students,
parents, and the village administrator from Hartland, who are working on
the planned replacement of a chimney that was part of an historic
building there, and which housed a roosting flock of over 1,000 swifts
this past late summer/early autumn. Their project can hopefully inspire
others in communities around the Midwest. They are collecting funds to
pay for the new structure, and we will provide some scientific and
operational guidance for their project.
Bird Conservation Updates from American Bird Conservancy - November 7, 2013
Dr.
Michael Hutchins, Renowned International Wildlife, Expert Joins American Bird Conservancy to Oversee Wind Energy Campaign
“We are thrilled that Michael is joining our team and excited to have his considerable talents focused on the challenges associated with making wind a Bird-Smart energy source,” said Dr. George Fenwick, President of ABC.
As
wind campaign coordinator,
he will lead ABC’s national efforts to make wind developments
Bird-Smart and minimize the impact of this rapidly expanding energy
source on bird populations.
For more details see
http://www.abcbirds.org/
Comment to Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse - A national effort is underway to conserve the magnificent Greater Sage-Grouse, known for its spectacular mating dance. You can be part of this effort to reverse declining grouse populations, while providing for sustainable use of public lands and a legacy of protected landscapes. Send a comment letter urging that BLM’s Northwest Colorado plan adopt conservation measures—called the conservation alternative, or "Alternative C"—to ensure sustainable management for the Greater Sage-Grouse. Please click on this link to send a comment letter: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/
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More on sage-grouse: Babbitt on Grouse: National Strategy Needed to Conserve Iconic Species.
Defenders of Wildlife Blog by Noah Matson: http://www.defendersblog.org/
Cats Indoors
Action Alert: Sign On Letter to Protect Wildlife and Public Lands
Given
the proven degree of environmental harm and human health risks, federal
and state agencies responsible for managing wildlife and public lands
need to take action
to protect birds and other wildlife from cat predation. American Bird
Conservancy has drafted a letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally
Jewell asking the Department to develop a clear management policy to
protect wildlife and to address the impacts of feral
cat colonies on public lands. Eighty bird and habitat conservation
organizations have endorsed the letter thus far. Please take a look and
consider adding your organization to the list of endorsements.
Report from Gov't of Canada Echoes U.S. Finding: Outdoor Cats are Leading Human-Caused Source of Bird Mortality A new study from the government of Canada that looked at more than 25 human-caused sources of bird mortality has found that domestic cats, both feral and owned, are the leading lethal threat to birds in the country. The study found that the median estimate of cat-caused mortality—almost 200 million bird deaths per year—was about six times greater than the next leading mortality estimate of about 32 million attributed to car collisions. The third-leading cause was collisions with buildings or homes, with a rate of about 22 million bird deaths per year. For more see http://www.abcbirds.org/
Los Angeles Zoo treats 21 California condors for lead poisoning
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In the wild they are
tough, living up to 80 years and surviving primarily on animal carcass.
But these California condors
now need help.
"Some of them are upwards of 15, 16, 17 years
old, and we raised them way back then. To see that it's kind of
heartbreaking. They're [sic]
food is poisoned, so nothing can survive that," Los Angeles Zoo animal
keeper Michael Clark said.
A record 21 condors have been taken to the
L.A. Zoo for rehabilitation in a two-week period, caught by Fish and
Wildlife and testing positive
for lead poisoning. Field crews trap condors in the wild twice a year
to check their health and to put transmitters on them. Clark says he
expects more to come in.
See http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/
Wisconsin's 2011 Blow-Down Area Provides Benefits for Imperiled Species
Not
far from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, a massive 2011 wind storm
struck and leveled trees for miles across northwestern
Wisconsin, causing a variety of widespread problems, which for some are
still an issue today. Yet out of the wind-strewn wreckage comes a happy
“re-start” for the tiny Golden-winged Warbler, one of the most
threatened, non-federally listed bird species in
eastern North America.
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More on Golden-Winged Warbler from Wisconsin Public Radio:
http://news.wpr.org/post/
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Toolkit Now Available
The
NMBCA outreach toolkit was developed by the NMBCA Communications Team
(ABC, Audubon, AFWA, Cornell, and FWS). It includes
key messages, statistics, graphics, and other resources for media or
partners who wish to communicate about the NMBCA. Please check it out at
http://www.fws.gov/
Training on State
Wildlife Action Plans Now Available Online
On June 4-6, 2013, National Wildlife Federation, Association of Fish
& Wildlife Agencies, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted
Connect, Collaborate, and Conserve In an Era of Changing Landscapes: An Interactive Training on State Wildlife Action Plans,
at the U.S. FWS's National Conservation Training Center in
Shepherdstown, WV. With federally mandated revisions to State Wildlife
Action Plans due in 2015, this training was meant to ensure that the
updated plans will be the best they can be. Each day focused on a broad
topic, covering landscape conservation, climate change, and building
public support.
The agenda, powerpoints, and videos of presentations are available on
the NWF Workshops website, under "National Training": http://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/
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| Ph by Wolfgang Wander, Wikim. Commons |
