RARITY FOCUS
Due to the pandemic, and at least since last May, we have avoided reporting on the temptation of running across state lines to chase rare birds. Indeed, we thought it inappropriate to promote such activity, and so decided to stress some of the joys and peculiarities of “armchair birding,” emphasizing feeder-watching - which grew exponentially last year – and local and near-home solitary birding.
As the pandemic is gradually diminishing, we depart from that practice this month to report on one specific North American mega-rarity. We do this in good conscience with the knowledge that there is no way anyone seriously could have “chased” this fascinating bird, both because of its timing and location.
The rarity appeared in Alaska, indeed far-northern Alaska, at Barrow. And it was in observed for only a little more than a day. So there: you list-lusters really didn’t miss out on much.
The bird in question was a Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush (Monticola saxatilis). This is a species that is strongly migratory and that breeds from southern Europe across Central Asia to northern China. It favors rocky mountain slopes and alpine meadows for breeding, most often above 5,000 feet. Yet somehow, a male of this species dramatically overshot its breeding range and landed in the farthest-north community in the U.S., Barrow, Alaska.
It was found and photographed by Knut Hansen on the evening of 24 June and also observed and photographed by other birders in the area into the next day. It was seen at a sand-pile and gravel-pit area southwest of the airport and not far from trailer and construction-sites. This is a first North American Record.
You can access three of Knut Hansen’s photos of the bird here:
STRANGELY DISEASED BIRDS IN THE EAST
Starting in late May, wildlife managers in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia began hearing about sick and dying birds, individuals often exhibiting neurological signs as well as eye-swelling and crusty discharge. Then, similar reports began coming in from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana.
The most common species reported in the strange outbreak have been Blue Jay, Common Grackle, American Robin, European Starling, and Northern Cardinal. But other birds have been affected. Not all the birds have had the same symptoms, but some common ones have been the following:
· Tremors
· Holding their heads with a tilt
· Having trouble balancing
· Eyes swollen, encrusted, or with oozing discharge
“They’ll just sit still, often kind of shaking,” Kate Slankard, an avian biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said. “We’re all working together as a multistate group to try to figure out what’s going on,” Slankard added. “Diagnosing these problems is complex because several rounds of lab tests must be done.”
Curiously, the individual birds impacted may all be young ones. At the same time, samples sent to multiple state-based laboratories have thus far tested negative for avian influenza and the West Nile virus. Further testing and investigation are underway, with state-based departments of natural resources cooperating with multiple agencies, such as USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the University of Georgia Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, and the University of Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program.
It’s unclear how long this testing process may take.
TIP OF THE MONTH: CLEAR YOUR BATHS AND FEEDERS
First, re-read the previous news item above on the sick and dying birds in parts of the East. This should be a reminder to clean your existing feeders and refresh any backyard birdbaths you may have, even if you do not you live in those states already experiencing this strange phenomenon.
The majority of bird species cited in the spreading disease are not necessarily reliant on bird feeders at this time of year. And they can surely find plenty of food without human assistance. Nevertheless, preventing potential transmission (removing sites where birds may congregate) and acting preemptively is probably safest for the birds. In fact, multiple states (e.g., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) have highly recommended that the bird-feeding public simply take their feeders down, at least until this bird-mortality event has been identified and has ended.
Here are some good guidelines, especially in the region already identified for the current bird-ailment:
· Clean feeders and baths with hot, soapy water and disinfect with 10% bleach solution
· Do this at least twice a month, if not weekly
· Avoid handling birds, and wear disposable gloves if handling is necessary
· If you must remove dead birds, place them in a sealable plastic bag to dispose of with household trash
· If you encounter sick or dead birds, contact your DNR (or equivalent in your state) or the USDA Wildlife Services hotline (877-463-6497)
· Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a standard precaution
Under these circumstances we might all want to consider the adage associated with medical care: "first do no harm."
BOOK NOTES: A NEW SEABIRD FIELD GUIDE FOR THE AGES
Seabirds: The New Identification Guide (2021, Lynx Edicions) by Peter Harrison, Martin Perrow, & Hans Larsson has recently raised the bar for seabird aficionados worldwide. In 1983, Peter Harrison released Seabirds: An Identification Guide (Houghton Mifflin) that long-time birders will happily recall as a one-man tour de force that was featured as “the definitive book on the identification of seabirds.” Now, nearly 40 years later, this new complete revision of the seminal reference has been significantly revised and updated by Peter Harrison et al., along with 239 new full-color original plates containing more than 3,800 individual figures illustrating subspecies, morphs, plumages, ages, and sexes of virtually all the world’s seabirds. With range maps and expanded text by several of the most experienced seabird experts in the world, this new, colorful and expanded identification guide is sure to become a seabirders’ favorite.
DUCK-STAMP RECONSIDERATION
In February 2020, we raised concerns over a new bird-art proposal for the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (popularly called the Duck Stamp). We described the unfortunate proposal to make a hunting scene or theme a required part of the annual Stamp’s art. Many critics worried that it would send a wrong message: that the Stamp is something less than a broad funding-mechanism for vital bird habitat in the Refuge System, and that the Stamp is simply for hunters. We explained those concerns here, in a news item titled “Duck Stamp Folly”:
On 8 May 2020, the new “hunting heritage” rule was announced in the Federal Register, making it mandatory for the artwork “to include one or more appropriate hunting-related accessories and/or scenes to reflect this…decoys, dogs, hunting blinds or other hunting images.”
Last month, however, the new Biden Administration announced its interest in reversing that decision, starting with the 2022 art-contest. With this new proposal, inclusion of a hunting element would be removed, along with parallel judging requirements and judges’ qualifications. This new proposed rule is open for public comments until 23 July, and details on the announcement can be found here from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:
On the one hand, eliminating this restrictive – and arguably counterproductive – “hunter heritage” requirement is a positive move. On the other hand, simply reverting to the archaic standards of the art contest may not necessarily help to advance stamp sales or the greater cause wetland and grassland bird-conservation. New replacement and rotating art-rules possibly stressing alternate themes, such as vital duck habitat, feeding, cavity nesting, threatened waterfowl (e.g., sea ducks), or nests/young, might have moved this entire endeavor onto a different educational and environmental level.
Regardless, here’s a short new-report on the proposed rule-reversal from E&E News:
NEW BCC REPORT
The latest “Birds of Conservation Concern” (BCC 2021) is now out. Released last month, this list identifies the migratory and non-migratory bird species (beyond those already designated as Federally Threatened or Endangered) representing our highest conservation priorities. The useful Federal list is based on an assessment of several factors, including known population abundance and trends, threats on breeding and nonbreeding grounds, and size of breeding and nonbreeding ranges.
The list identifies 269 species of birds that represent high conservation priorities and that deserve proactive attention. The overview covers species found in the Continental USA (CON), continental Bird Conservation Regions (BCR), Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands (PRVI), and Hawaii and Pacific Islands (HAPI).
As for the 134 species among those included in the Continental USA (CON) category, you might want to focus on such species as Clark’s Grebe, Chimney Swift, Rufous Hummingbird, American Oystercatcher, Wilson’s Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Ancient Murrelet, California Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Reddish Egret, Short-eared Owl, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pinyon Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, Wrentit, Wood Thrush, LeConte’s Thrasher, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Baird’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Tricolored Blackbird, Cerulean Warbler, and Pyrrhuloxia.
Each of these may have seemed in decent shape just a few decades ago, but all are on this current list, revealing some degree of serious insecurity or even peril. The philosophy underlying this BCC 2021 report is that “proactive bird conservation is critical at a time when continued human impacts will be intensified by effects of a changing climate.” By identifying and investing in actions for these birds, we might prevent further degradation “to environments that we all share, improve the odds for successful long-term conservation, and avoid the complexities associated with federal ESA [Endangered Species Act] listing.”
The BCC 2021 report and additional information is available online here:
IBA NEWS: NEW WHSRN SITE FOR NEW COUNTRY
On 23 May 23, the Hemispheric Council of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) voted to approve the designation of the Golfo de Nicoya in Costa Rica as a “Site of Regional Importance.” This new designation adds Costa Rica as the 18th country to the shorebird Network.
The Golfo de Nicoya, located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is considered the most important area for shorebirds in that country. It is 90 kilometers long and covers just over 60,000 hectares. It is especially important during migration as a shorebird stopover site. The Golfo’s status qualifies as a WHSRN site due to the presence of more than 1% of the biogeographic populations of the Wilson’s Plover, Collared Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Whimbrel. Still, it is unclear how many shorebirds pass through the site during migration, while day-counts of more than 1,000 individuals of several species (including species like Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers) help illustrate that at least 20,000 shorebirds use the area during migration.
The Golfo de Nicoya WHSRN site is under the jurisdiction of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC – Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación), an agency of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE – Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía) for the Costa Rican government.
Here are more details on the site:
For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, including those in the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program web site at:
BIRD LICENSE PLATE: TEXAS
Let’s face it: some license plates are really cool.
And Texas now has a new license plate highlighting bird conservation through Houston Audubon. This is an effort also partnered with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the plate is designed to be put on Texas-registered vehicles, trailers, and motorcycles.
This new license plate showcases an Eastern Meadowlark, standing tall and vocalizing. The choice of species in grassland habitat is meaningful. “With native grasslands diminishing, the species needs conservation action, and the habitat is one that Houston Audubon is deeply committed to restoring,” said Dr. Richard Gibbons, Conservation Director for Houston Audubon.
This will be the 10th non-profit conservation license plate sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the plate tagline, “Protect Birds and Habitat” is short, meaningful, and sweet. Besides, funds raised from the sale of these plates will support Houston Audubon’s mission of bird conservation and serve as an outreach and education tool. You can see a sample plate – replete with singing Eastern Meadowlark - and an official announcement here:
LAST WORD
We had two mistakes in last month’s Birding Community E-bulletin, two slip-ups in the article on saving the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge which we corrected before some of the e-mails were released. But, still, most recipients received copies needing these corrections:
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, was inadvertently identified as Mary Rappaport Clark. Our apologies.
The action-link concerning the threat by Twin Pines Minerals to the hydrology of the Okefenokee swamp was lengthy and not always accessible. Here’s an improved link:
Finally, if you have any friends or co-workers who wish to join the monthly Birding Community E-bulletin mailing list, you can simply refer them to this link:
