Conservation

Journal Club: Scarlet macaw genome sequenced

by Grrlscientist 15 May 2013

SUMMARY: The newly-sequenced scarlet macaw genome will provide many important insights into avian and human biology, behaviours and genetics and will contribute to parrot conservation. Scarlet macaw, Ara macao, in flight.Image: Tambopata Research Center. [NOTE: This image has been altered; it has been cropped.] After many years of research into the behaviours, diseases, genetics and [...]

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Inside the AMNH Collections: Ornithology

Thumbnail image for Inside the AMNH Collections: Ornithology by Grrlscientist 23 November 2011

SUMMARY: This video takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour through the largest and most complete ornithology collection in the world.   Natural history collections are important. These collections, usually maintained by a museum, make up a library that scientists consult to answer all sorts of questions, from deciphering evolutionary relationships of the Hawaiian honeycreepers to [...]

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Journal Club: Bird-friendly California vineyards may have fewer pests

Thumbnail image for Journal Club: Bird-friendly California vineyards may have fewer pests by Grrlscientist 16 November 2011

SUMMARY: Insectivorous cavity-nesting birds can be encouraged to occupy vineyards by giving them nest boxes. New research documents that these birds reciprocate by providing significant eco-friendly pest control services to winegrape growers. I was in graduate school when I first read Rachel Carson’s classic book, Silent Spring [Amazon UK; Amazon US Affiliate Link]. This poignant [...]

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Four birds – that hurts

Thumbnail image for Four birds – that hurts by Gunnar 21 September 2011

Tristan Reid aka as Binocularface is doing a painful quest. He is raising money for bird conservation in Turkey, while adding 20 tattoos of Turkish birds to his arms. So far he has raised £1,420.00. The goal is to raise £10, 000. Check out the first 4 bird tattoos. Aren’t they something?

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Journal Club: The decline and fall of showy bustards

Thumbnail image for Journal Club: The decline and fall of showy bustards by Grrlscientist 10 August 2011

SUMMARY: intense early reproductive effort takes a toll on long-term survival of individual male houbara bustards by leading to early declines in fertility and early ageing Why do we get old and die? Why hasn’t natural selection “weeded out” those genes responsible for age-related declines? Several hypotheses have been proposed, with the most important pointing [...]

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Top 10 birds of Turkey

Thumbnail image for Top 10 birds of Turkey by GuestPost-TristanReid 25 July 2011

Turkey gives fabulous birding with Northern Bald Ibis, Caspian Snowcock, Spur-winged Plover and many more. Tristan Reid presents the 10 best birds and the key birdwatching areas. In fact, Tristan made a pledge to raise money for BirdLife Turkey by tattooing his right arm with the same 10 birds.

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Breeding Spoon-billed Sandpiper found in Chukotka

Thumbnail image for Breeding Spoon-billed Sandpiper found in Chukotka by Gunnar 10 July 2011

Breeding Spoon-billed Sandpiper has been found by a unique conservation collaboration between BirdLife International and Heritage Expeditions – a BirdLife Species Champion in far eastern Russia at the Chukotka coast.

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Bird Ringing – how safe are mist nets?

Thumbnail image for Bird Ringing – how safe are mist nets? by Rebecca Nason 30 June 2011

How safe are mist nets? Photo: Sand Martins in mist net by © Rebecca Nason The following article has been forwarded to me and I thought I’d share in with my fellow birding bloggers, many of whom may be bird ringers/banders or have a general interest in the use of mist nets in bird research [...]

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Satipo Road – new name?

Thumbnail image for Satipo Road – new name? by Gunnar 30 June 2011

For fundraising purposes the birding circuit known as Satipo Road needed a new name. Rainforest Partnership has a hard time to market a road as a pristine area among non-birders, and the name Pampa Hermosa which has been used in the past is already in use at two other birding sites in Peru. A recent poll singled out Colibri Trail as the favorite, which makes much sense since there are 45 species of Hummingbirds recorded from this area. Colibri means Hummingbird in virtually every language except English.

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Journal Club: Gouldian Finches’ fascinating mating system

Thumbnail image for Journal Club: Gouldian Finches’ fascinating mating system by Grrlscientist 29 June 2011

Gouldian Finches occur in two morphs. Red heads or Black heads. Red-headed females prefer red-headed males – and black prefer blacks. In the small populations it is not always possible for the finches to chose their own type. When they cross the results are not good. However, a “hybrid” female will always have less viability than “hybrid” male. The stress of mating the “wrong”kind makes the Gouldian Finch able to regulate the outcome producing more male “hybrid” offspring which has better viability. Read Grrl Scientist fascinating account how the females do this.

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Only 5 pairs Gurney’s Pitta left in Thailand

Thumbnail image for Only 5 pairs Gurney’s Pitta left in Thailand by DaleForbes 19 June 2011

Khao Nor Chuchi, near Krabi in southern Thailand has become something of a tropical birders’ mecca over the last decade – especially for those that are obsessed with pittas as, with 5 pitta species on the cards, Khao Nor Chuchi is bound to get your birder heart racing. Just the thought of Banded Pitta, Hooded [...]

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Avistar Peru – birding festival in Lima 2011.

Thumbnail image for Avistar Peru – birding festival in Lima 2011. by Gunnar 25 April 2011

Avistar Peru – Miraflores Nov 2-6, 2011 I have the pleasure to announce that an anual birding festival – AVISTAR PERU – will be held in Lima each year. It has been inspired by the yearly AVISTAR festival in Sao Paulo organized by Guto Carvalho and his friends. Guto, has been a great help getting [...]

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Charlie Moores joins birdingblogs.com

Thumbnail image for Charlie Moores joins birdingblogs.com by DaleForbes 27 March 2011

That’s right, the incredibly brilliant Charlie Moores is to join our humble ranks. Charlie started “Charlie’s Bird Blog” in 2004 and quickly made a name for himself in the bird world. Actually, come to think of it, 2004 was centuries ago in blogging history. Almost pre-historic. That would have put Charlie right up there with [...]

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Naked Bittern Exposed

Thumbnail image for Naked Bittern Exposed by Rebecca Nason 19 March 2011

Minsmere is the RSPB’s premier nature reserve on the Suffolk coast, East Anglia, UK, and luckily for me, just a stones throw away from where I live half an hours drive further down the coast. I do not visit as much as i’d like to or should, but when I do, I am always pleased [...]

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The Crazy Mix- Birds and People

Thumbnail image for The Crazy Mix- Birds and People by MartinGarner 26 January 2011

I have had some interesting encounters in recent days. Some scary. Some wonderful. And they are all around observations in  the strange middle ground where humans and birds meet. The photo of feathers above was one such case. But just  for fun- can you identify the bird species- even to age and sex? I found this individual with a broken wing having hit some (man-made) overhead power lines. Its could just about [...]

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African vultures also in Danger

Thumbnail image for African vultures also in Danger by Gunnar 22 December 2010

Kenya Vultures declining! Most birders have heard of the critical state of the vultures of the Indean Subcontinent because the use of Dichlophenac to treat sick livestock, and in the dead animals is highly. The discovery of the cause of the decline of the Indean Vultures was quite a sensation (see link) and it was [...]

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The Capercaille

Thumbnail image for The Capercaille by DaleForbes 19 December 2010

The Western Capercaille (Tetrao urogallus) is one of the most emblematic birds of the Alps, amongst the people of the Alps, it is probably just behind the Golden Eagle. This is partly because it really is large and beautiful, secretive and shy. But to be honest it is probably because it is part of the [...]

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A Fresh New Image for the BTO

Thumbnail image for A Fresh New Image for the BTO by Rebecca Nason 10 December 2010

New logo for BTO The British Trust for Ornithology has just revealed it’s new look website, logo and image!! On their website it states the following: Welcome to the new website – the first evidence of a fresh BTO image. It still has links to your favourite surveys and traditional features, such as BirdFacts and Bird trends, [...]

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Addicted to – Bird Art . . . .

Thumbnail image for Addicted to – Bird Art . . . . by Rebecca Nason 10 December 2010

I have to confess to being a lover of fine bird art, from the modern to the antique. At the Bird Fair each August in Rutland, UK, I have a stand in the art marquee where I sell my photographs and have enjoyed exhibiting and selling my work there for 6 years now. However, every [...]

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Worthen’s Sparrow: What is it?

Thumbnail image for Worthen’s Sparrow: What is it? by Kenn Kaufman 1 December 2010

Worthen’s Sparrow (Spizella wortheni) has been a creature of mystery ever since its discovery.  It was first found in the southwestern United States, near Silver City, New Mexico, in June 1884, but it has never been found north of the border since then.  Its total known range today is a limited area on the northern [...]

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