Picture by Greg Lavaty, courtesy of ABC.
The beautiful Audubon's Oriole has been designated Bird of the Week by the American Bird Conservancy. This colorful member of the blackbird family is primarily a bird of Mexico but does range into the Rio Grande Valley area of South Texas. A denizen of the many wildlife refuges along the river there, it is one of the many birds that birders from all over flock to the area to see.
The Audubon's population is declining and it is of some concern to conservationists. Like so many other birds, it is a victim of habitat destruction by encroaching human development. Also, it is one of the prime victims of brood parasitism by its cousin, the Bronzed Cowbird. The best hope for the long-term survival of the species is the protection and restoration of native vegetation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
*~*~*~*
The United Nations has published its latest report on climate change which confirms the near certainty of a human cause to the destructive phenomenon. BirdLife International is calling for an aggressive response to fight and reverse the ongoing trend because of the extreme danger which it poses for so many bird species. Although the deniers continue to pooh-pooh the whole idea of climate change, the findings and projections of the IPCC have proven to be quite accurate. Since they are projecting catastrophe for the future of the human race if it continues on its present course, perhaps we should pay attention to them.
*~*~*~*
A Canadian study looked at twenty-five different human causes of bird mortality and found that the most lethal one was humans' pets - specifically cats, both feral and owned cats that are allowed to roam outside. This confirms previous studies done in the United States and is further ammunition for the argument that we should keep our beloved felines inside and that we should find a humane solution to the problem of feral cats.
*~*~*~*
A court has withdrawn permission for the development of a giant wind farm on the Shetland Islands because of concern about the devastating effect it could have on the Whimbrel, a migratory shorebird endemic to the area. The government is appealing the ruling.
*~*~*~*
"The Rattling Crow" blogger wrote about how Canada Geese make their flock decision to fly.
*~*~*~*
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before it was shut down by politics this week, announced its decision to list as "threatened" the rufa Red Knot, a species of small shorebird that is one of the longest-distance migrants (over 9,300 miles) in the animal kingdom. Conservation groups have long sought the protection of the Endangered Species Act for this highly imperiled bird.
*~*~*~*
The seemingly never-ending devastation at the Fukushima power plant in Japan continued this week. The latest headline in the tragedy was a spillage of radioactive water that was caused by human error.
*~*~*~*
I reported last week about migratory birds being burned by a solar power facility in California. This week more details have emerged about how the birds' deaths happened.
*~*~*~*
Melatonin is a substance that helps to regulate sleep cycles in humans as well as birds. As someone who has sometimes struggled with erratic sleep cycles, I fully appreciate its importance. It turns out that low light levels in urban areas may be affecting the birds in those areas in significant ways, causing changes such as earlier activity in the mornings and changed breeding patterns.
*~*~*~*
A recent paper on the genomic data of ants and bees reveals that the two species are much more closely related than had heretofore been believed.
*~*~*~*
An analysis of the fossilized feces of the extinct Giant Moa has revealed information about what the birds ate and where they likely ate it.
*~*~*~*
An oil spill on a lake in Wales has coated ducks in oil and endangered their lives. About 500 of the birds have so far been captured for cleaning.
*~*~*~*
National parks and wildlife refuges around the country have been shut down by the intransigence of certain members of Congress who simply refuse to accept the decisions made by the democratic process when they don't happen to agree with those decisions. There doesn't appear to be any end in sight, since these people really have no strategy for ending their action now that it must be clear to them that they will not have their demands met. They have already inconvenienced and irritated countless numbers of people around the country, including myself, who have had to change their vacation and sightseeing plans because of their actions. No trip to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge last week for me and it looks like our trip planned to Bosque del Apache NWF in New Mexico next month may be imperiled. How sad that some thirty to forty narcissistic members of Congress, who are determined to prevent millions of uninsured Americans from getting health insurance and health care, would be willing to cause such hardship and real suffering by many in order to achieve their political aims.
No comments:
Post a Comment