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| Rough-legged Hawk / Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS |
Birds and birding news
- A study of Eurasian Blackbirds found that individuals that migrated south were more likely to survive until the next breeding season than individuals that stayed north.
- Scientists found an example of speciation through hybridization on Daphne Major in the Galapagos when a Large Cactus Finch produced fertile offspring with a Medium Ground Finch. Those young bred only with each other and thrived despite inbreeding.
- Researchers found good adult survival in most of the shorebird species they tested on their breeding grounds at Teshekpuk Lake and Arctic NWR in Alaska. The study will create a baseline for measuring how shorebirds respond to climate change and contribute to studies of overall shorebird declines.
- Tiny geolocators and similar devices have opened up new ways to study how birds migrate and use habitats.
- A key stopover site for the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper is at risk of development.
- Analysis of the DNA in seabird poop can tell what the seabirds are eating. One surprise from the study was that albatrosses are eating jellyfish.
- Bird photographers (and other wildlife photographers) can learn ethics by putting themselves in their subjects' places.
- Cooperative breeding may allow female birds to lay smaller eggs.
- The Ocellated Turkey, which lives in Mexico and Central America, has iridescent feathers and no wattle.
- An exhibit at the Huntington in California recreates a small part of John Gould's Hummingbird House from the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London with specimens from Occidental College.
- NPR broadcast an interview on crow funerals and other aspects of crow intelligence.
- Earlier this year, the AOS recognized Northern and Hen Harriers as separate species. While the Northern Harrier is fairly secure in North America, Hen Harriers are subject to persecution in Europe.
Science and nature blogging
- 10,000 Birds: What is a Rail?
- Feathered Photography: A Guide To Aging Bald Eagles And How To Distinguish Immature Bald Eagles From Golden Eagles
- The Rattling Crow: Ringed Common Gull
- ABA Blog: ABA Releases Much Anticipated Checklist Update
- Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography: Side By Side Prairie and Peregrine Falcon Comparison
- Linda Murdock Photography: Portraits
- Bird Ecology Study Group: Down memory lane: Anting
- Bug Eric: Being Thankful for Bugs
- earthstar: Cirl bunting
Environment and biodiversity
- Nebraska approved the Keystone XL pipeline, but not TransCanada's preferred route, which could slow down completion as the company needs to arrange a new set of easements. The route approved by the state would avoid more of the Sandhills region and Ogallala aquifer.
- Meanwhile, a spill elsewhere along the Keystone XL pipeline could be worse than initially reported.
- California and 10 other states are threatening legal action to stop fee increases proposed for 17 national parks. Public comment on the proposal to increase fees is open through December 22.
- Wildlife rehabilitation is a window into the many ways humans harm wildlife.
- While much of coastal Louisiana is losing land to the sea, the delta of the Atchafalaya River is an exception.
