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22 January 2010 
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eBird’s “BirdsEye Challenge”

20 January 2010 – Back in early December BirdsEye was released, the first iPhone app to begin to harness the power of the eBird database and steer you toward finding birds in the field. BirdsEye has now generously offered to give away 20 free BirdsEye applications to eBirders, but you’ll have to earn it! The week of January 23-31, 2010 will be the BirdsEye Challenge Week. The goal is to submit the highest number of effort-based complete eBird checklists from the United States or Canada during that nine-day period, and the top 20 submitters will receive a free BirdsEye iPhone App (iPhone not included!). For more details, visit the eBird Canada website.

Bald  Eagle Session at Upcoming Conference

20 January 2010 – At a major conference next month, Bird Studies Canada’s Ontario Program Manager Debbie Badzinski will present on the “Natal Departure and Nomadic Movements of Juvenile Bald Eagles in their First Year of Independence.” The session is based on a paper written by Debbie Badzinski and Elisabeth van Stam of BSC, and Pete Nye of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The paper summarizes the movements of 31 juvenile Bald Eagles from New York and southern Ontario from 2004-08.
   The joint meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society, the American Ornithologists’ Union, and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists will take place in San Diego, California, February 7-11. Visit the conference website for details.

International Year of Biodiversity

12 January 2010 – The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). Initiatives throughout the year will be organized to share information, promote the protection of biodiversity, and encourage direct action to reduce the constant loss of biological diversity worldwide. The celebrations for the International Year of Biodiversity are led by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, whose next conference (in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010) will assess international progress toward targets for halting the rates of loss of biodiversity.
   Visit the official IYB website to learn more about the celebrations. BirdLife International (BLI) is an official partner of International Year of Biodiversity, and has welcomed the UN’s decision to choose biodiversity as its focus for 2010. Select this link to read a related release from BLI.

L’Année internationale de la biodiversité

12 janvier 2010 – 2010 a été proclamée l’Année internationale de la biodiversité (AIB) par l’Organisation internationale des Nations Unies (ONU). Diverses activités sont prévues tout au long de l’année afin de partager des informations relatives à la biodiversité, promouvoir sa protection et favoriser des actions qui visent à réduire sa perte à l’échelle planétaire. Les célébrations pour l’AIB seront menées par le Secrétariat de la convention sur la diversité biologique, situé à Montréal. De plus, en octobre, le Secrétariat tiendra une réunion à Nagoya au Japon, dont le but est d’évaluer le succès des initiatives vissant à freiner la perte de la biodiversité à l’échelle internationale.
   Pour plus d’information au sujet des activités, vous êtes invité à visiter le site Web officiel de l’AIB. BirdLife International, qui est un des partenaires officiels de l’AIB, a accueilli chaleureusement la décision de l’ONU de concentrer ses efforts en 2010 sur les problèmes associés avec la perte de la biodiversité. Vous pouvez lire un texte connexe sur le site Web de BirdLife International (seulement disponible en anglais).

Margaret Atwood: Act Now to Save Our Birds

Laysan Albatross Photo: Harold Stiver

9 January 2010 – Margaret Atwood has written an outstanding article in support of bird and biodiversity conservation. The renowned author is also Joint Honorary President (with her husband, Graeme Gibson) of BirdLife International’s Rare Bird Club. The piece is available on the Guardian website, and we highly recommend that you read it!

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New Canadian IBA Website Launched!

22 January 2010 – Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada are thrilled to announce the launch of a new website for the Canadian Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program. The site’s main goals are to share information about IBAs in Canada, and to empower more Canadians to reconnect with nature as volunteers for the IBA Caretaker Network.
   The new, fully bilingual website provides information, tools, and mapping features to help IBA partners and volunteers more effectively monitor birds and assess conditions at key sites. There are nearly 600 Canadian IBAs, many of which are not legally protected.
   IBAs are internationally agreed-upon sites that support threatened birds, large groups of birds, and birds restricted by range or habitat. The Canadian IBA Program is led by BirdLife International co-partners Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada, with critical support from a suite of regional organizations (including BC Nature, Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Nature Saskatchewan, and Nature Québec), and hundreds of volunteers nationwide. TransCanada Corporation and a U.S. Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant provided funding for the new website.
   To learn more or get involved, visit the IBA Canada website or contact Bird Studies Canada’s IBA Technical Coordinator, Janet Moore, at jmoore@birdscanada.org.

Lancement du nouveau site Web pour le programme des ZICO

22 janvier 2010 – C’est avec grand plaisir qu’Études d’Oiseaux Canada et Nature Canada annoncent le lancement du nouveau site Web bilingue du programme des Zones importantes pour la conservation des oiseaux (ZICO). Les objectifs premiers de ce site sont de faciliter le bon fonctionnement du programme au Canada et de permettre aux personnes intéressées de devenir membres bénévoles d’un des réseaux régionaux de gardiens des ZICO.
   Les ZICO sont des sites d’importance internationaux qui abritent des groupes d’oiseaux bien précis : espèces menacées, grands rassemblements d’individus d’une ou plusieurs espèces, oiseaux ayant une aire de répartition ou un habitat très réduit. Il y a presque 600 ZICO au Canada, mais un grand nombre de ces derniers n’ont aucune protection légale.
   Au Canada, le programme des ZICO est coordonné par les deux partenaires canadiens de BirdLife International, soit Études d’Oiseaux Canada et Nature Canada. Ces derniers sont épaulés par plusieurs organisations régionales (comprenant BC Nature, Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Nature Saskatchewan et Nature Québec) et des centaines de bénévoles de partout au pays.
   Le développement de ce nouveau site Web a été possible grâce à un financement important accordé par la société TransCanada et par le programme états-unien de financement du Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Entre autres, il fournit toutes les informations et outils nécessaires afin d’aider les partenaires et bénévoles à effectuer le suivi de l’état d’une ZICO en particulier ainsi que les populations d’oiseaux qui s’y trouvent.
   Pour apprendre davantage au sujet des ZICO ou pour devenir bénévole, vous êtes invité à visiter le site Web des ZICO du Canada ou à contacter Janet Moore (jmoore@birdscanada.org), la coordinatrice technique du programme des ZICO à Études d’Oiseaux Canada.

Celebrating LPBO’s 50^th Anniversary

22 January 2010 – Bird Studies Canada invites you to join us in Port Rowan, Ontario, on May 14-16, 2010, for a celebration of the accomplishments of Long Point Bird Observatory, and the people who have been part of our first 50 years! The weekend will include: a reception on Friday, May 14, featuring a special presentation by professional photographer and founding LPBO member Robert Taylor; guided birding tours on Saturday, May 15; and a banquet with a keynote address by artist and Bird Studies Canada honorary director Robert Bateman. (Please note: the Sunday, May 16 boat cruise from Port Dover to the Tip of Long Point is sold out.)
   All registrations must be received in advance, no later than April 1. Visit our website for further details or to register. We look forward to celebrating with you in May!

110^th Christmas Bird Count

20 January 2010 – The 110^th Christmas Bird Count took place from December 14 through January 5, and was fortunately held under considerably less brutal weather conditions than the previous year. With eight new counts added to the fold, all indications are that it will be a record year for participation. Data entry is ongoing, but you can explore the counts that have been put in the database already by going to the Audubon website  and clicking on “Current Year’s Results.” The Christmas Bird Count is coordinated in Canada by Bird Studies Canada in a joint program with the National Audubon Society.

Student Awards for Ornithological Research – Call for Applications

15 January 2010 – Applications for the various Student Research Awards offered annually by Bird Studies Canada and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists (SCO) are due by February 15, 2010. Awards sponsored in whole or in part by BSC include: the James L. Baillie Student Research Award, funded by proceeds of the Baillie Birdathon; the Fred Cooke Student Award, offered jointly by BSC and SCO; and the Junco Technologies Award, sponsored by Junco Technologies Inc. in cooperation with BSC. These awards are open to students conducting ornithological research at a Canadian university. Application forms and additional information are available on the Society of Canadian Ornithologists website.

Appel de candidatures – Bourses étudiantes pour la recherche ornithologique

15 janvier 2010 – La mise en candidature pour les bourses étudiantes de recherche offertes annuellement par Études d’Oiseaux Canada (ÉOC) et la Société des ornithologistes du Canada (SOC) est ouverte jusqu’au 15 février 2010. Les bourses commanditées, en partie ou en entier, par Études d’Oiseaux Canada sont : la bourse de recherche étudiante James L. Baillie financée par les revenus du Baillie Birdathon ; la bourse de recherche étudiante Fred Cooke, offerte conjointement par ÉOC et SOC ; et la bourse Junco Technologies commanditée par Junco Technologies Inc. en coopération avec ÉOC. Ces bourses sont offertes aux étudiant(e)s qui effectuent des études ornithologiques dans une université canadienne. Les formulaires d’application et de l’information additionnelle (en anglais seulement) sont disponibles sur le site Internet de la Société des ornithologistes du Canada.

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BSC Seeks Ontario Region Intern

20 January 2010 – Bird Studies Canada is seeking an Ontario Region Intern for a six-month contract through YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program (YEIP). Because the position is grant-funded, candidates must be 30 years of age or younger; see the YEIP website for full eligibility requirements. The intern will help conduct field work related to Ontario Programs, enter and manage data, and help prepare reports. Applicants should possess biological field work experience, excellent communication skills, and a valid driver’s license. Candidates with bird identification skills are preferred. The position will be located at BSC’s National Headquarters in Port Rowan, Ontario. Visit the Job Opportunities section of our website for details of the position and the application process.

BC Beached Bird Survey

 Photo: Robert & Mara Love

20 January 2010 – It’s been a busy season for BSC’s British Columbia Beached Bird Survey  volunteers. Between October and December 2009, surveyors found more than 180 Northern Fulmar carcasses washed up on several beaches along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The population in the north Pacific numbers in the millions, and fall-winter die-offs occur with some regularity. BC noted an event in 2002, and Washington-Oregon recorded similar events in 2007, 2003, 2002, and 2000.
   With the help of volunteers, many carcasses were collected and submitted to the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Animal Health Lab (AHL), part of the federal-provincial Interagency Wild Bird Mortality Team. Post-mortem results on 41 indicated that all had died of drowning and/or emaciation, with an even spread of adult and juvenile birds. During long periods of stormy weather (as experienced in BC last fall), this surface-feeding seabird may have difficulty foraging, making individuals in poor condition especially vulnerable. Samples from the carcasses are also sent for DNA analyses and oil fingerprinting, and stomach contents will be examined to assess the occurrence of plastic ingestion, a growing concern for pelagic seabirds.
   Many thanks to our Beached Bird Survey volunteers, Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service, and Dr. Vicki Bowes at the AHL for their assistance in this investigation, to help us better understand seabird mortality.

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