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6 April 2007 
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First Long-Whiskered Owlet Spotted in the Wild

Photo: Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN)

22 March 2007, American Bird Conservancy – An extremely rare bird previously known only from a few specimens captured in nets after dark has been observed in the wild for the first time. The Long-whiskered Owlet Xenoglaux loweryi is among the world’s smallest owls, and is so distinct it has been named in its own genus: Xenoglaux, meaning “strange owl.” It inhabits the dense undergrowth of mountain forests in a remote part of northern Peru. Recently researchers saw the owlet three times during daylight hours and recorded its calls at night. An owlet captured in a mist-net was also photographed just after its release. More information is available on the American Bird Conservancy website.

Paper: Bird Flu Follows Poultry Trade Routes

Photo: Tony Martin/BirdLife International

29 March 2007, BirdLife International – A comprehensive critical review of recent scientific literature on the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 has been published in the British Ornithologists Union journal Ibis. The review finds that migratory birds have been widely blamed for avian flu outbreaks that have subsequently been found to originate in the movement of live poultry and products such as poultry meat. The authors conclude that the poultry trade, rather than bird migration, is the main mechanism of global dispersal of the virus. Visit the BirdLife International website to learn more.

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        NATIONAL

 

2007 Baillie Birdathon Welcomes “Nature Nut” John Acorn

28 March 2007 – Celebrated Alberta naturalist John Acorn will visit the BSC headquarters and the Long Point area in late May to participate as “Guest Birder” for this year’s Baillie Birdathon. John is a lecturer in the University of Alberta’s Department of Renewable Resources, and is also an award-winning and internationally recognized scientist, author, broadcaster, and speaker.
  The Baillie Birdathon is an important annual fundraising event for Bird Studies Canada and dozens of other conservation organizations nationwide. Each May, more than 7000 people participate in or sponsor a 24-hour birding blitz. A Guest Birder is invited to participate each year, with the goal of attracting more donations to support bird monitoring, research, and conservation in Canada.
  For more information about the Baillie Birdathon, or to download a participant kit, click here.  If you cannot participate in Birdathon this year but would like to sponsor the efforts of John Acorn or a BSC staff person, please visit the Baillie Birdathon Donation web page.

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Visit BSC’s Booth at the Green Living Show, April 27-29

5 April 2007 – Are you interested in nature, conservation, environmental issues, and Earth-friendly tips and products? Will you be in the Toronto area at the end of this month? Please consider attending Toronto’s first consumer show dedicated to all things green. The Green Living Show will take place April 27-29 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. Click here for hours and other details.
  Bird Studies Canada’s booth at this event will feature information about BSC’s research, monitoring, and Citizen Science programs. Our display will be part of a BirdLife International exhibit with panels on Important Bird Areas, and on our Canadian BirdLife co-partner Nature Canada. Stop by for a chat, and enter our free draw for a chance to win exciting prizes from Eagle Optics and Royal Oak Feeds.  We hope to see you there!

New Migration Monitoring Season Begins at Long Point Bird Observatory

1 April 2007 – The Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) began the spring 2007 season, LPBO’s 48th, on April 1 at the Old Cut field station. The woodlot is already filling up with migrants and over 300 birds have been banded so far! The observatory’s two remote stations, Breakwater and the Tip, should be up and running by mid-April. Weekly updates of banding totals, bird movements, and highlights from Long Point and the surrounding areas will be made every Friday to the online LPBO Sightings Board.  If you’re in the area, be sure to plan a visit to Long Point and visit us on Old Cut Boulevard. The friendly LPBO staff, volunteers, and Friends of LPBO would be happy to answer those burning questions about Long Point and the birds. As well, check out the onsite ‘LPBO Shoppe’ for bird-friendly gifts and apparel.

Scaup Migration Well Underway

3 April 2007 – Lesser and Greater scaup implanted with satellite transmitters by researchers with the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund (LPWWRF) are currently in the midst of their spring migration. Nine Lesser Scaup implanted with transmitters during spring 2006 on the lower Great Lakes have departed wintering areas and are currently at spring stopover sites on the east coast of the United States, in the Great Lakes region, and in the upper midwestern US. Nine female Greater Scaup implanted during spring 2006 (2 birds) and winter 2007 (7 birds) also have departed from their wintering area near Hamilton Harbour on Lake Ontario and are at major stopover sites throughout the eastern and western portions of the Great Lakes. LPWWRF researchers plan to implant 11 additional female Lesser Scaup from Long Point on Lake Erie over the next several days, as well as capture and band hundreds of scaup and other diving ducks during early April.
  Go online to follow each bird’s spring journey to its breeding area using the Scaup Tracker.  Satellite locations are updated daily, so be sure to check regularly.

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