About Those Birds

Whether you have no idea what climate change is or don’t care to believe it, here’s a sobering article about the future of bird species in California. In a September 2, 2009 article by the San Francisco Chronicle, a study was released stating the future of birds in California is uncertain due to climate change. Click here for the full article. The study is only a prediction, but that doesn’t mean what they predict can’t happen. This research, conducted by the PRBO (Point Reyes Bird Observatory) Conservation Science, basically states that bird species will either have to adapt or die. They concluded that birds communities will change. This doesn’t mean less birds in a certain community, but the composition of those birds in that community will not be like what we see today. This loss of biodiversity is really what plagues the world today in terms of climate change. We are going through another great extinction.

These are a few points the research concluded upon:

• Birds will have to move to different habitats, they could negatively impact birds that were already in those habitats
  
• As Point Reyes Peninsula gets drier and less foggy, birds such as the California thrasher, rufous-crowned sparrow, and the ash-throated flycatcher will move there. These birds will meet with new birds already on the Peninsula, such as the purple finch and the black-throated grey warbler
• The white-crowned sparrow will decline by about 76%
• The varied thrush will decline by about 87%
• The yellow-billed magpie will decline by about 32%
• Many forest dwelling birds will decline, however birds like the acorn woodpecker may increase

John Wiens makes a good argument by saying, “Birds are nature’s barometers. If birds occur in different combinations in the future, it’s likely that other organisms such as insects and plants will as well. The reshuffling of bird assemblages that we project may just be the tip of the iceberg.”

That thought is rather saddening, but it makes sense. It’s difficult to gauge many species because they aren’t visible, but you know they’re there. Birds are very conspicuous. When they disappear, warning bells should go off.

This study was only done on a small part of California, but it hopes to expand to about 300 birds that are seen in California. Hopefully, that news won’t be as depressing.

If you would like to learn more, go to the PRBO site and their Avian Data Center site.

‘Till next time – please help conserve our bird diversity!

-Pictured – the varied thrush

The American Coot, Fulica americana, is an interesting bird. It’s not exactly a duck or a goose, but it’s more like a rail. However, it’s very easily identifiable because of its coloring and shape.

Identification Features:

Adult

• Males are slightly larger
  
• Short, whitish bill
• Overall grey coloration
• White on trailing edge while flying
• Head and neck are black
• Frontal shield on bill has brownish spot
• Red eyes
• Legs are a greenish yellow

Juvenile

• Duller and paler overall
  
• More whitish underparts
• Dusky colored bill

Voice:

• Grunting and cackling notes
  
• Emphatic puck, croooah, and punk-unk-punk-uh-punk-unk-uh
• Vocal during the day and the night

Range:

Credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Conservation Status:

• Least Concern by the IUCN
  

Fun Fact:

• Even though its body is similar to that of a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. It has lobed feet instead.
  

Where I Have Seen It:

• Monterey, CA
  
• North Deer Island, Galveston, TX
• High Island, Bolivar Peninsula, TX

Notice the webbed feet?

Well, there you have the unique American Coot.

‘Till next time – enjoy!

Most people grew up thinking that certain dinosaurs evolved into birds and some have no idea where they came from. Birds are not mammals, they’re not reptiles, and they’re certainly not amphibians or fish. Chinese scientists believe they have found the answer. An article from 25 September 2009 from the Daily Mail says that a newly discovered species of dinosaur from Northern China “provides hard evidence the prehistoric creatures evolved into birds.” That’s an amazing addition to bird evolution. What’s even more amazing is that these new finds are “indisputably” older than archaeopteryx. Birds evolving from dinosaurs has always been difficult to prove because of their lack of true feathers. The latest fossils were found by Dr. Xu Xing in two separate rock formations: the tiaojishan formation (168 to 151 myo) and the daohugou formation (164 to 158 myo). Archaeopteryx was only about 150 to 145 myo, therefore these new finds are significantly older. One of the fossils, named anchiornis huxleyi, “has extensive plumage and profusely feathered feet.” The finding of these fossils is critical in understanding avian evolution and its sequence through time. Dr. Xing, one of the lead scientists, said “this fossil provides confirmation that the bird-dinosaur hypothesis is correct and supports the idea that birds descended from theropod dinosaurs, the group of predatory dinosaurs that include allosaurus and velociraptor.”

I find articles like this fascinating because they show that what we have now is not the end and what we had then was so different. It makes me wonder what we’ll have 150 million years from now and even if humans will be around. We’ll never know.

Here are some pictures from the article. These are all pictures from The Daily Mail.

Discovery: An illustration of a feathered dinosaur, Anchiornis huxleyi. Its fossils were found in China

The fossils can be identified as follows: A – Skull and jaw bone, B – tail bone, C – Neck bone and right shoulder-blade, D – Left forelimb, E – Right forelimb, F – Left hindlimb. The other photos show fossils of the feathers found on various parts of the dinosaur’s body

Remains: The newly discovered ancient bird fossil (above) found in China which scientists believe proves birds evolved from dinosaurs. The corresponding parts of the bird are shown below

‘Till next time – enjoy!

Hummingbirds are astronomically small. If you’ve ever seen one up close, say in somebody’s hand, then you cannot really realize how small they are. Now why am I beginning this post with a random fact about hummingbirds? It’s because I went hummingbird banding at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory or GCBO which is located in Lake Jackson, TX. I volunteered to work there today because on every Saturday during the month of September they what is called the Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are netted and banded while they are on their way across the Gulf of Mexico to Southern Mexico and Central America. These tiny birds travel thousands of miles to their wintering grounds. If that’s not amazing, then I don’t know what is.

The Catching of the Birds

If you have never seen a bird being banded, then try to. It’s a very interesting experience. Though, to band birds you have to be certified bander, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch. First off, they have to catch the birds and they do this in two different ways. They set up a hummingbird feeder in bird cage and the door is attached to a string. When a hummingbird flies in the string is pulled and its captured. It is then picked out and put into a mesh bag to be taken to the bander. Another way to catch birds is through a mist net. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but is a net with about five levels and each level has an excess amount of very fine netting. The bird will fly into the net and be caught by the excess netting in the bottom, making a sort of sack. Not many hummingbirds are caught this way, but they did catch two female blue grosbeaks, a chickadee (didn’t get to see which kind), to male cardinals, a female cardinal, about ten or so hummingbirds, and a northern mockingbird. All of these birds were banded.

The Banding of the Birds

After being caught the birds are taken to the bander, where he puts a tiny hummingbird band into special pliers, takes the hummingbird out of the bag, and puts it on. The pliers have ring in them where is small enough to squeeze the band around the bird’s leg, but big enough to not squash the bird’s leg. That would not be good and rather defeat the purpose of banding. The bander then takes a straw and blows on the belly of the hummingbird to see its fat content. The fat content is rated and recorded. The bird is then put into a small tube to be weighed. It weighs about 3 g, which is tiny. The bander then removes the bird and feeds it from some sugar water. The tongue of a hummingbird is so small. They caught a few new hummingbirds, meaning they were born this passed spring or summer, a few males and a female.

The same procedure is used on all the other birds caught today.

Not too many hummingbirds were caught today, which is a bit unfortunate. They caught 45 hummingbirds this passed Tuesday. That would have been amazing to see. Today was awesome because everybody I met wants the same thing I do – to conserve birds. They love birds and don’t want them to go extinct – they actually care. The one bad thing about today was the mosquitoes. They were horrific. So bad that it didn’t matter how much bug spray you put on – they still bit you – even through jeans. They’re monsters. One tip – don’t go into the woods where there is standing water right after a rain. You will be swarmed in a cloud of vicious blood-sucking beasts. But after you get passed that, bird banding is really fun, well to watch anyway. If you can watch it somewhere around you, then by all means go and volunteer or go and watch. You will not be disappointed.

Here are some pictures from today:

‘Till next time – enjoy!

I’m going to do a short series about the state of the birds, this information is borrowed from the State of the Birds Report for 2009. Today’s discussion is about the birds of the Aridlands. The aridlands are the major deserts of North America, such as the Mojave and Sonoran Desert. They are characterized by low annual rainfall. Pretty much dry, desert-like areas with lots of scrub.

The Facts:

• More than 80 nesting species, many very unique to the area
  
• More than 3/4 of the species are declining in the aridlands
• Habitat loss, habitat degradation, invasive species and climate change all contribute to the decline of species
• 39% are of conservation concern
• 10 species are listed as endangered or threatened
• There has been steady decline of 17 of the 30 obligate species over the past 40 years

The Birds in Trouble:

• Endangered
  
  • California Condor
  • (Northern) Aplomado Falcon
  • (San Clemente) Loggerhead Shrike
  • (Least) Bell’s Vireo
  • Black-capped Vireo
  • Golden-cheeked Warbler
• Threatened
  • (Western) Snowy Plover
  • (Coastal) California Gnatcatcher
  • (Inyo) California Towhee
  • (San Clemente) Sage Sparrow

The Major Threats:

• Development and Energy – such as unplanned development, energy development and exploration, extreme urban and suburban areas are of greatest concern
  
• Agriculture and Invasive Species
• Climate Change – yes it is real

There is Hope:

• Active conservation measures – responsible agriculture and energy practices
  
• Creation of protected lands and linking them with communities to demonstrate the enjoyment of nature
• Innovative efforts for sustainable agriculture – water is a big problem right now for California and most likely will be for the future
• Keep up with the efforts – conservation measures have to be continuous for them to be effective

Despite the sad facts (I am depressed by this), not all is lost. California Condors are coming back due to the great conservation efforts and breeding programs. That’s good news. However, for more good news to take place, action needs to happen. Without action, these beautiful birds will fall by the wayside and finally into extinction. A lot of people don’t understand that when extinction happens, that species does not come back, ever. That’s not cool, people, not cool at all.

This information summed up the part on Aridlands from the State of the Birds Report. Check back next week for the next installment.

“Till next time – enjoy!

I am planning on doing an quick information series on the birds I have seen in the wild. I believe that it’s a good thing to know a little about a bird and its habitat instead of just writing it down in your field notebook. Yes, I have done that, but now I take a little more time to watch them. I recommend it, but its not necessarily needed, but it may make birding more enjoyable.

I’m starting off with the American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana. It is in the

Recurvirostridae family (I’m a science major, I have to add those).

Identification Features: I know a lot of people would use really technical terms to say where something is on the bird they’re talking about. I don’t. Not that I don’t know them (maybe not), its just that its not very conversational and its too harsh. Therefore, I’m going to be using things like “outer wings” not “primaries.” I think you’ll catch on. Anyway, the American Avocet is a pretty easily identifiable bird, its not those tiny things in the trees. Features include:

• Black and white striped wings (a lot of dominant black on the forewing)
  
• The belly is white
• The long bill curves upward (male’s a bit flatter)
• Grey legs
• Breeding: rusty colored head and neck, white eye ring
• Winter: greyish head and neck
• Juvenile: pale rusty color on head and neck

Voice: loud, piercing “wheet” or “kleep”

Range:

Conservation Status: Least Concern by the IUCN

Now that you have more information go out and see those American Avocets.

‘Till next time – enjoy!