Blog for the Birds

Birds and Crabs get a break in NJ

New Jersey gave a boost to both the horseshoe crab and the red knot. The red knot relies on horseshoe crab eggs as an essential food.  The red knot visits the mid-Atlantic coast on its yearly migration.  This break came in the form of a law that will ban horseshoe crab harvesting such time as the crab and red knot populations return to normal level (that to be determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

New Jersey protects crab to save rare shore bird

California Wind Power’s Dirty Little Secret

During the 1980’s wind turbines starting appearing in Northern California. They ushered in a new direction in renewable energy and offered a way to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. With that they are seen as a weapon in the battle against global warming. But the fast spinning turbines have a darker side: birds fly through them and are massacred by the fast spinning blades. Birds that include endangered species like the Golden Eagle.

There was an agreement reached that promised to reduce deaths of raptor species by 50 percent within three years. It also called for the shutdown or relocation of the 300 most lethal windmills at Altamont (there are approximately 5,000 total). But the review committee appointed to monitor this situation says they plan is not on course for this reduction and is calling for more shutdowns or relocations.

The Deadly Toll Of Wind Power

Alaskan Bird up for Protection

The Yellow Billed Loon is an Arctic bird that has been dwindling in numbers along with the Arctic ice. A group of concerned environmentalists have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force them to list this bird under the Endangered Species Act. The motion was filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco yesterday. The worldwide population of the loon is approximately 16,500 with about 4,000 of those in Alaska.

Environmental groups sue to protect Alaskan bird

California Condor get Extra Protection

The California Condor once was found everywhere in lands in and around California. It was declared endangered a full 40 years ago, in 1967, but hasn’t really made the recovery that wildlife experts expected. It has long been suspected that lead poisoning is the cause of this as condors eat meat from animal carcasses that have been hunted and shot. Earlier this year, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill that banned most lead ammunition. A new regulation, to take effect July 1, 2008 expands on that and bans hunters from using lead ammunition in 22 caliber or smaller guns.

State commission imposes lead ammunition ban to protect condor

Cerulean Warblers get some Help in MN

The cerulean warbler is a gorgeous blue bird that is among the Audubon’s endangered. It’s an insectivore whose breeding habitats are mature deciduous forests in the Midwest and eastern North America. Needless to say, mature deciduous forests are becoming fewer and fewer in the eastern US and this bird is stressed! In Minnesota, the DNR allocated 353 acres called the Avon Hills Forest Scientific and Natural Area which will hopefully serve as a habitat for the cerulean.

Survival of Avon bird in question

Mass. Beach Area Closed to People

Another Big City Bird story. Well this one is good news! On busy Revere Beach near Revere Mass two endangered Atlantic piping plovers were caught nesting last summer. These birds were down to 722 nesting pairs and conservation efforts seems to be paying off. Often the conservation efforts include shutting down beaches like this Revere Beach or at least part of it to accommodate the birds. Good work!

In Aid of a Bird, Some Inconveniences for People

Grenada Developer Respects Bird Life

A developer for the Four Seasons hotel chain is ordering up a survey to study a rare bird -  the endangered Grenada dove.  The hotel chain plan a high end hotel in a nature area, but this study will be geared toward ensuring the dove is not further threatened by it. It’s good to see developers actually caring enough to study the issue although I would like to see a conservationist involved in the study.

Hotel developers in Grenada promise to protect rare bird

In Hawaii 2 more Birds near Extinction

A national bird protection group and a Hawaiian bird expert are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend protection to two increasingly rare birds found only on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

Two More Hawaiian Birds on Brink of Extinction

West Coast Snowy Plovers Get Plan

The Snowy Plover has a breeding ground that has clashed terribly with humans.  They breed and lay eggs in the open sand on beaches.  This has led to critically low populations and has placed them on the endangered list.  This has also led to seasonal beach closures in certain areas.

Federal Officials have released a 10 year recovery plan for getting this bird back to a sustainable breeding population.   This plan calls for 3,000 adults to be maintained for 10 years. Not everyone is happy with this plan, however.  The Center for Biological Diversity criticized the plan for setting the population goal too low.

Agency Announces Recovery Plan for Bird

Raising the Alarm on Rare Chinese Bird

BirdLife International has raised the red flag on the Chinese Crested Tern - Sterna bernsteini.

Without urgent action conservationists have given the bird less than five years before disappearing completely from its two remaining breeding areas.

Unfortunately, the bird is sought after for its eggs and its population has dwindled to fewer than 50 birds. The eggs are thought to be more nutritious than chicken eggs.

This sea bird has been on the brink of extinction before. It was thought to be extinct before 4 pairs were located in at a nesting colony in 2000. The location of the colony is a politically sensitive islet - administered by Taiwan but claimed by mainland China. Having been declared a wildlife sanctuary recently, may help this bird survive and rise again.

Conservationists Warn About The Possible Extinction Of China’s Rarest Sea Bird