I had these links in a draft tucked away sometime in December; apologies for the delay! It's incredibly important to have bird patterns monitored in cases like this, where wind farm development can be modified and bird patterns.
Tracking Golden Eagles via satellite - Eat More Cookies
Tracking Golden Eagles by Satellite; Impact of Large-Scale Wind Farms Studied - Science Daily
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Cranes
On a somewhat romantic note, this from Sacramento:
Sandhill Cranes are in it for the long haul
A banded pair of Sandhill Cranes has been tracked since the late 1980s, from rearing offspring to migrating and courting; and not too anthropomorphic, all things considered! Except for the first few lines, anyway. From the article:
I certainly mean no offense to those who named the birds, but my hamsters in 4th grade had similar names!
Sandhill Cranes are in it for the long haul
A banded pair of Sandhill Cranes has been tracked since the late 1980s, from rearing offspring to migrating and courting; and not too anthropomorphic, all things considered! Except for the first few lines, anyway. From the article:
Wing to wing, Softie and Sweetie have seen it all, from those exhausting 600-mile flights to Oregon in spring to those chilly nights near Sacramento standing in water 4 inches deep to avoid being gobbled up by coyotes or roughed up by raccoons.
Whatever the bond and no matter the explanation, these two sandhill cranes – majestic and wise and possessing an uncanny number of human traits – have been flying, feeding, parenting and chortling when need be since at least 1987, when a federal researcher trapped them and attached ID bands to their legs.
I certainly mean no offense to those who named the birds, but my hamsters in 4th grade had similar names!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Penguin followup - NPR link
From the AOL Birding Community newsletter:
Bands attached to penguins’ flippers have helped scientists track their movement and migration for 50 years. Now, a new study reports that the seemingly innocuous bands have a significant effect on penguin mortality. Over a decade, flipper-banded penguins produced 39 percent fewer chicks and had a 44 percent lower survival rate, compared with penguins that did not have bands but had microchips inserted under the skin, according to the study, which appears in the journal Nature. That’s because the bands cause drag as penguins swim, and they are unable to gather food as efficiently for themselves or their chicks, said Claire Saraux, the study’s lead author and a biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Strasbourg.
New York Times
A NPR radio show on the subject of bands harming penguins can be heard at:
NPR.org
Bands attached to penguins’ flippers have helped scientists track their movement and migration for 50 years. Now, a new study reports that the seemingly innocuous bands have a significant effect on penguin mortality. Over a decade, flipper-banded penguins produced 39 percent fewer chicks and had a 44 percent lower survival rate, compared with penguins that did not have bands but had microchips inserted under the skin, according to the study, which appears in the journal Nature. That’s because the bands cause drag as penguins swim, and they are unable to gather food as efficiently for themselves or their chicks, said Claire Saraux, the study’s lead author and a biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Strasbourg.
New York Times
A NPR radio show on the subject of bands harming penguins can be heard at:
NPR.org
Thursday, January 20, 2011
When bands are bad...
Penguins tagged by scientists with metal bands 'die more quickly and have fewer chicks'
...what a headline! It seems there's a bit of controversy over band types (for example, single flipper band vs. double flipper band) and whether or not different band materials impact other species in detrimental ways.
There's definitely an ethical challenge here - and it's not really in the comments, since most folks aren't familiar with the intimate details of banding - but it remains to be seen whether or not there will be any significant changes in the way King Penguins are studied. Implants may be the most ethical method for now; but it's also important to gather and compare this sort of data so we CAN know what impact banding is having on its subjects.
...what a headline! It seems there's a bit of controversy over band types (for example, single flipper band vs. double flipper band) and whether or not different band materials impact other species in detrimental ways.
The researchers followed 50 banded adult penguins and 50 unbanded birds for 10 years, tracking them with under-the-skin transponders.
Thirty six per cent of the non-banded survived for 10 years, compared to only 20 per cent of the band-wearing birds.
Penguins generally live for around 20 years although King penguins - among the largest penguins at 3ft tall - can live even longer.
The non-banded penguins had 80 chicks, while the banded seabirds produced 47 chicks, a 41 per cent drop.
There's definitely an ethical challenge here - and it's not really in the comments, since most folks aren't familiar with the intimate details of banding - but it remains to be seen whether or not there will be any significant changes in the way King Penguins are studied. Implants may be the most ethical method for now; but it's also important to gather and compare this sort of data so we CAN know what impact banding is having on its subjects.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Colbert Nation meets banded vulture
I try to keep this blog at least mostly scientific... but for the love of witty sarcasm, I present to you:Israeli Vulture Spy
Authorities in Saudi Arabia conclude that a vulture wearing a GPS tag from the Tel Aviv University is an Israeli spy. (02:34)
See also: Israeli Vulture Spy Declared Innocent By Saudi Arabia
...the world never ceases to amaze me!
Authorities in Saudi Arabia conclude that a vulture wearing a GPS tag from the Tel Aviv University is an Israeli spy. (02:34)
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Israeli Vulture Spy | ||||
| ||||
See also: Israeli Vulture Spy Declared Innocent By Saudi Arabia
...the world never ceases to amaze me!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Osprey by satellite
Recently there's been press about Osprey migration; Backpacking Ospreys was a feature over at Cornell's Lab of Ornithology.
Their great article and map highlight the work of Dr. Bierregaard, Osprey researcher extraordinaire.
That, my friends, is why Cornell's article, Backpacking Ospreys, needs to be read. And then Dr. Bierregaard's page needs to be perused. Pure, delicious, researchy goodness.
Their great article and map highlight the work of Dr. Bierregaard, Osprey researcher extraordinaire.
...a three-month-old female Osprey named Penelope pushed off from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and flew, alone, 2,700 miles to French Guiana in 13 days.
That, my friends, is why Cornell's article, Backpacking Ospreys, needs to be read. And then Dr. Bierregaard's page needs to be perused. Pure, delicious, researchy goodness.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Birding Community E-Bulletin highlights
From the Birding Community E-Bulletin - Nov. 2010
LOOK FOR EGRETS WITH MARKINGS
Also in Canada, this time in southern Ontario, we have news about Great Egrets.
In the past decade, over 1,200 young Great Egrets have been banded with readable red leg-bands marked with white alpha numerics (number-number-letter) in the Great Lakes region and southward. This year, over 100 egrets were marked with very obvious orange wing-tags with similar alpha-numerics. If you see any marked egrets bearing red leg-bands or with bright orange wing-tags, please try to accurately read the number-letter combinations and report the details (where and when observed and by whom). Send any observations to: chip.weseloh@ec.gc.ca
***
BIRD HAZARD SURVEY
Researchers at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, are studying the risks and benefits to birds caused by human behavior and technology (e.g., alternative energy efforts, cats, windows, and communications) as they are perceived by Americans with varying interests in birds. The researchers do not expect those responding to the survey to know the degree of risk associated with each of these behaviors or technologies. Indeed, some consequences remain unknown. The responses on these perceived risks will help more fully understand public opinions and behavior. The responses are expected to provide tools to raise bird conservation awareness.
The anonymous online survey (which takes about 25 minutes to complete) can be found here: ( http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BDFEUJWXT )
LOOK FOR EGRETS WITH MARKINGS
Also in Canada, this time in southern Ontario, we have news about Great Egrets.
In the past decade, over 1,200 young Great Egrets have been banded with readable red leg-bands marked with white alpha numerics (number-number-letter) in the Great Lakes region and southward. This year, over 100 egrets were marked with very obvious orange wing-tags with similar alpha-numerics. If you see any marked egrets bearing red leg-bands or with bright orange wing-tags, please try to accurately read the number-letter combinations and report the details (where and when observed and by whom). Send any observations to: chip.weseloh@ec.gc.ca
***
BIRD HAZARD SURVEY
Researchers at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, are studying the risks and benefits to birds caused by human behavior and technology (e.g., alternative energy efforts, cats, windows, and communications) as they are perceived by Americans with varying interests in birds. The researchers do not expect those responding to the survey to know the degree of risk associated with each of these behaviors or technologies. Indeed, some consequences remain unknown. The responses on these perceived risks will help more fully understand public opinions and behavior. The responses are expected to provide tools to raise bird conservation awareness.
The anonymous online survey (which takes about 25 minutes to complete) can be found here: ( http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BDFEUJWXT )
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Hummingbird banding
...in November! (original link here)
Today, Wednesday, we hosted bander Kelly Bryan (of West Texas Hummingbirds) who was assisted by Carolyn Ohl of the Christmas Mountains Oasis. At 9 AM the trap was set up and within 10 minutes, the female Anna's was in hand. Before the end of the hour, the latest documented Black-chinned Hummingbird (also female) was banded and on its way!
From Kelly's e-mail prior to the banding:
For those unfamiliar with banding code:
BCHU = Black-chinned Hummingbird
RTHU = Ruby-throated Hummingbird
So it goes without saying that we're thrilled to be a part of Kelly's banding research. We're even more excited that we didn't lure him all the way out here and not have a decent record for him. November 10 and two species of hummers... not so bad, eh?
...captions and further explanations will be added after a supply run and a few loads of laundry and maybe another coat of paint. Our apologies!
Today, Wednesday, we hosted bander Kelly Bryan (of West Texas Hummingbirds) who was assisted by Carolyn Ohl of the Christmas Mountains Oasis. At 9 AM the trap was set up and within 10 minutes, the female Anna's was in hand. Before the end of the hour, the latest documented Black-chinned Hummingbird (also female) was banded and on its way!
From Kelly's e-mail prior to the banding:
There are no records beyond Oct 29 for Black-chinned and Oct 31 for Ruby-throats; however I do have two winter records for Ruby-throat (Dec for one and Jan through April for the other). ... So far I have banded 58 Anna's this fall and the last BCHU was Oct 17 and the last RTHU was Oct 4.
For those unfamiliar with banding code:
BCHU = Black-chinned Hummingbird
RTHU = Ruby-throated Hummingbird
So it goes without saying that we're thrilled to be a part of Kelly's banding research. We're even more excited that we didn't lure him all the way out here and not have a decent record for him. November 10 and two species of hummers... not so bad, eh?
...captions and further explanations will be added after a supply run and a few loads of laundry and maybe another coat of paint. Our apologies!
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