them. Smaller birds and other wildife should be tracked and their survival monitored by the best available technology with the best technical expertise in study design and analysis, and all at the expense of the responsible party which caused the spill that impacted those birds. This would be a means of BP or other parties who harm individual birds to show accountability that would demonstrate the full range of impacts. Control studies should also be funded simultaneously that could demonstrate issues such as avoidance of impacts by wild birds, use of habitats by birds not known to be oiled, or discovery of impacts of birds in the region that would not have been detected except for the technology. I have not heard of anyone else making such a suggestion in the context of this situation, but I would be very happy is the Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society, and other groups would use their influence to make the funding and implementation of such research a reality for future oil spills anywhere in the world, and particularly in US jurisdictions. Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA Subject: Re: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife From: Larry Sirvio <lmsirvio AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:32:09 -0600 I think one of the problems is that public perception via the news media plays a big role in what gets done to "save" birds. Can you imagine how it would look to an uninformed public if birds were euthanized because "research" says it is not worth the effort? In the long run some benefit results because the public is made to believe that these birds have value. The other think I think is that the oil spill in the gulf made the public aware that the gulf wetlands had a real value that should be preserved - A tough way to accomplish this though. Larry S ----- Original Message ----- From: stan moore To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 11:41 AM Subject: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife Dear all -- One of the controversies that re-emerged during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe, and is ongoing, is how effective and beneficial clean-up/rescue operations are for individual birds that have been oiled. Some experienced rehabbers from Europe went on the record as saying that it would have been more humane to euthanize heavily oiled birds than to clean them up and release them because post-release survival rates were very low. Others felt that improved methodologies for cleaning and handling of such birds has improved the chance for survival of birds in the medium and long-term and could allow for rescued birds to successfully reenter the breeding pool. My suggestion is that the responsible parties for the spill, such as BP, should be mandated to fund research, including the use of best available technology and technical support to answer such questions definitively. BP should have been required to fund the purchase, for instance, of satellite telemetry equipment, satellite time and all necessary skilled labor to track the movements and survival of birds such as pelicans that could physically handle the equipment in order to scientifically track outcomes of rescue operations. These studies should be funded according to rigorous study designs for multi-year periods and not according to the financial interests of the corporations funding them. Smaller birds and other wildife should be tracked and their survival monitored by the best available technology with the best technical expertise in study design and analysis, and all at the expense of the responsible party which caused the spill that impacted those birds. This would be a means of BP or other parties who harm individual birds to show accountability that would demonstrate the full range of impacts. Control studies should also be funded simultaneously that could demonstrate issues such as avoidance of impacts by wild birds, use of habitats by birds not known to be oiled, or discovery of impacts of birds in the region that would not have been detected except for the technology. I have not heard of anyone else making such a suggestion in the context of this situation, but I would be very happy is the Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society, and other groups would use their influence to make the funding and implementation of such research a reality for future oil spills anywhere in the world, and particularly in US jurisdictions. Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA Subject: suggestion regarding future research on oil spill impacts on birds, wildlife From: stan moore <hawkman11 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:41:52 +0000 Dear all -- One of the controversies that re-emerged during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill catastrophe, and is ongoing, is how effective and beneficial clean-up/rescue operations are for individual birds that have been oiled. Some experienced rehabbers from Europe went on the record as saying that it would have been more humane to euthanize heavily oiled birds than to clean them up and release them because post-release survival rates were very low. Others felt that improved methodologies for cleaning and handling of such birds has improved the chance for survival of birds in the medium and long-term and could allow for rescued birds to successfully reenter the breeding pool. My suggestion is that the responsible parties for the spill, such as BP, should be mandated to fund research, including the use of best available technology and technical support to answer such questions definitively. BP should have been required to fund the purchase, for instance, of satellite telemetry equipment, satellite time and all necessary skilled labor to track the movements and survival of birds such as pelicans that could physically handle the equipment in order to scientifically track outcomes of rescue operations. These studies should be funded according to rigorous study designs for multi-year periods and not according to the financial interests of the corporations funding them. Smaller birds and other wildife should be tracked and their survival monitored by the best available technology with the best technical expertise in study design and analysis, and all at the expense of the responsible party which caused the spill that impacted those birds. This would be a means of BP or other parties who harm individual birds to show accountability that would demonstrate the full range of impacts. Control studies should also be funded simultaneously that could demonstrate issues such as avoidance of impacts by wild birds, use of habitats by birds not known to be oiled, or discovery of impacts of birds in the region that would not have been detected except for the technology. I have not heard of anyone else making such a suggestion in the context of this situation, but I would be very happy is the Audubon Society, The Wildlife Society, and other groups would use their influence to make the funding and implementation of such research a reality for future oil spills anywhere in the world, and particularly in US jurisdictions. Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA Subject: Biological Technical Publications, correcting web address From: Stephanie Jones <Stephanie_Jones AT FWS.GOV> Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:32:46 -0600 The general web address for the Biological Technical Publications list has changed, and it is: http://library.fws.gov/BiologicalTechnicalPublications.html The web address for the Gull-billed Tern publication was correct, at: http://library.fws.gov/BTP/TernRpt_2010.pdf Sorry! Steph Stephanie L. Jones Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator USFWS, Region 6 P.O. Box 25486 DFC Denver, CO 80225 303-236-4409 FAX: 303-236-8680, E-mail: Stephanie_Jones AT fws.gov "Science progresses best when observations force us to alter our preconceptions." - Vera Dourmashkin Rubin (1911-1985) Subject: Posting for List Serve From: Ann Burke <aburke AT SAVINGCRANES.ORG> Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:27:06 -0500 Greetings, Please post this news from the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Joan Garland, 608-356-9462 x 142 jgarland AT savingcranes.org New CEO Strengthens International Crane Foundation's Global Reach International Crane Foundation's (ICF) Board of Directors recently announced its selection of a new President and CEO, hydrologist and wetland ecologist, Dr. Richard Beilfuss. "From its beginning, ICF has exemplified leadership and excellence in the study and conservation of cranes, and Rich brings over twenty year's professional experience with cranes," said Hall Healy, ICF Board Vice-Chair and President of The DMZ Forum from Chicago, "his major contribution has been to the emerging field of environmental flows. Beilfuss' work blends science and policy, and considerable people skills, to ensure that our water resources - rivers, lakes and wetlands - continue to nurture cranes, other wildlife and humanity." ICF's global reach recognizes the remarkable charisma of cranes in bringing diverse people and new allies together to solve problems vital for us all. The long-term future of cranes depends in large part on the decisions that people make for water and wetlands as human demand soars and variable climates threaten the security of water supplies. ICF has invested heavily in promoting healthy wildlife and wetlands on farmlands, in Wisconsin as well as far eastern Russia and the valleys of Uganda. Crane projects now alleviate poverty through the sustainable use of water and wetlands in the Mekong Basin of southeast Asia and Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa among other places. "Cranes will not survive unless we tackle the big issues," explains Rich Beilfuss. "Yet the same measures that safeguard landscapes nurturing cranes are effective at addressing human needs. I learned this first in Vietnam, where we searched for creative solutions to save the vanishing wetlands of the Mekong Delta for threatened Sarus Cranes and the impoverished people there. Later, our work to save vulnerable Wattled Cranes and other wildlife on the enormous floodplains of southern Africa led to a unique partnership with the Zambezi River authorities and dam operators for sustainable water management that will greatly benefit local fishing and farming communities." Beilfuss recently returned to ICF after serving four years as Director of Scientific Services for the Gorongosa Restoration Project in Mozambique, where he lived with his wife Katie and their two children. From 1992-2005, he served as ICF's Director of Africa Programs, cultivating and supervising conservation efforts in more than a dozen African nations. Beilfuss also has contributed his expertise to ICF's long-term efforts in Vietnam, China, Nepal, and elsewhere. Beilfuss' academic background and training reflect the breadth of thinking ICF seeks in its leadership-he has a Ph.D. in Land Resources, two Master's degrees (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management), and a Bachelor's degree in International Economics. Beilfuss is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he advises graduate students and teaches a course on environmental flows, and was appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin to the Examining Board of Professional Geologists, Hydrologists, and Soil Scientists. Co-founded by Dr. George Archibald in 1973, ICF works worldwide to protect cranes and the wetlands, grasslands and other ecosystems on which they depend. ICF works on four continents in over 20 countries important for cranes and is best known for its celebrated work to restore a migrating population of the endangered Whooping Crane in the eastern United States. ICF's Campaign for 2010-2011 is focusing on water - expanding conservation action for cranes and seven rivers on three continents. ICF consistently earns high ratings from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. Our headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, are open annually to the public from April 15 to October 31 and showcase the world's only complete collection of the 15 cranes species. Our campus offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about cranes and their fragile ecosystems through live crane exhibits, an interactive education center, guided and self guided tours, and nature trails winding through a restored Wisconsin landscape. To learn more, visit. www.savingcranes.org Ann M. Burke Director of Public Relations International Crane Foundation E11376 Shady Lane Road PO Box 447 Baraboo, WI 53913-0447 USA Phone: 608-356-9462 x147 608-356-9465 (fax) Visit our website! http://www.savingcranes.org Working worldwide to conserve cranes and the wetland, grassland and other ecosystems on which they depend. Subject: Status review and conservation recommendations for the Gull-billed Tern in North America From: Stephanie Jones <Stephanie_Jones AT FWS.GOV> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:49:34 -0600 FWS has recently published, both on the web and in paper format, the following publication: Molina, K. C., R. M. Erwin, E. Palacios, E. Mellink, and N. W. H. Seto. 2010. Status review and conservation recommendations for the Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) in North America. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Technical Publication, FWS/BTP-R1013-2010, Washington, D.C. The web address is: http://library.fws.gov/BTP/TernRpt_2010.pdf The paper copies are available from: Marie Strassburger U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region, Migratory Birds Program 2800 Cottage Way Sacramento, CA 95825 E-mail: marie_strassburger AT fws.gov Please remember to include your postal address! FWS has published a number of Biological Technical publications recently,and these are on the web at: http://library.fws.gov/BTP/index.html Steph Stephanie L. Jones Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator USFWS, Region 6 P.O. Box 25486 DFC Denver, CO 80225 303-236-4409 FAX: 303-236-8680, E-mail: Stephanie_Jones AT fws.gov "Science progresses best when observations force us to alter our preconceptions." - Vera Dourmashkin Rubin (1911-1985) Subject: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:14:44 -0400 Subject: Re: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From: david merker <buteojamaica AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:17:14 -0400 My double hung windows have outside screens, but my crankout windows have inside screens. Dave Merker Etna, New Hampshire Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:38:30 -0400 From: ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET Subject: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU I agree entirely, Wayne, and I've been worried about backlash every single time someone has used or tried to use the MBTA to control the ordinary activities of life. It is one thing to modify actions when practical to do so (i.e., wait until a few weeks until birds fledge to do those non-emergency bridge repairs). It is another to try to stop large-scale economic activity such as logging. The USFWS Division of Migratory Bird Management has been taking a constructive approach - working with industry to look for modifications to reduce the impacts of their activities. However, there are so many industries, the research is scant, and the staffing at DMBM is simply overwhelmed. And the response of industry is all over the map. Some are really working hard to reduce impacts (if only because it also benefits that particular industry, but hey, any reason will do ....). The electric power companies have formed an entire organization called Avian Power Line Interaction Committee. They have developed and field-tested a wide range of devices to prevent electrocutions. It is hard to say how successful they've been because we don't have baseline data and because there are problems with the way that the data are collected and reported. And the data are not made public. Apparently they intend to make summary data public, but it isn't clear to me that an independent researcher could gain access to the data. Others industries seem adept at appearing to care but actually do little but talk. And there is active effort to deal with the telecommunications towers, but no apparent plan to devise a monitoring plan to determine if the fixes actually fix. In large part because there is no funding for that kind of activity. So a tip of the hat to the good folks at the Division of Migratory Bird Management who are doing what they can. Maybe if they had a much larger staff dedicated to this kind of effort.... For what it is worth, it is apparently the ordinary practice of the USFWS to give warnings and allow the industry time to make changes necessary to prevent bird mortality, and that is reflected in this decision. As for windows, well, let's hope that people start installing full screens (most older windows have screens only on the bottom of the window) or use CollidEscape and take other measures to prevent collisions. For residences, the fix is fairly easy and inexpensive. I seriously doubt that the USFWS would go after individual homeowners, but I could see where if builders of new homes are forced to install a specific kind of glass that is more expensive, there would be a backlash. Ellen On 7/26/10 11:59 PM, Wayne E Thogmartin wrote: I've got to think this can only turn out bad for those who care about birds. I have to admit, my first reaction on reading this was, 'I have birds strike my home windows every year' despite my best efforts for it not to happen. The last thing we'd want is enough public acrimony over how this law is enforced that it leads to a watering down or revocation of the Act. Wayne Thogmartin -----"ORNITH-L: the scientific discussion of Ornithology" wrote: ----- To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU From: Ellen Paul Sent by: "ORNITH-L: the scientific discussion of Ornithology" Date: 07/26/2010 07:11PM Subject: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. -- Ellen Paul Executive Director The Ornithological Council Email: ellen.paul AT verizon.net "Providing Scientific Information about Birds " http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET" Appeals court rules on scope of migratory bird act By ROXANA HEGEMAN (AP) � 1 hour ago WICHITA, Kan. � A federal appeals court decision over dead birds found in Kansas oil field equipment has defined the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, affirming that violators do not need to intentionally kill them to be convicted. Apollo Energies, Inc., and Dale Walker, doing business as Red Cedar Oil, were accused of violating the act after regulators discovered bird remains in the companies' heater-treaters, devices that distill the oil pumped from wells. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to hunt, capture or kill protected birds. Violators are subject to a maximum penalty of $15,000 and six months in prison for a misdemeanor conviction. Apollo Energies appealed a misdemeanor conviction for the 2007 deaths of two birds, including one Northern Flicker. Walker appealed two convictions for the 2007 deaths of two Northern Flickers and an Eastern bluebird as well as the 2008 death of a common grackle at another site. Apollo Energies was fined $1,500 and Walker $500. The companies appealed, arguing the act was unconstitutional and violated their right to due process. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in a mandate filed Friday in Kansas affirmed two convictions, one against Apollo and another against Walker. The appeals court ruled prosecutors can hold violators responsible even if they didn't mean to kill any birds. The court overturned the other conviction against Walker, however, after finding he couldn't be held liable because he wasn't aware of the threat his equipment posed at the time those birds were killed. "It puts a lot of people at risk subject to the whims of the federal government," said defense attorney Stephen Robison. "... Who is next? Are you going after airports? Are you going to go after grain silos? Combines? Plate glass windows?" Robison said. "What's next? Wind turbines?" Federal prosecutors did not immediately return an e-mail requesting comment. Although the Kansas prosecutions are apparently the first in the nation concerning heater-treaters, the government has pursued other cases involving birds found trapped in oil pits and storage tanks. Wildlife regulators in February 2006 inspected 150 heater treaters over two days across southeastern Kansas to determine the extent of bird deaths caused by them and found the remains of 300 birds, including 10 migratory birds, in 65 heater-treaters. Those findings prompted a program to advise oil producers of the problem and give them until Jan. 1, 2007, to modify their equipment. In upholding the conviction against Apollo Energies, the appeals court noted that the company acknowledged at trial it failed to cover some exhaust pipes as wildlife regulators had suggested following a 2005 inspection. But they noted that Walker was not aware of the bird problems at the time of the first violation. Although Walker capped all his oil field equipment after that violation, he was charged again when a bird a year later got under the cap and became stuck in another opening, his attorney said. Subject: FW: new Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management launches June 2010 with RSHA article included From: stan moore <hawkman11 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:25:23 +0000 reference link= http://www.fwspubs.org Dear all -- If you click on the link above, you can access the new Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and review the first issue. A new paper on nesting habitat preferences of red-shouldered hawks in South Texas reminds me of the Hamerstroms and their long work on the Welder Wildlife Foundation property in Texas. I even recall that when I met Fran she had a gabboon named Felix Gutierrez working on red-shouldered hawks down at Welder and Fran thought Felix was so bright that he would some day win a Nobel Prize -- Fran told me that she personally knew three Nobel Prize winners, including Konrad Lorenz, Nikko Tinbergen, and one other. I have not heard of Felix for some time, and he was last heard of while attending school at North Dakota State University, where Fran used to send students to work with Dr. Jim Grier, one of the great raptor ecologists ever (in my opinion). So, it is very good to be reminded of these names and places and a species that has become very familiar to me here in northern California... Stan Moore _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3 Subject: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:38:30 -0400 Subject: Re: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From: Wayne E Thogmartin <wthogmartin AT USGS.GOV> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:59:33 -0400 Subject: Important court ruling on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:11:02 -0400 Subject: post-doc fragmented forests Hawaii From: David Flaspohler <djflaspo AT MTU.EDU> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:41:19 -0400 POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Two Postdoctoral Research Associates � Contractual Positions PROJECT TITLE: Interactive effects of predation and ecosystem size on arthropod food webs in Hawaiian forests fragmented by lava flows OVERVIEW: We seek two postdoctoral associates to join an interdisciplinary, NSF-funded research team examining the relationships between native forest fauna and introduced rodents in native forests fragmented by lava flows (kipuka) on the Big Island of Hawaii. One position will have a focus on arthropod food web ecology and will be based at the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland with Dr. Daniel Gruner. The other position will have an avian focus and will be based at the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University with Dr. David Flaspohler. The post-docs will join an ongoing research program investigating the role of omnivorous predators as drivers of food web dynamics in mid-elevation forests near Hilo, HI. The study system contains a set of naturally isolated forest patches of varying sizes along with plant, bird, and arthropod communities dominated by native species (Flaspohler et al. 2010, Biol. Cons.). The current research has solid theoretical and applied foci with the potential to make significant contributions to the conservation of Hawaiian ecosystems. The interdisciplinary nature of this research will provide opportunities for both post-docs to work with the two supervisors as well as Dr. Tadashi Fukami, Stanford University and Dr. Christian Giardina, USFS, Institute of Pacific Island Forestry. QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must complete a Ph.D. in ecology or related field prior to appointment. Candidates for the position with an entomological focus should bring a strong background in arthropod ecology, a background and interest in food web theory, working knowledge of stable isotope ecology, and strong quantitative skills. Prior experience with isotope mixing models, generalized linear mixed models, GIS, and coding in R or Matlab are desirable but not required. Candidates for the position with an avian focus should have a solid background in bird biology, a background and interest in bird- habitat relationships including experience banding and/or use of radio telemetry with passerines and strong quantitative skills. Candidates for both positions should enjoy working in an open collaborative environment, should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a willingness to work in a rugged field environment. Both positions offer competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with experience, as well as a range of mentoring and professional development opportunities and access to campus postdoctoral associations. A start date of Jan. 2011 is preferred but may be flexible for the right candidates. Contracts will be offered for 1 year with extension to a second year given satisfactory performance. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Candidates should send a succinct cover letter summarizing their research experience and interests, a CV, a sample of representative publications, and contact information for three references. Review of applicants will begin immediately and the position will remain open until suitable candidates are found. All applications received on or before 1 September 2010 will be guaranteed consideration. Application packages (emailed as a single PDF file) should be sent to: Avian ecology: David Flaspohler, djflaspo AT mtu.edu Food web entomology: Daniel Gruner, dsgruner AT umd.edu Subject: Avian Conservation and Ecology - New Issue Announcement From: Jennifer Miner <jminer AT RESALLIANCE.ORG> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:17:38 -0300 Avian Conservation and Ecology - New Issue Announcement Volume 5, Issue 1 | June 2010 http://www.ace-eco.org/ Editors-in-Chief Marc-Andr� Villard and Tom Nudds are pleased to announce the publication of Volume 5, Issue 1 of Avian Conservation and Ecology (http://www.ace-eco.org/). This issue sees the publication of the first three papers in the Special Feature "Conservation of Grassland Birds: Causes and Consequences of Population Declines" (http://www.ace-eco.org/issues/view.php?sf=2) edited by Nicola Koper. In addition, Dr. Villard and Dr. Nudds discuss the relationship between conservation and taxonomy in their editorial "Traditional Taxonomy vs. the "Dark Side": What�s the Fuss?" (http://www.ace-eco.org/vol5/iss1/art6/). The Editors of ACE-�CO continue to invite new manuscript submissions to the special feature: "Population Dynamics of Aerial Insectivores" guest edited by Philip Taylor and Jon McCracken. See the Call for Papers (http://www.ace-eco.org/docs/callforpapers/call_for_papers_aerial.pdf) for details. Please see below for the table of contents. To read the full text of the articles please visit http://www.ace-eco.org/. ********** Editorial ********** Traditional Taxonomy vs. the "Dark Side": What�s the Fuss? Taxinomie traditionnelle contre les � forces de l�ombre � : pourquoi faire tant d�histoires? - Thomas Nudds and Marc-Andr� Villard ********************************************************* Special Feature: Conservation of Grassland Birds ********************************************************* Vesper Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks Show a Mixed Response to Cattle Grazing in the Intermountain Region of British Columbia Le Bruant vesp�ral et la Sturnelle de l�Ouest r�agissent de fa�on variable au broutement dans la r�gion intramontagnarde de la Colombie-Britannique - Megan L. Harrison, Nancy A. Mahony, Pat Robinson, Alicia Newbury, and David J. Green Mortality of Parental Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) during the Post-hatching Stage. Mortalit� adulte des Pluviers montagnards (Charadrius montanus) pendant la p�riode d��levage des jeunes - Victoria J. Dreitz An Assessment of Factors Affecting Population Growth of the Mountain Plover �valuation des facteurs influen�ant la croissance de la population du Pluvier montagnard - Stephen J. Dinsmore, Michael B. Wunder, Victoria J. Dreitz, and Fritz L. Knopf ******************** Research Papers ******************** Contrasting Seasonal Survivorship of Two Migratory Songbirds Wintering in Threatened Mangrove Forests Diff�rence de survie saisonni�re chez deux passereaux migrateurs hivernant dans des mangroves menac�es - Anna M. Calvert, John Woodcock, and Jon D. McCracken Separation of Availability and Perception Processes for Aural Detection in Avian Point Counts: a Combined Multiple-Observer and Time-of-Detection Approach Distinction des composantes (manifestation et d�tection) de la probabilit� de d�tection aux points d��coute : approche combinant les m�thodes fond�es sur les observateurs multiples et le temps de d�tection - Stephen J. Stanislav, Kenneth H. Pollock, Theodore R. Simons, and Mathew W. Alldredge Subject: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL): 5th Edition From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:48:49 -0400 Subject: JOB OPPORTUNITY From: Tom Gardali <tgardali AT PRBO.ORG> Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:51:56 -0700 JOB OPPORTUNITY Job Title: San Joaquin Valley Avian Conservation Scientist Employment Length: One year position beginning fall 2010, with potential to extend Hours/Benefits: Full time with competitive benefits Application deadline: 08/06/2010 or until filled PRBO Background PRBO Conservation Science (PRBO) is a non-profit research organization that advances conservation through avian ecology and ecosystem research. For over 40 years, PRBO has built expertise in avian ecology, population biology, spatial ecology, ecosystem science, conservation applications and education and outreach. PRBO's mission is to conserve birds, other wildlife and ecosystems through innovative scientific research and outreach. PRBO leads national and international efforts to address critical conservation issues with bird and ecosystem science. For additional information, see www.prbo.org. Background and Position Summary: In the San Joaquin Valley, over 95% of the historic riparian areas and wetlands have been lost. Yet with implementation of a restoration settlement pressing and the commitment of a multitude of resource agencies, conservation organizations and individuals, there exists great promise to restore some of the region's ecological integrity, while also sustaining the regions vital agricultural economy. To guide restoration activities for maximum benefit to migratory bird populations and to better understand how to improve management actions and conservation strategies for aquatic and riparian birds in the San Joaquin region, priority research, monitoring, and ecological modeling projects identified through PRBO, the Central Valley Joint Venture, and the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership need to be advanced. PRBO's San Joaquin Valley Avian Conservation Scientist (hereafter Conservation Scientist) will provide scientific leadership in the restoration of the San Joaquin River and associated habitats for migratory and resident birds. The Conservation Scientist will be one of PRBO's primary representatives for research, monitoring, and collaborative conservation efforts in the region. Responsibilities of this position include: 1) collaborating with PRBO and partner organizations to determine priority conservation needs for resident and migratory birds in the San Joaquin, 2) designing and implementing monitoring and research projects to inform migratory bird conservation, and 3) ensuring that PRBO science is shared with other researchers, conservation stakeholders, and are integrated into conservation planning and implementation efforts. The successful candidate must be able to take independent initiative to build and maintain a strong research and conservation program while also facilitating highly effective collaborative relationships with key partners. She/he must have a strong background in avian ecology, including quantitative skills and field experience with birds. PhD or MS preferred, but BS with a highly impressive foundation of applicable work experience will also be considered. Responsibilities Building a collaborative conservation program - The Conservation Scientist will be responsible for maintaining and building solid, trusted working relationships and collaborations with key partners throughout the region. This position is supported through the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) in which PRBO is working closely with The Nature Conservancy and Audubon California to pursue a shared ten-year vision to protect, restore, and enhance priority conservation areas for migratory birds in California. Close coordination with MBCP staff in those organizations will be essential. Other priority partners and partnerships to actively engage include the San Joaquin River Partnership, US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, River Partners, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Grasslands Water District, Tulare Basin Wildlife Partners, the Central Valley Joint Venture, local universities, and others. The Conservation Scientist will be expected to live in the San Joaquin Valley and travel to represent PRBO at meetings with partners throughout the region (e.g., Sacramento, Davis, Chico, Fresno, and Petaluma). Project design, management and coordination - The Conservation Scientist will help identify and initiate research and monitoring projects relevant to conservation of migratory birds primarily in the San Joaquin Basin of the Central Valley of California. For those projects, this position will help lead project design (site selection, sampling, determination of appropriate metrics), implementation (set-up and data collection), management (people and data), and coordination (within PRBO and with partners). Data management, analysis, synthesis, and publication - The Conservation Scientist will help ensure that project and program level data (PRBO has been collecting data in the San Joaquin for over 10 years) are centralized, synthesized, and communicated in the most effective ways of conservation problem-solving. She/he will also help ensure that program related data are integrated into broader scale monitoring and modeling projects by PRBO and partners. The Conservation Scientist will be expected to publish research results in peer-reviewed journals. For examples of recent PRBO publications see: http://www.prbo.org/cms/553. Training, outreach, and development - The Conservation Scientist will be responsible for training other researchers and citizen scientists in bird identification and data collection techniques, as necessary. She/he will present results of research, monitoring, and conservation efforts at various forums, including scientific conferences, technical committees, and conservation group meetings. The Conservation Scientist may often interact with private landowners (e.g., farmers, ranchers, duck club owners, and hunters) in order to promote private land conservation and obtain access to properties for monitoring and research. Finally, the Conservation Scientist will work with a team of collaborators (internal and external) to help raise funds for high priority research and monitoring activities. Qualifications * PhD or M.S. with significant experience in ornithology, ecology, natural resource sciences, conservation biology, wildlife biology and management, or ecological restoration. BS with a highly impressive foundation of applicable work experience will also be considered. * Avian research and ecological monitoring experience with demonstrated skills in field data collection techniques, identification of Western birds by sight and sound, data management, sampling design, and statistical analyses. * Knowledge of wetland and riparian habitat management and conservation challenges - experience studying or addressing these challenges in the San Joaquin Valley desirable but not necessary. * Extensive experience working closely with partners including government agencies, NGOs, and private landowner groups. * Experience organizing and leading meetings including logistics, agenda development, facilitation, and follow-up. * Solid writing skills (scientific, popular, and grant-writing). * Outstanding communication (including presentations and training), coordination, and leadership skills. Applicants must be in good physical condition, as long hours in field, under very hot and sometime very cold conditions, will be required and some hiking will be involved to access sites. Ability to work independently and coordinate with a team is necessary. Applicants should have a good attitude toward working closely with the agricultural and duck hunting communities and other private land owners. Benefits, Working Conditions, and Funding PRBO offers 100% health care coverage, full dental care, and partial coverage of dependents including domestic partners, per the conditions stated in PRBO's Personnel Manual. PRBO headquarters are in Petaluma, California, but the Avian Conservation Scientist will be expected to live in the San Joaquin Basin of the Central Valley. This position requires a good deal of travel to field sites and meetings, and involves working some evenings and weekends. Funding is secured for at least one year - longer term employment is possible through this position and will be based on continuation of funding and employee's performance. To Apply E-mail (1) cover letter describing qualifications for this position and interest in PRBO, (2) complete CV/resume, (3) writing example, and (4) contact information (including phone numbers and e-mail addresses) for 3 references to Catherine Hickey (chickey AT prbo.org) and Tom Gardali (tgardali AT prbo.org) with "San Joaquin Valley Avian Conservation Scientist" in the subject line. Applicants may be subject to background checks. Application deadline is August 6, 2010, though position will remain open until a successful candidate has been identified. PRBO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Thomas Gardali Associate Director, Terrestrial Ecology Division PRBO Conservation Science Palomarin Field Station P.O. Box 1157 Bolinas, CA 94924 415.868.0655 x381 www.prbo.org Subject: FW: Hawk Hill, CA appears to be 2010 victim of Obama Stimulus program From: stan moore <hawkman11 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:17:57 +0000 see http://www.ggro.org It appears that the 2010 annual hawk count at Hawk Hill will have to either be abandoned or moved to a different location than the past twenty five years or so. I suspect that some of the GGRO banding operations will likewise be lost or curtailed. Why? Road renovations! This is something I have noticed around the region and around the nation in connection with the Obama stimulus program, which has repaved countless roads around the nation, whether they really needed it or not. Of course, in the context of a world of Peak Oil in which the future of energy use as we have known it is entirely questionable, this sort of "stimulus" is "old-school" politics in a changing world. Columnist Alexander Cockburn explained today in an essay called "The Fall of Obama" that no amount of pothole filling road renovations could save the faltering US economy and Obama is about used up. See his astute analysis at http://www.counterpunch.org/Cockburn07162010.html Whether community volunteers stand on Hawk Hill and count them or not, the migrating raptors will carry out their lives just the same, and so if you love raptors, there are no worries involved in all of this. It can be treated as a big fog-out and the hawk watching crews can patrol the lagoon and watch the river otters feasting on brown pelicans and doing other useful things... Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_1 Subject: Sad news From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:51:22 -0400 Subject: Kimball Garrett's tribute to Michael San Miguel From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:38:04 -0400 Subject: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Names Science Advisor From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:28:50 -0400 ************************************************************** This message is from the fws-news listserver. Please DO NOT REPLY (it just confuses the computers). Subscribers can't reply or send their own messages to the fws-news listserver. This listserver is designed mainly as a "one way street" for the rapid dissemination of information concerning the Service and its activities, rather than for gathering feedback. To contact us, see the explanatory note at bottom of the message. ************************************************************** Contacts Craig Rieben 703-358-2225 craig_rieben AT fws.gov David Eisenhower 703-358-2284 david_eisenhower AT fws.gov U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Names Science Advisor Dr. Gabriela Chavarria, former Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Science Center, has been named Science Advisor to the Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A leading expert in pollinators, Dr. Chavarria holds a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University obtained under the direction of noted professors Edward O. Wilson and Dr. James M. Carpenter (now at the American Museum of Natural History). She has tremendous expertise and experience in invasive species control and the conservation of threatened and endangered species. Scholarly publications include articles on biodiversity, bird conservation, invasive species, entomology and pollinators. “The Service is incredibly lucky to have Dr. Chavarria join their ranks and add a new level of scientific expertise and credibility to the agency,” said Dr. E.O. Wilson. “Dr. Chavarria’s experience and credentials will be an asset to the Service as they build their science capacity.” Dr. Chavarria will serve as counsel to the Service Director and provide leadership on science policy and scientific applications in resource management. This includes leading agency efforts to respond to changes in the global climate system; shaping the Service’s agenda for change toward a science-driven landscape conservation business model; expanding Service capacities to acquire, apply and communicate scientific information; promoting active involvement of the Service and its employees in the larger scientific community; strengthening and expanding partnerships between the Service and other scientific organizations, particularly states and the U.S. Geological Survey; and cultivating the next generation of Service scientists. “Science is at the heart of everything we do in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Service Acting Director Rowan Gould. “Dr. Chavarria’s knowledge and expertise, as well as her ability to forge strong partnerships within and outside the scientific community, will help the Service continue to take major steps toward science excellence in the 21st Century.” As Director of the NRDC’s Science Center, Dr. Chavarria applied her scientific knowledge to translate the most up-to-date science into solutions for environmental problems. Her close ties to scientists and key policy-makers helped advance NRDC’s goal of uniting sound science with sound policy and education for the mutual benefit of people and nature. Prior to joining NRDC, she served as the Vice President for Science and International Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife, Policy Director for Wildlife Conservation at the National Wildlife Federation and as the Director of International and Special Programs at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Washington, D.C. Dr. Chavarria also serves on a number of boards and advisory councils, including the Society for Conservation Biology, the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Committee on Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities, and the Mexican Conservation Fund for Nature. She was also a member of the National Invasive Species Advisory Committee, the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, and the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Team. She is a member of several professional societies, including the Association for Women in Science, the Society for Conservation Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Ecological Society of America, and The Wildlife Society. Born and raised in Mexico City, Dr. Chavarria has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the National University of Mexico, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. Her research focused on the systematics, behavior, and biogeography of neotropical bumble bees. She has conducted research on these topics in more than 30 countries in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, and Asia, and is a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, where she works on pollinator conservation. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. -FWS- *************************************************************************** News releases are also available on the World Wide Web at http://news.fws.gov Questions concerning a particular news release or item of information should be directed to the person listed as the contact. General comments or observations concerning the content of the information should be directed to Malcomb Barsella (malcomb_barsella AT fws.gov) in the Office of External Affairs. To unsubscribe from the fws-news listserver, send e-mail to fws-news-request AT lists.fws.gov. Enter "unsubscribe" in the subject field. . *************************************************************************** Subject: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Draft Impact Statement on Waterfowl Regulations From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 13:41:38 -0400 ************************************************************** This message is from the fws-news listserver. Please DO NOT REPLY (it just confuses the computers). Subscribers can't reply or send their own messages to the fws-news listserver. This listserver is designed mainly as a "one way street" for the rapid dissemination of information concerning the Service and its activities, rather than for gathering feedback. To contact us, see the explanatory note at bottom of the message. ************************************************************** Contacts Alicia King 571-214-3117 alicia_king AT fws.gov Craig Rieben 703-358-2225 craig_rieben AT fws.gov U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Draft Impact Statement on Waterfowl Regulations The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released today a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on the setting of annual regulations permitting the hunting of migratory birds. The Service uses the annual process to evaluate and establish a framework for hunting seasons and numbers of birds which may be taken in each of four flyways across the nation. Waterfowl and other bird species are hunted for food and recreation through regulations set each year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in consultation with state fish and wildlife agencies. The draft SEIS proposes to adjust the process for authorizing migratory bird hunting in accordance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (Act) of 1918. The Act is the Federal authority under which migratory bird hunting seasons are regulated. The Act implements four treaties between the United States and Russia, Mexico, Japan, and Canada. Bird species protected by the Act include nearly all species native to North America, many of which migrate to and from the treaty nations. The Act prohibits the “take” of birds without a permit or authorization (e.g. hunting season). The document published in the Federal Register on July 9, 2010, provides and analyzes alternatives for each of the seven components in terms of their potential impacts on migratory bird species, other wildlife species, special status species, vegetation, outdoor recreational activities, physical and cultural resources, and the socioeconomic/administrative environment. The draft SEIS proposes seven components of this action for which there are several alternatives. These include: Recommendations on annual hunting regulations that rely on a well-defined process of monitoring, data collection, and scientific assessment. These recommendations are crafted through public review and valuable input on technical assessments or other documents related to proposed regulatory frameworks by established flyway technical committees and flyway councils. After final regulatory frameworks are adopted, each state selects its seasons within the federal frameworks. Duck regulatory packages set the framework of regulations that apply to the general duck hunting seasons. They include opening and closing dates, season lengths, daily bag limits, and shooting hours. Two alternatives regarding how frequently duck regulatory packages should be reviewed and adopted are presented in the draft SEIS. Proposed action concerning the subsistence hunting regulations process for Alaska. Regulations governing subsistence harvest of migratory birds provide a framework that enables the continuation of customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory birds in Alaska. Also included in the draft SEIS is a discussion of the impact of cumulative harvest of migratory bird hunting on national wildlife refuges. The Service is requesting comments on the alternatives described in the draft SEIS and all agencies, organizations, and individuals are invited to provide comments along with any suggestions for improving the draft SEIS. All comments received before March 26, 2011, will be considered in preparation of the final SEIS. The draft SEIS may be found at: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/NewReportsPublications/Hunting/SEIS%207%20June%20b%202010.pdf Comments should be sent to Robert Trost, Pacific Flyway Representative, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97232. Alternatively, comments can be sent by electronic mail to: huntingEIS AT fws.gov. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. -FWS- *************************************************************************** News releases are also available on the World Wide Web at http://news.fws.gov Questions concerning a particular news release or item of information should be directed to the person listed as the contact. General comments or observations concerning the content of the information should be directed to Malcomb Barsella (malcomb_barsella AT fws.gov) in the Office of External Affairs. To unsubscribe from the fws-news listserver, send e-mail to fws-news-request AT lists.fws.gov. Enter "unsubscribe" in the subject field. . *************************************************************************** Subject: Hilton Pond 07/01/10 (Bluebirds & Wood Ducks) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 17:55:48 -0400 "Bluebirds and Wood Ducks" might seem like a curious subject for the latest installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond," and it is. We started out writing about an active bluebird nest when a second pair of Eastern Bluebirds diverted our attention to a Wood Duck nest box that ended up containing several surprises. To learn what was so mysterious about what we found in the duck box, please visit our photo essay for 1-7 July 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100701.html While there, don't forget to scroll down for some miscellaneous nature notes, a list of birds banded during the period, and recognition of this week's donors. Happy (STILL Hot Weather) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Kearney 2011: Call for Symposium Proposals From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 17:18:14 -0400 The Association of Field Ornithologists, Cooper Ornithological Society, and Wilson Ornithological Society invite proposals for Symposia for their joint annual meeting in Kearney, Nebraska, 10-12 March 2011. The conference will involve three days of scientific sessions, including Plenary presentations, Symposia, and contributed papers. Symposia should comprise 6-8 presentations planned for 30-minute time slots (25 minutes presentations plus 5 minutes for questions). The deadline for submission of Symposium presentations is 30 September 2010. Selection of proposed Symposia will be completed by early November 2010, prior to the abstract deadline (tentatively 15 January 2011). Individuals proposing symposia should submit a suggested session rationale and Title, list of names and contact information for proposed Presenting Authors (whom conveners should have contacted in advance about participating) and their presentation topics, along with names of one or more alternate speakers. Symposium organizers and presenters will be expected to pay for full conference registration (presenting authors may not select the single-day registration option; details at http://snr.unl.edu/kearney2011/index.asp) before submitting abstracts and will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. We encourage symposium conveners to seek external funds to support conference participation by presenting authors. We ask Symposium organizers to be aware also that any student participants, while welcome, would not be eligible for presentation awards. Submit proposals (as a Word or PDF attachment) by email to the Scientific Program Committee at Kearney2011program AT gmail.com. Sincerely, Kearney 2011 Scientific Program Committee Kearney2011program AT gmail.com Subject: OXFORD UNIVERSITY: 3-year postdoc on tool use and culture in crows From: Christian Rutz <christian.rutz AT ZOO.OX.AC.UK> Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 15:26:21 +0100 UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY Postdoctoral Research Associate Tool use in New Caledonian crows salary range: 28,983 -- 35,646 GBP p.a. (incl. discretionary range to 38,951 GBP p.a.) A three-year postdoctoral position is available, from August 2010 onwards, to work on the ecological and social context of tool use in New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). The post is funded as part of a 5-year BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship to Dr Christian Rutz, and will be based at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK. The post-holder will be responsible for coordinating and conducting fieldwork in New Caledonia, South Pacific. The research project will chart the ecology and behaviour of wild, free-ranging crows, using detailed field observations, systematic surveys, and novel biologging technologies. In addition, specific hypotheses will be examined in controlled experiments with wild and captive subjects. This is an exceptional opportunity to conduct topical field research on animal tool use and culture in a high-profile study system, and to take a leading role in a prolific and expanding research project. The successful candidate will have a PhD in behavioural ecology, ecology, evolutionary biology or a related subject, and experience in conducting independent field research, preferably in remote study locations. Proven skills in writing and publishing papers in leading scientific journals are essential. Experience of supervision in a research context, and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team are desirable. Previous field-ornithological experience, or a background in animal-cognition research, are not essential. Informal inquiries (with CV) should be addressed directly to Dr Christian Rutz (christian.rutz AT zoo.ox.ac.uk). Further particulars and application forms are available from http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/jobs or from the Personnel Office of the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford (Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; phone: +44(0) 1865 271190; email: recruit AT zoo.ox.ac.uk). Quoting reference number AT10013, applicants should send to the above address: (i) a completed application form; (ii) a CV with contact details of three referees; and (iii) a cover letter explaining point-by-point how they meet the selection criteria for the post (as specified in the further particulars) and why they wish to conduct research on New Caledonian crows. The closing date for applications is 30 July 2010, and interviews with short-listed candidates are scheduled for 10 August 2010 (or will take place soon thereafter). This is a re-advertisement, and applicants from the previous round do not need to re-apply. -------------------------------------------- Dr Christian Rutz BBSRC David Phillips Fellow Department of Zoology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS, UK +44/1865/271179 christian.rutz AT zoo.ox.ac.uk www.zoo.ox.ac.uk -------------------------------------------- Subject: White-necked Crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) From: Joseph Sullivan <birdtox1 AT ARDEACON.COM> Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:18:37 -0700 The libraries near me do not carry Ornitologia Neotropical. I am looking for the following article: Wiley, J.W. 2006. The ecology, behavior, and conservation of a West Indian corvid, the white-necked crow (Corvus leucognaphalus). Ornitologia Neotropical Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Pages: 105-146. I would much appreciate it if someone could provide a PDF of this article. Thanks in advance, Joe Joseph P. Sullivan, Ph.D. Ardea Consulting 10 1st Street Woodland, CA 95695 birdtox1 AT ardeacon.com www.ardeacon.com 530-669-1645 Subject: Hilton Pond 06/24/10 (Milkweed Beetle) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Sun, 4 Jul 2010 11:15:43 -0400 Many folks are familiar with Milkweed Bugs that occur on various species of Asclepias, but "This Week at Hilton Pond" we found a colorful, rotund beetle munching flowers and leaves on our Swamp Milkweeds. For really close looks at the beetle--alias SMLB--and its larvae, check out our photo essay for 24-30 June 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100624.html While there, don't forget to scroll down for some scorching nature notes, a list of birds banded during the period, and recognition of this week's donors. Happy (Hot Weather) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Re: eggs From: Grant Stevenson <grantstevenson44 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:39:41 -0700 Hi Randy and All, I would like this very much. Maybe Cornell could do it. Also for aberrant colorization, etc.: my Song Sparrow nest seems to have all white eggs, as carried away by Gray Squirrels (?), where the literature seems to indicate they are heavily marked with brown (?). Also, would it make sense to have a migration count by citizen scientists in the fall to help determine net natality before winter mortality? Grant Grant Stevenson 19-yr. Amateur Fountain Hill, Lehigh Valley, PA, USA 610-867-2862 cc Jim Lowe, CLO; Jim: Please pass this along to the appropriate person, maybe at Nestwatch.org.; Dr. Robert Ricklefs ________________________________ From: ORNITH-L automatic digest system To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Sent: Thu, June 24, 2010 4:14:32 PM Subject: ORNITH-L Digest - 23 Jun 2010 to 24 Jun 2010 (#2010-64) There is 1 message totalling 207 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. website for identifying bird eggs? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:46:12 -0300 From: Randy Lauff Subject: website for identifying bird eggs? --_000_B81EFC422C6E3A40AAEBE48F5E97E92A46AD78FA9FEdgaradstfxca_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable All, A colleague of mine recently returned from a marsh where he found a ground = nest, made of cattail, and four depredated eggs; he brought me one egg back= . I do have a copy of Baicich and Harrison's book, but couldn't find a good= match. So I thought, there must be a website where we can enter the dimens= ions, colour, locale, nest characteristics, etc., and out will come an ID, = or list of candidates. I did not find such a site - is there one for anywhe= re in the world? North America? If anyone wants the challenge to ID the egg, it is off-white, 63.7 x 40.8 m= m. The closest I get is MALL or ABDU, both of which average somewhat smalle= r, and should have colour. I was hoping for it to be American Bittern since= the Atlas Square in which the nest was found does not have a confirmation = for AMBI, but alas, it was not to be. Thank you, Randy ________________________ R.F. Lauff Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University 2320 Notre Dame Avenue Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 (902) 867-2471 rlauff AT stfx.ca (902) 867-2389 (fax) http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html --_000_B81EFC422C6E3A40AAEBE48F5E97E92A46AD78FA9FEdgaradstfxca_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable All,   A colleague of mine recently returned from a marsh where he found a ground nest, made of cattail, and four depredated eggs; he brought me one e= gg back. I do have a copy of Baicich and Harrison’s book, but couldnR= 17;t find a good match. So I thought, there must be a website where we can enter= the dimensions, colour, locale, nest characteristics, etc., and out will come a= n ID, or list of candidates. I did not find such a site – is there one = for anywhere in the world? North America? &n= bsp; If anyone wants the challenge to ID the egg, it is off-white, 63.7 = x 40.8 mm. The closest I get is MALL or ABDU, both of which average somewhat smaller, and should have colour. I was hoping for it to be American Bittern since the Atlas Square in which the nest was found does not have a confirma= tion for AMBI, but alas, it was not to be. &n= bsp; Thank you, Randy ________________________ R.F. Lauff Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University 2320 Notre Dame Avenue<= /font> Antigonish, NS  B2G 2W5<= /o:p>   (902) 867-2471           &= nbsp;    rlauff AT stfx.ca (902) 867-2389 (fax)   http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html &n= bsp; --_000_B81EFC422C6E3A40AAEBE48F5E97E92A46AD78FA9FEdgaradstfxca_-- ------------------------------ End of ORNITH-L Digest - 23 Jun 2010 to 24 Jun 2010 (#2010-64) ************************************************************** Subject: Austral migration workshop - 29-30 August in Brazil From: Kimberly Smith <kgsmith AT UARK.EDU> Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:18:15 -0500 Dear Colleagues: �Aves Internacionales� (http://www.biology.ufl.edu/centers/migration/aves/index.html) is a network of researchers studying bird migration in the Nearctic-Neotropical and austral migration systems. We invite anyone interested in bird migration to attend a workshop we will hold from 29-30 August, 2010, (i.e., the two days just after the International Ornithological Congress, IOC) in the town of S�o Bento (state of S�o Paulo, Brazil), approximately 40 km from Campos do Jord�o, the site of the IOC. The goals of the Aves Internacionales workshop will be to define research questions on bird migration and to standardize protocols (e.g., banding, censusing). We hope to set up working groups dedicated to these objectives. We are unfortunately not able to support travel and attendance, as we have received limited funding for those we have already invited. Nevertheless, we hope you can attend. All attendees will be encouraged to collaborate in the study of bird migration as a member of the Aves Internacionales Network. If you are interested in attending, please email Alex Jahn at alexjahn77 AT yahoo.com for further details. If you can�t make it but will be at the IOC, be sure to stop by our symposium on austral bird migration (symposium # 36) on Thursday, August 26. Best wishes, Kimberly G. Smith kgsmith AT uark.edu Estimados Colegas, �Aves Internacionales� (http://www.biology.ufl.edu/centers/migration/aves/index-sp.html) es una red de investigadores que estudian la migraci�n de aves en los sistemas migratorios Nearctico-Neotropical y austral. Invitamos a cualquier persona interesada en la migraci�n de las aves en asistir a nuestro taller que estamos organizando para el 29-30 de Agosto, 2010 (los dos d�as despu�s del Congreso Internacional de Ornitolog�a, CIO), en el pueblo de S�o Bento (estado de S�o Paulo, Brasil), aproximadamente a 40 km de Campos do Jord�o, el sitio del CIO. Las metas del taller ser�n de definir preguntas de investigaci�n sobre la migraci�n de aves y de establecer protocolos estandarizados (ej., anillamiento, censos). Esperamos crear grupos de trabajo dedicados a estas metas. Desafortunadamente, no podemos financiar los viajes y estad�a de asistentes, ya que recibimos fondos limitados para los que ya hemos financiado. De todos modos, esperamos que puedan asistir. Esperamos que todos los asistentes colaboren en el estudio de la migraci�n como parte de la Red Aves Internacionales. Si estas interesado en asistir, no dudes en mandarme un correo a alexjahn77 AT yahoo.com para mas informaci�n. Si no puedes asistir pero estar�s asistiendo al CIO, te invitamos a asistir a un simposio que tendremos el d�a Jueves, 26 de Agosto (simposio #36) sobre la migraci�n austral. Saludos, Alex Jahn ********************************************************* Kimberly G. Smith University Professor of Biological Sciences Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 479-575-6359 fax:479-575-4010 email: kgsmith AT uark.edu ********************************************************* Subject: Re: website for identifying bird eggs From: Jane Austin <jaustin AT USGS.GOV> Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:25:08 -0500 Randy, An online reference for nests of North American waterfowl in the prairie pothole region can be found at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/nest/appenda.htm. This appendix provides information about both eggs, breast feathers, and down in the nest. Size and coloration of eggs can be variable; accuracy of species identification is improved by also considering the feathers. Jane **************************************************** Jane Austin US Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 8711 37th Street SE Jamestown, ND 58401 Phone: 701-253-5510 Fax: 701-253-5553 Email: jaustin AT usgs.gov *************************************************** When we talk among ourselves, all we get back are echoes. But when we talk with others of a different mind, we are made to think. And it is in thinking that we learn, and in learning that we grow. Romeo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada Subject: Hilton Pond 06/22/10 (New York Wildflowers) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:21:23 -0400 We weren't at Hilton Pond this week but we were still involved in explorations of natural history--this time in Upstate New York near the shores of the St. Lawrence River. While there we wandered roadsides around Morristown, taking photos of some of the many plants--native and imported--that abound in the cool, moist habitat. For a look at what we found, please visit our photo essay for 11-23 June 2010 at <> We did manage to band or recapture a few birds at York during the period; a tally is included, as are a couple of weather-related nature notes. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: website for identifying bird eggs? From: Randy Lauff <rlauff AT STFX.CA> Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:46:12 -0300 All, A colleague of mine recently returned from a marsh where he found a ground nest, made of cattail, and four depredated eggs; he brought me one egg back. I do have a copy of Baicich and Harrison's book, but couldn't find a good match. So I thought, there must be a website where we can enter the dimensions, colour, locale, nest characteristics, etc., and out will come an ID, or list of candidates. I did not find such a site - is there one for anywhere in the world? North America? If anyone wants the challenge to ID the egg, it is off-white, 63.7 x 40.8 mm. The closest I get is MALL or ABDU, both of which average somewhat smaller, and should have colour. I was hoping for it to be American Bittern since the Atlas Square in which the nest was found does not have a confirmation for AMBI, but alas, it was not to be. Thank you, Randy ________________________ R.F. Lauff Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University 2320 Notre Dame Avenue Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 (902) 867-2471 rlauff AT stfx.ca (902) 867-2389 (fax) http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html Subject: Scientific/common names spelling checker From: Santa Barbara Software Products <SBSP AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:42:18 EDT We product lexicon files that can add to the spelling checker of almost all Windows or Macintosh word processors the scientific name of every bird species and subspecies and also the English common name of every species. This set of files, called BirdLexi, was described by an Auk reviewer as "a welcome contribution." For more information visit our web site. SANTA BARBARA SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Web site: birdbase.com E-mail: sbsp AT aol.com Subject: Invitation to become an EOL Curator From: Cynthia Parr <parrc AT SI.EDU> Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:47:16 -0400 The Encyclopedia of Life (http://www.eol.org) is a rapidly growing collection of information on all species on the planet. This summarized information (not occurrence data) comes from a variety of sources, from well-established research databases to crowd-sourcing and citizen science projects. Each data object is clearly marked to indicate whether information has been reviewed by experts or not, because we aim to be an authoritative, citable resource for the general public, students, and scientists. Please consider joining us to assess the quality of information on the site. You can stop the spread of misinformation, quickly establish pages that you can link to or re-use for your own outreach efforts, ensure that your own research activities are highlighted for broad audiences, and obtain credit for your editorial work. If you are not already a member of the EOL website, go to http://www.eol.org/register and provide us with your credentials. If you have already registered as an EOL user, you can update your profile to request curator privileges (go to http://www.eol.org/profile). Our tools are designed to allow you to spend as much or as little time as you wish. More information is available at http://www.eol.org/content/page/curator_central We are also interested in expanding partnerships in order to share quality information on birds. I am keenly aware that our bird pages need a lot of work, but there's no point in duplicating effort. If you are already involved in another online project, consider pointing the organizers to http://www.eol.org/content_partner . There is a lot of good, pre-reviewed information already out there. EOL can help new audiences discover it. Feel free to private message me if you have any questions. Some questions may be answered at http://www.eol.org/content/page/help_build_eol Cyndy Parr Cynthia Sims Parr, parrc AT si.edu Director, Species Pages Group Encyclopedia of Life http://www.eol.org Office: 202.633.9513, Fax: 202.633.8742 Mailing address: National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution P.O. Box 37012, MRC 106 Washington, DC 20013-7012 Subject: After Nearly 2 Decades, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Scientific Journals From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:37:18 -0400 After Nearly 2 Decades, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Launches Scientific Journals The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the release of the inaugural issue of the public domain Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management (JFWM) and the re-launch of the prestigious North American Fauna (NAF). These Web based journals focus on the practical application and integration of science to the conservation and management of North American fish, wildlife, plants, and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The new publications will offer Service employees and others across the scientific community new outlets for important, peer-reviewed research that will help advance the Service’s capacity for science-driven wildlife management. “From the creation of the world’s most comprehensive waterfowl surveys to the pioneering work on the effects of DDT on migratory birds conducted by Rachel Carson, the Fish and Wildlife Service has built a reputation for science excellence that spans decades,” said Acting Service Director Dan Ashe. “These publications build upon that tradition, and will generate critical information that wildlife managers need to do their jobs.” The JFWM’s editor, John Wenburg, director of Alaska Conservation Genetics Laboratory in Anchorage, Alaska calls the Service’s revived endeavors in science publications a valuable tool for practical conservation science. “We are excited to launch these two important publications,” said Wenburg. “We encourage submissions of original papers applying science to conservation and management issues.” The Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, which can be found at http://www.fwspubs.org/loi/fwma, publishes original, high-quality, scientific papers on practical applications for conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, ecology, and land management in North America. Scientists are welcome to submit manuscripts to The Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management and North American Fauna regardless of professional or personal affiliation, as the scientific standards of the peer review process are applied equally to all. North American Fauna began in 1889, and continued regularly through issue #76 in 1991. The Service is reviving this prestigious journal, which will publish monographs on an array of topics relating to North American vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Submitted manuscripts must be detailed enough to be considered among the authoritative publications on the topic or species covered. Digitized versions of historical issues are available at http://www.fwspubs.org/loi/nafa. The launch of these journals is part of a much larger Service effort to re-energize, and re-emphasize, the agency’s commitment to science-driven fish and wildlife conservation. As part of this effort, the Service has established a Service Science Committee and launched a number of initiatives, including: · creation of a new state-of-the-art electronic access system for scientific literature; · establishment of peer-review procedures and policies that are among the very best in government; · development of a new and expanding curricula in subjects like structured decision making, modeling, statistical analysis and conservation biology; · implementation of a Scientific Code of Professional Conduct that clearly articulates the roles and responsibilities of Service scientists and managers in the responsible development and use of scientific documents; · creation of awards to recognize employees for exemplary science work, and; · support for and involvement with professional societies like the Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Society, and the Society for Conservation Biology. Additional information can be found in the Service’s manual chapter on this topic, 117 FW 1, at http://www.fws.gov/policy/117fw1.html. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. -FWS- Nan Rollison USFWS - Division of Partnerships and Program Support Branch of Multimedia Technology 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS-3109 Arlington, VA 22203 703 358-2143 703 358-2246 fax *************************************************************************** News releases are also available on the World Wide Web at http://news.fws.gov Questions concerning a particular news release or item of information should be directed to the person listed as the contact. General comments or observations concerning the content of the information should be directed to Malcomb Barsella (malcomb_barsella AT fws.gov) in the Office of External Affairs. To unsubscribe from the fws-news listserver, send e-mail to fws-news-request AT lists.fws.gov. Enter "unsubscribe" in the subject field. . *************************************************************************** Subject: Mangoverde??? From: Larry Sirvio <lmsirvio AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:22:20 -0600 Does anyone know what happened to Mangoverde.com? I've submitted some photos and they don't appear. I've emailed William Hull and he doesn't answer. Is he out of business?? Thanks Larry Sirvio Subject: A new method of learning bird ID From: Bruce Kirchoff <kirchoff AT MEBTEL.NET> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:34:46 -0400 Over the past several years I have been working to develop a new active-learning program to teach bird identification. Working with the website Vireo (http://vireo.acnatsci.org/) we have recently created a survey to gauge interest in our new approach. Complete the survey and you will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the "National Geographic Complete Birds of North America." You can find the survey linked from Vireo's website (http://vireo.acnatsci.org/). The survey is 12 questions long and takes less than five minutes to complete. Thank you for helping us with this. Best wishes, Dr. Bruce Kircohff UNC Greensboro, Department of Biology Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA (http://www.uncg.edu/~kirchoff/) and Metis LLC (http://www.metisllc.com) Subject: Hilton Pond 06/01/10 (Mourning Doves) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:43:11 -0400 As usual, we were running mist nets "This Week at Hilton Pond" as part of our on-going bird banding research. When we caught an adult male Mourning Dove we were reminded we never had written about three doves we banded last year that were reported by hunters early in September 2009. With that in mind, we turned our camera lens on the dove we had just caught and took lots of images of external attributes one isn't likely to see on a bird at a feeder. To view the Mourning Dove photo essay for 1-10 June 2010 and to read about the hunters' harvest, please visit http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100601.html While there, don't forget to scroll down for a list of all birds banded and recaptured during the period, including the oldest Eastern Towhee we've ever had at Hilton Pond. There are also some miscellaneous nature notes and a photo of a wildflower that's a sure sign spring is about to turn into summer. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2010 14:08:41 -0400 Subject: Hilton Pond 05/22/10 From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 19:51:45 -0400 Our 22-31 May 2010 installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond" deals the sixth annual Mountain Lake (VA) Migratory Bird Festival. The write-up includes a discussion of two Mountain Lake mysteries--one geological and the other forensic--and a tribute to the late Peggy Spiegel Opengari, who helped found the festival. To view our latest photo essay--complete with images of Appalachian trees and wildflowers and birds and a rather big rodent--please visit http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100522.html Don't forget to scroll down for a list of all birds banded and recaptured this week--some were actually Ruby-throated Hummingbirds!--and for a look at an unusual weather radar image that popped up this week in the Carolinas. There are also several nature notes about phenological events at Hilton Pond Center. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Contents of Western Birds, vol. 41, no. 1 (2010) From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 08:32:42 -0700 Hello, Ornithologists. Here is a summary of the contents of vol. 41 no. 1 (2010) of the quarterly journal Western Birds, published by Western Field Ornithologists. * EGG-TURNING BEHAVIOR AND NEST ATTENTIVENESS OF THE ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN GOOSE ON KAUAI. * by WESLEY W. WEATHERS and BRENDA J. ZAUN. * pp. 2-9. * A study of the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) employed remote video cameras to study parental behavior at two nests on Kauai, Hawaii. Even though the Hawaiian Goose breeds at latitudes lower than most other geese, the video revealed egg-turning behavior similar to that reported for other waterfowl and, in particular, the closely related Canada Goose. * A NEW AND CRYPTIC CALL TYPE OF THE RED CROSSBILL. * by KENNETH IRWIN. * pp. 10-25. * Acoustic, morphometric, and ecological analyses from Humboldt County, California, reveal a new call type (type 10) of the Red Crossbill complex. Type 10 Red Crossbills specialize on Sitka spruce cones, a food resource previously predicted to have a Red Crossbill call type associated with it. Type 10 Red Crossbills may be differentiated from other Red Crossbills by flight calls, "chitter" calls, song repertoires, feeding ecology, and slight differences in average body size and bill depth. * A REASSESSMENT OF HOMOLOGIES IN THE VOCAL REPERTOIRES OF PHOEBES. * by D. ARCHIBALD McCALLUM and NATHAN D. PIEPLOW. * pp. 26-43. * A study of dawn singing clarifies homologous (primitive, or ancestral) song elements of three flycatchers in the genus Sayornis. The Say's Phoebe uses three song elements, whereas the Black and Eastern phoebes use only two each. A key to establishing these homologies was spectrographic analysis of the vocalizations of a hybrid Black x Eastern Phoebe with a song like a Say's Phoebe. * GROUND-NESTING MARBLED MURRELETS IN JUNEAU, ALASKA. * by MARY F. WILLSON, KATHERINE M. HOCKER, and ROBERT H. ARMSTRONG. * pp. 44-48. * Observations, photographs, and detailed descriptions establish the occurrence of three ground nests of Marbled Murrelets in forests around Juneau, Alaska. In the well-forested Juneau area, Marbled Murrelets nest both in trees (like breeders to the south) and on the ground (like breeders to the north and west). * TWO ORIENTAL TURTLE-DOVES (Streptopelia orientalis) REACH CALIFORNIA. * by JON L. DUNN and KEITH HANSEN. * pp. 49-54. * An Oriental Turtle-Dove was reported from Inyo County, California, 29 October 1988, and another was reported from Marin County, California, 9-31 December 2002. Both reports have been accepted by the California Bird Records Committee, and both are assumed, but not proven, to refer to the migratory nominate subspecies. * A LITTLE BUNTING REACHES BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR. * by KURT A. RADAMAKER and DAVID J. POWELL. * pp. 55-58. * A Little Bunting, likely an immature, was found and photographed on the Vizcaino Peninsula, Baja California Sur, 8 October 2008. The species is casual during the fall in western Alaska, but this individual was only the third ever reported in North America south of Alaska, and it was the first reported in Mexico. * BOOK REVIEW. * reviewed by CHRIS BUTLER. * pp. 59-60. * Review of "Avian Invasions: The Ecology and Evolution of Exotic Birds" (2009), by Tim M. Blackburn, Julie L. Lockwood, and Phillip Cassey. * BOOK REVIEW. * reviewed by OSCAR JOHNSON. * pp. 60-61. * Review of "Birds of the US-Mexico Borderlands: Distribution, Ecology, and Conservation" (2008), edited by Janet Ruth, Tim Brush, and David Krueper. * FEATURED PHOTO--BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW: NOTES ON BREEDING BEHAVIOR AND NESTING ECOLOGY IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. * by LORI HARGROVE. * pp. 62-67. * An observational study of the poorly known Black-chinned Sparrow establishes quantitative data on spring arrival dates, territory establishment, nest placement, nest construction, nesting dates, clutch size, egg and nestling survival, behavior and morphology of nestlings and fledglings, and adult attendance. Please note that vols. 1-38 (1970-2007) of Western Birds are permanently archived and fully searchable online: http://tiny.cc/Y2sa5. The service is free to the public, and is made available by Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA). Full abstracts of research articles and the full text for "Featured Photos" (vols. 38-41) are available online: http://tiny.cc/luCHf. ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multiaccount&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_4 Subject: Richard ffrench 1929 - 2010] From: Ellen Paul <ellen.paul AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 11:08:02 -0400 Subject: Hilton Pond 05/11/10 (Macroscopic Magic) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 11:27:37 -0400 Although a long lens is a very useful tool for the nature of the natural world that are sometimes overlooked. With no telephoto at hand, "This Week at Hilton Pond" we spent several mornings on hands and knees, peering through our 60mm macro lens to see what secrets we could uncover�from wild fruits to miniature wildflowers to bird bills and the curious homes of immature insects. For a peek at some of these macroscopic wonders, please visit our photo essay for 11-21 May at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100511.html. We hope you'll also scroll down for a list of birds banded and recaptured during the period--included a couple of "old" birds--plus a miscellaneous nature note or two. Happy (Macro) Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Job Announcement - SFBJV Science Coordinator From: Tom Gardali <tgardali AT PRBO.ORG> Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 09:26:55 -0700 Job Announcement: Science Coordinator for the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture - http://sfbayjv.org/jobs_details.php?index_jobs=233 NOTE that application deadline is 31 May 2010. Best, Tom Thomas Gardali Associate Director, Terrestrial Ecology Division PRBO Conservation Science Palomarin Field Station P.O. Box 1157 Bolinas, CA 94924 415.868.0655 x381 www.prbo.org Subject: Waterbird Biologist Position From: "French, Lloyd S" <lloyd.s.french AT IAPWS.COM> Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 09:20:49 -0400 Please post for your Listserv patrons with my heartfelt thanks: Waterbird Biologist Position�Under contract to US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD IAP Worldwide Services�under contract with the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center�is seeking a full-time waterbird biologist to assist on 2 projects: (1) effects of shoreline change on waterbird species in the Chesapeake Bay, and (2) using satellite telemetry to study the potential for wild birds to transmit H5N1 avian influenza in Asia. (1) Shoreline Project: The project involves waterbird surveys at selected tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays (DE to VA). The biologist will be expected to be proficient in identifying shorebirds, waterfowl, and colonially nesting bird species. He/she should have some experience in conducting avian field surveys, recording data both on data sheets and electronically, have some experience in using GPS equipment, familiarity with using GIS software (e.g. ArcGIS), and performing routine statistical analyses. The biologist is expected to have a valid driver�s license and be able to drive a U.S. government vehicle. The biologist is expected to develop (or assist in developing) a variety of products including: maps of study areas detailing survey areas, field data forms, electronic data management forms, periodic reports with summary analyses showing species abundances at specific locations, indices of waterbird integrity, statistical analyses comparing ecological features to waterbird data, and publications for journals as appropriate. The biologist may be expected to also access related data from other collaborators on the project such as landuse data, fisheries, and water quality data. (2) Satellite Telemetry and Avian Influenza: Over the past 3 years, USGS and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization have partnered to study H5N1 avian influenza and the potential for wild birds to transmit the virus. To date we have marked over 500 waterfowl of 23 species in 11 Eurasian countries with GPS satellite transmitters. Fieldwork is ongoing, but the current focus is analysis and manuscript writing of existing data. Duties for this position will primarily involve analyzing telemetry and spatial datasets, writing peer-reviewed publications, and possibly conducting fieldwork (Bangladesh, China, Mongolia, etc). We seek applicants with strong publication and communication skills, experience with modeling and GIS, and the ability to work both independently and constructively as part of a large international team. Prior experience capturing and handling waterfowl is a plus. Other duties will include coordinating on-going research projects, writing reports, data entry, updating animal care and use permits, communicating with project cooperators, and performing other tasks as directed by supervisor. Incumbent will work at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Beltsville, Maryland) through a contract position with IAP Worldwide Services. The current IAP contract ends January 31, 2011, however, funding is in place to continue the position through fall 2014, therefore we seek highly motivated applicants who are interested in continuing the position, dependent upon review of performance. Requirements: -Masters Degree in Ecology, Wildlife Science or related field. -Excellent verbal and written communication and skills; strong publication record preferred. -Background in ecology, ornithology, wildlife science or related field. -Strong skills in statistics, GIS, or modeling. -Experience surveying waterbirds (waders, shorebirds, waterfowl) -Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently. -Work effectively as a team member with local and international partners. -Incumbent should be in good physical condition, be able to lift heavy (~40 lbs) of gear, work in variable environments including high elevation, cold or hot temperatures, etc., and be comfortable conducting surveys from small boats (16-22�). -Ability and willingness to potentially travel to foreign countries for fieldwork for 1 to 4 weeks duration, with 2 weeks to a few months advanced notice (not a major focus of this position). Salary range $40K-$45K (qualifications dependent) plus paid vacation, federal holidays, and other medical/dental/insurance packages. Position will remain open until filled. Target start date is mid-June. Apply at WWW.IAPWS.COM/CAREERS (ID 10341BR) and send the following to PWRC_AI AT yahoo.com a SINGLE FILE with the following: (a) cover letter, (b) resume, (c) 3 references, (d) responses to the following questions, and (e) 1- 2 writing examples - first authored publication or report (this can be sent as a second file if necessary). File names should begin with your last name, please. Describe your experience with the following: 1. Communication skills: a. writing (journal manuscripts and reports) b. oral presentations at conferences and meetings c. inter-personal communication (with colleagues and partners) 2. Computer skills: a. working with large spatial datasets b. spatial analysis software (eg., ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, ENVI, Erdas Imagine, Google Earth, etc.) c. statistical analysis software (R, SAS, SPSS, or others) d. computer programming e. computer troubleshooting 3. Avian surveys 4. Ability to work independently and with little supervision 5. Ability to maintain positive attitude in the office, during travel, and in the field under difficult conditions 6. Waterfowl handling or analysis of telemetry data 7. Avian influenza research 8. International fieldwork Lloyd S. French, General Manager Science & Technology Programs IAP Worldwide Services, Inc. Subject: Hilton Pond 05/01/10 (Springtime Ferns) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 11:50:08 -0400 Left to her own devices, Mother Nature usually will take care of herself. At least that's the case at Hilton Pond Center, where several fern species have begun to reappear naturally after the land was ravaged by at least a century of intensive agriculture. For an overview of our newly established springtime ferns--including some super close-ups of their reproductive bodies--please visit our "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 1-10 May 2010 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100501.html While there, please scroll down for a list of birds banded and recaptured, as well as a few miscellaneous nature notes about such topics as the absence of migrant songbirds this spring. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Hilton Pond 04/22/10 (Appalachian Spring) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 10:14:58 -0400 As always, participants in the just-completed New River Birding & Nature Festival in West Virginia were enthralled by natural wonders of the Mountain State, so "This Week at Hilton Pond" we share some up-close images of Appalachian spring birds and wildflowers we observed while conducting Festival workshops and leading field trips. To view the installment for 22-30 April 2010--complete with photos of a terrestrial orchid and a site-faithful nuthatch--please visit http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek100422.html. We include a list of all birds banded and recaptured during the week-long Festival at Opossum Creek Retreat. Happy (Mountain) Nature Watching! BILL ======== BILL HILTON JR., Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 The mission of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is "to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages. "Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to watch the sunset." BHjr. ============ ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Newe updates of BirdBase and BirdArea programs From: Santa Barbara Software Products <SBSP AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 13:25:30 EDT Now available are May 1, 2010 updates of the BirdBase and BirdArea programs, which make some useful additions or changes to the way they operate. To obtain the updates first determine the issue date of your current copies of the programs by clicking Help/About at the main menu then clicking About BirdBase or About BirdArea. If your current copies have a March 1, 2007 or later issue date, the new updates are available as free downloads. Go to our web site, whose address is below, then take the link from the Home page to the Users Bulletin Board page. If your current copies have an earlier issue date, the new updates are available on inexpensive CDs. At our web site take the link from the Home page to the Prices and Ordering page. SANTA BARBARA SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Our world birding software is demonstrated at Web site: birdbase.com E-mail: _sbsp AT aol.com_ (mailto:sbsp AT aol.com) Subject: Re: Contacts for application of digiscoping in field research / ornithology From: Frank Bubo <frankbubo AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:13:49 -0700 Hello Martin -- If you can access the archives to this listserver from just a week or two ago, there was an annoucement about the contents of the latest issue of Colorado Birds, a regional journal of birding.� One of the articles described how a Swainson's Hawk was photographed by one photographer on its wintering grounds in Colorado and then later by a different photographer on its breeding grounds in Alaska.� I do not have the manuscript file of the paper, but the abstract suggested that photography (which could easily include digiscoping) has an application in positive identification of birds that can aid in migration studies, integrating with banding of such birds. I can tell you that I digiscope with my Canon digital camera and Kowa scope and one of the real benefits I have obtained in the field in real time is to zoom photographs taken in the field in order to read bands that might not be legible in printed format, but by zooming with the camera's internal magnification I can recognize band numbers, especially on my two-digit visual identification color bands. Take care, Stan Moore --- On Tue, 4/20/10, Martin Riesing wrote: From: Martin Riesing Subject: Contacts for application of digiscoping in field research / ornithology To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Date: Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 12:32 PM Dear List, I am preparing a talk to present some information on digiscoping / "digibinning" and its application in ornithological field studies. I you are aware of examples of applied digiscoping in research. I collected substantial information on color-ringing schemes and the application of ring reading with the help of digiscoping. Especially interesting would be marine studies, research on (remote) island, colony birds or identification of individual birds, e.g. raptors / vultures. Especially contributions from the tropics would be welcome. Thank you for you help with contacts, references or further suggestions. Kind regards, Martin Riesing BSc The Pannonian Bird Experience 2010 23-25 April 2010 www.birdexperience.org www.bird.at Die Plattform f�r Vogelbeobachter in �sterreich. The Birder`s Platform in Austria SKYPE: atbirder / atbirding Subject: Contents of Western Birds, vol. 40, no. 4 (2009) Options From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd57 AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:34:50 -0700 Hello, Ornithologists. Here is a summary of the contents of vol. 40 no. 4 (2009) of the quarterly journal Western Birds, published by Western Field Ornithologists. * RECENT PURPLE MARTIN DECLINES IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION OF CALIFORNIA: RECOVERY IMPLICATIONS. * by DANIEL A. AIROLA and DAN KOPP. * pp. 254-259. * Formerly widespread in California's Central Valley, Purple Martins are currently restricted to a declining population in the Sacramento area. Monitoring of martins in the Sacramento region revealed a 60% population decline from 2004 to 2009. This decline may be due to collisions with vehicles, large construction projects, and overall changes in land use. * FURTHER DECLINE IN NEXT-BOX USE BY VAUX'S SWIFTS IN NORTHEASTERN OREGON. * by EVELYN L. BULL and CHARLES T. COLLINS. * pp. 260-266. * In a monitoring study of 103 nest boxes at 12 locales in northeastern Oregon, nest-box use by Vaux's Swifts was 72% lower in 2007-2008 than in 1999-2002. One possible cause of the population decline is competition for nest boxes with small mammals. Protecting and creating nesting and roosting sites for Vaux's Swifts might reverse the downward population trend. * USE OF A NESTING PLATFORM BY GULL-BILLED TERNS AND BLACK SKIMMERS AT THE SALTON SEA, CALIFORNIA. * by KATHY C. MOLINA, MARK A. RICCA, A. KEITH MILES, and CHRISTIAN SCHONEMAN. * pp. 267-277. * Constructed in 2006, an artificial nesting platform for Gull-billed Terns and Black Skimmers was quickly colonized by both species, but both species abandoned the platform within two years, probably because of crowding and the platform's microclimate. * BIRDS OF PREY AND THE BAND-TAILED PIGEON ON ISLA GUADALUPE, MEXICO. * by JUAN-PABLO GALLO-REYNOSO and ANA-LUISA FIGUEROA-CARRANZA. * pp. 278-283. * Observations at Isla Guadalupe, 1991�2003, establish the occurrence of 8 species of hawks and owls on the island. The Burrowing Owl and American Kestrel are resident; others are vagrants, visitors, or possible low-density residents. Observations of the Northern Harrier and Band-tailed Pigeon are the first for Isla Guadalupe. * FOOD HABITS OF WILD TURKEYS IN NATIONAL FORESTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND CENTRAL OREGON. * by GRETA M. WENGERT, MOURAD W. GABRIEL, RYAN L. MATHIS, and THOMAS HUGHES. * pp. 284-291. * Droppings of Wild Turkeys were collected from national forests in northern California and southern Oregon; the Wild Turkey is not native to the region, and its effects on the native biota have been questioned. In California, females consumed more insects than did males; the study also documented temporal and spatial variation in food preferences. * SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE DIET OF THE BARN OWL IN NORTHWESTERN NEVADA. * by ABIGAIL C. MYERS, CHRISTOPHER B. GOGUEN, and DANIEL C. RABBERS. * pp. 292-296. * An analysis of 306 Barn Owl pellets in Churchill County, Nevada, revealed seasonal changes in prey consumption. Mammals were found in 93% of pellets in both summer and winter, but relative abundance of mammal genera varied by season. Fewer birds were present in pellets in winter than in summer, and giant water bugs were found in 7.7% of pellets in summer but were absent in winter. * FIRST RECORD OF A MANGROVE WARBLER FOR ARIZONA. * by NATHAN K. BANFIELD and PATRICIA J. NEWELL. * pp. 297-300. * A Mangrove Warbler (of the distinctive erithachorides subspecies group of the Yellow Warbler) was captured in a mist net and photo-documented northeast of Phoenix, Arizona, 31 July 2004. The record has been accepted by the Arizona Bird Committee and is the northernmost of a Mangrove Warbler. * PREY REMAINS IN NESTS OF FOUR CORNERS GOLDEN EAGLES, 1998-2008. * by DALE W. STAHLECKER, DAVID G. MIKESIC, JAMES N. WHITE, SPIN SHAFFER, JOHN P. DeLONG, MARK R. BLAKEMORE, and CRAIG E. BLAKEMORE. * pp. 301-306. * Analysis of remains left in 191 Golden Eagle nests in the Four Corners region revealed that most prey (87%) were mammals, mainly jackrabbits and cottontails. The most common avian prey were Common Ravens and American Coots, and gopher snakes constituted 3.3% of prey items. Exceptional prey items included the red fox, porcupine, brown trout, and Red-tailed Hawk. * BOOK REVIEW. * reviewed by DAVE TROCHLELL. * pp. 307-308. * Review of "Small Mountain Owls" (2009), by Scott Rashid. * BOOK REVIEW. * reviewed by JOHN STERLING. * pp. 308-309. * Review of "Breeding Bird Atlas of Santa Clara County, California" (2007), by William G. Bousman. * FEATURED PHOTO: JUVENAL PLUMAGE OF THE RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW. * by BRAD SCHRAM. * pp. 310-312. * The briefly held juvenal plumage of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow is poorly known by birders and may present identification challenges. In juvenal plumage, the Rufous-crowned Sparrow shows a finely streaked brown (not rufous) crown, a dark gray malar stripe, two wing bars, and fine streaking below. Identification is complicated by wear and by the variability of the streaking below. Please note that vols. 1-37 (1970-2006) of Western Birds are permanently archived and fully searchable online: http://tiny.cc/Y2sa5. The service is free to the public, and is made available by Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA). Full abstracts of research articles and the full text for "Featured Photos" (vols. 38-40) are available online: http://tiny.cc/luCHf. ------------------------------- Ted Floyd Editor, Birding Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine ------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3 Subject: Hilton Pond 04/15/10 (Hummer Trips to the Tropics) From: "Bill Hilton Jr. (RESEARCH)" <research AT HILTONPOND.ORG> Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:01:17 -0400 After 11 successful expeditions to Costa Rica and Belize to study Ruby- throated Hummingbirds on their Neotropical wintering grounds, we're expanding our citizen science opportunities in 2011 by adding Nicaragua and Guatemala so we can "Follow the Hummingbirds North." For the 15-21 April 2010 edition of "This Week at Hilton Pond" we explain how we got started working on hummingbirds in the tropics and summarize next year's trips--complete with lots of photos of habitats, birds, and wildlife you can expect to see in one or more of these Central American countries. The installment includes information about pricing and links to detailed descriptions and day-by-day itineraries. To read all about these exciting excursions YOU can join, please visit <> As always, we include a list of birds banded or recaptured closer to home at Hilton Pond, as well as some miscellaneous Piedmont nature notes. We'd appreciate forwarding this e-mail to individuals and groups that might be interested in participating in our Neotropical hummingbird expeditions in 2011. Happy Nature Watching! BILL ========= OPERATION RUBYTHROAT: The Hummingbird Project BILL HILTON JR., Principal Investigator Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Operation RubyThroat:The Hummingbird Project ( http://www.rubythroat.org ) is a cross-disciplinary international initiative in which students, teachers, and others collaborate to study behavior and distribution of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). All worldwide rights reserved and copyrighted by Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History ( http://www.hiltonpond.org ). Contributions in support of the project may be made via Network for Good at http://www.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_donateReport=1&partner=networkforgood&ein=56-2162170 ============= ===== EDUCATION PROGRAM BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 The mission of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is "to conserve plants, animals, habitats, and other natural components of the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages." (details on Web site). ======= ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ================== Subject: Re: banding piping plover From: Marianne Korosy <mkorosy AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:47:00 -0400 Color-band combos on Piping Plovers should be reported to Greg Pavelka at < piping.plover AT usace.army.mil> He will refer your data to the researchers and someone will contact you with info on where and when the bird was banded. Marianne Korosy Florida Audubon Society & Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Palm Harbor, FL On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 10:42 AM, Dan Brooks wrote: > Greetings all, > > > > Any leads who might be banding piping plovers? A friend sent the below > info. of a bird he saw in Nueces Co., Tx on 4/14. > > > > Sited a BANDED Piping Plover - The bird had a GREEN band on the tibiotarsus > AND a blue band on the tarsometatarsus. > It was at Indian Point, Corpus Christi on the Nueces bay on Wed April 14, > 2010. There were at least 3 other NON-Banded individuals there as well. > > > > Kind thanks, > > Dan > > > > > > *Daniel M. Brooks, Ph.D. > *Curator of Vertebrate Zoology > > Cracid Specialist Group Chair > > dbrooks AT hmns.org (713) 639-4776 Fax (713) 639-4767 > *the*HoustonMuseum*ofnaturalscience* > 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030-1799 > > > > Biography: www.hmns.org/exhibits/curators.asp?r=1 > > Building the African Wildlife Hall: www.drdantime.netfirms.com/index.html > > Cracid Specialist Group: www.cracids.org > > > -- "To the extent that we banish the rest of life we will impoverish our own species for all time." - E. O. Wilson Subject: Contacts for application of digiscoping in field research / ornithology From: Martin Riesing <a9302173 AT UNET.UNIVIE.AC.AT> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:32:06 +0200 Dear List, I am preparing a talk to present some information on digiscoping / "digibinning" and its application in ornithological field studies. I you are aware of examples of applied digiscoping in research. I collected substantial information on color-ringing schemes and the application of ring reading with the help of digiscoping. Especially interesting would be marine studies, research on (remote) island, colony birds or identification of individual birds, e.g. raptors / vultures. Especially contributions from the tropics would be welcome. Thank you for you help with contacts, references or further suggestions. Kind regards, Martin Riesing BSc The Pannonian Bird Experience 2010 23-25 April 2010 www.birdexperience.org www.bird.at Die Plattform f�r Vogelbeobachter in �sterreich. The Birder`s Platform in Austria SKYPE: atbirder / atbirding Subject: banding piping plover From: Dan Brooks <dbrooks AT HMNS.ORG> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:42:05 -0500 Greetings all, Any leads who might be banding piping plovers? A friend sent the below info. of a bird he saw in Nueces Co., Tx on 4/14. Sited a BANDED Piping Plover - The bird had a GREEN band on the tibiotarsus AND a blue band on the tarsometatarsus. It was at Indian Point, Corpus Christi on the Nueces bay on Wed April 14, 2010. There were at least 3 other NON-Banded individuals there as well. Kind thanks, Dan Daniel M. Brooks, Ph.D. Curator of Vertebrate Zoology Cracid Specialist Group Chair dbrooks AT hmns.org (713) 639-4776 Fax (713) 639-4767 theHoustonMuseumofnaturalscience 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030-1799 Biography: www.hmns.org/exhibits/curators.asp?r=1 Building the African Wildlife Hall: www.drdantime.netfirms.com/index.html Cracid Specialist Group: www.cracids.org Subject: Re: feather colour in flamingos From: sue anne zollinger <zollinger AT ORN.MPG.DE> Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:49:03 +0200 The way I read that statement, in the context of the paragraph, to indicate that their diet presumably changes after the breeding season to something less rich in carotenoids, and so therefore the feathers that grow in after that moult are less colourful than the ones sported during the breeding season? "The color change of feathers is an effect of a shift to a more adult diet[5].... ... James' flamingos molt their wing and body feathers according to their breeding schedule and once molted the feathers lose their color due to lack of carotene being supplied. There is no evidence of color differentiation between the males and females." ----- Original Message ----- From: Randy Lauff To: ORNITH-L AT SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 9:24 PM Subject: feather colour in flamingos I am a fan of Wikipedia, but I do take entries with a grain of salt. Under James's Flamingo is this statement: "once molted the feathers lose their color due to lack of carotene being supplied" I can see colour change by the breakdown of pigment, but this statement implies that the colour of an individual feather can change by the addition of pigment - given there is no transport mechanism within an erupted feather, I find this unlikely. I suppose the experiment would be if you had a flamingo with a poor diet (no carotene) and it produces pale feathers, then gave it a carotene rich diet, would the colour of the existing feathers change? I don't think so - it would just produce vibrant feathers at the next molt. Right? Randy ________________________ R.F. Lauff Department of Biology St. Francis Xavier University 2320 Notre Dame Avenue Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 (902) 867-2471 rlauff AT stfx.ca (902) 867-2389 (fax) http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html Subject: Re: feather colour in flamingos From: Thomas Knight <dipperdog AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:58:37 -0700 As someone who has worked with flamingos for decades at zoos I can assure you that you are correct- any pigments not in the feather at the time of moult won't be added later. So if you haven't been giving them enough pigment in their diet, you will get white flamingos, and no amount of pigment will make them pink after that until the next moult. Conversely, they don't really lose the pigment from their feathers whether or not they are supplemented after the moult; as with all pigments, they fade slowly in the sun, but very, very slowly indeed, and by the time of moult (and then for years afterwards, if you collect the feathers) they remain a rich pink color. As usual, you were wise to be skeptical of Wikipedia. Cheers, Thomas Knight On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 12:24 PM, Randy Lauff wrote: > I am a fan of Wikipedia, but I do take entries with a grain of salt. > Under James�s Flamingo is this statement: > > > > �once molted the feathers lose their color due to lack of carotene being > supplied� > > > > I can see colour change by the breakdown of pigment, but this statement > implies that the colour of an individual feather can change by the addition > of pigment � given there is no transport mechanism within an erupted > feather, I find this unlikely. > > > > I suppose the experiment would be if you had a flamingo with a poor diet > (no carotene) and it produces pale feathers, then gave it a carotene rich > diet, would the colour of the existing feathers change? I don�t think so � > it would just produce vibrant feathers at the next molt. > > > > Right? > > Randy > > ________________________ > > R.F. Lauff > > Department of Biology > > St. Francis Xavier University > > 2320 Notre Dame Avenue > > Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5 > > > > (902) 867-2471 rlauff AT stfx.ca > > (902) 867-2389 (fax) > > > > http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/lauff.html > > >