Blast from the past: Jack pine genetics support a coastal glacial refugium

Can a road-trip across eastern North America, ancient ice sheets, and DNA samples unlock the ancestral history of jack pine trees? Julie Godbout and colleagues from the Université Laval, Quebec, Canada, certainly hoped that driving across northeastern U.S. and Canada to collect samples from jack pine trees would shed some light on how glaciers may have impacted present-day pine genetics.

About 20,000 years ago, ice sheets covered most of the northern terrestrial surface of the continent of North America. For some boreal species this Last Glacial Maximum period may have profoundly influenced their present-day distribution and genetic diversity. Glaciers may have separated populations into isolated pockets and/or created barriers to dispersal and therefore gene flow.

In the November issue of the American Journal of Botany (http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/reprint/97/11/1903), Godbout and colleagues examined the genetic structure of jack pine (Pinus banksiana), one of the dominant tree species in the North American boreal forest, to see if they could determine its geographic history since the Last Glacial Maximum. In previous studies they had discovered that populations of jack pine from central and western Canada were genetically distinct from eastern populations. Moreover, the eastern populations were genetically quite diverse and heterogeneous, much more so than the central and western groups. Why was this?

"This study follows up a first rangewide phylogeographical work on jack pine that set us thinking that populations from the Maritimes region [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island] were genetically distinct from the rest," Godbout stated.

On their road trip across New England and the Maritimes provinces the authors completed their sampling of 1240 jack pine trees in 83 populations, collecting pine needles and young seedlings. Pine seeds generally are more restricted geographically in their dispersal than pollen, which can be dispersed for hundreds of kilometers by the wind, so the authors extracted both mitochondrial DNA (inherited only via seeds) and chloroplast DNA (passed down via both seeds and pollen) to help piece together the geographic structure of the species.

The authors found interesting differences between how the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) were distributed geographically. Based on the mtDNA, the eastern populations were genetically distinct from the central and western Canada populations—supporting their earlier findings. Within the eastern populations one of the 15 distinct mitotypes (mitochondrial haplotypes) was almost exclusively found in the Maritimes region and there were some genetically diverse populations in New York, Vermont, and Maine. These data indicate that perhaps these populations descended from a unique ancient population that may have been isolated from others during the last maritime ice age.

The cpDNA structure was much more uniform across the entire region, although three of the 16 most abundant chlorotypes were found primarily in the same maritime region as the one distinct mitotype. The more uniform cpDNA data probably reflect the fact that pollen is much more widely dispersed than seeds—thus dispersal via pollen since the last ice age may obscure ancient population structures. Genomes dispersed only in the seeds (such as mtDNA) may have much lower levels of gene flow and thus may better reflect past genetic patterns compared to genome dispersed in pollen.

"We believe that this genetic structure is directly related to the species particular glacial history in a region supposedly affected by fluctuations of the Atlantic Ocean sea-level during glaciations," Godbout said. "Indeed, since a large amount of water was sequestered in the ice sheets, some emerged parts of the continental shelf suitable for the survival of jack pine possibly sheltered small glacial populations geographically isolated from populations located southward on the Atlantic plain."

This would point to a three-prong ancestry for jack pines—one from populations located on the southern edge of the glaciers in central and western parts of Canada west of the Appalachian Mountains, a second one in the east from an Atlantic coastal population, and a third in the Maritimes area potentially from an isolated population on the fringe of the ice cap.

"The aim of this work was to verify whether populations of jack pine, a typical tree of the North American boreal forests, presented a distinctive genetic signature in the Maritimes region, which proved to be true," Godbout concludes. Moreover, "If jack pine survived the ice age in a cryptic refugium along the Atlantic coast, other species may have also experienced a similar event."

"It may be interesting to compare our results with other phylogeographical works targeting the Atlantic and/or eastern boreal region species," Godbout notes. "This may allow the detection of genetic trends consolidating (or not) the hypothesis of a coastal refugium in the northern Atlantic region, as was previously done in the Pacific Northwest region. Unfortunately, at this time, few phylogeographical studies investigating this area are available."

And Godbout's take-home from the road trip? She jokes, "An alternative conclusion of this work would be that the entire state of Maine is really beautiful."

###

CITATION: Julie Godbout, Jean Beaulieu, and Jean Bousquet (2010). Phylogeographic structure of jack pine (Pinus banksiana; Pinaceae) supports the existence of a coastal glacial refugium in northeastern North America. American Journal of Botany 97(12): 1903-1912. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1000148

Conservation-flavored Ice Cream

During a recent Bicknell's Thrush conservation meeting in the Dominican Republic, VCE and our partners were treated to an evening reception in the impressively-renovated 'Bird Salon' at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural. The evening's undisputed highlight was the unveiling of a novel ice cream flavor by our friends and conservation partners, Jesus and Jaime Moreno of Helados Bon (the Dominican equivalent of Ben and Jerry’s). The ‘buzz’, fueled in part by a media contingent that interviewed (yes, entirely in Spanish…) Chris Rimmer and others, was remarkable. The ice cream – Choco-Maple – possibly the first flavor ever created for a migratory bird, was a huge hit. The idea, conceived during the Moreno brothers’ July 2009 trip to Vermont, was to combine distinctive flavors from both ends of the Bicknell's Thrush migratory range (organic cacao and macadamia nuts grown in the DR, maple syrup from Vermont), and to use proceeds to conserve Bicknell's Thrush habitat in the DR. Further, Choco-Maple delivers a compelling conservation message to ice cream devotees. All reception attendees were unanimous in endorsing Choco-Maple’s outstanding taste and the Morenos’ innovative vision!

Meeting participants were elated to find the flavor two days later, both in a Santo Domingo Helados Bon shop and in another shop in the relatively quiet town of Hato Mayor, far from the capitol. Choco-Maple may be a turn out to be a flavor that links palates and conservation efforts across many borders.

For Female Turkeys, Snood Sets the Mood

If you are a male human, you may try and attract potential mates by the flex of your pectorals, the curvaceous stretch of your ferrari, and the mass of your bank account.

However, female turkeys know only one thing really counts in a mate, and that’s snood length.

Yes, snood length.

The snood is a lank, drooping appendage on the male turkey’s face, descending from just above the beak and seeming, to humans at least, a rather ridiculous addition. Not so to female turkeys, who have been shown to study snood length very carefully before choosing a mate. The longest snood gets the mating.

Other courtship rituals have their place as well, such as strutting and preening of feathers, but the snood, which can grow to twice its normal length during mating season, carries the day.

Male turkeys, on the other hand, seem to be intimidated by a long snood.

At Northeast Louisiana University, researchers built two turkey decoys which were identical except for snood length, one had twice the snood of the other. Both decoys were placed in front of piles of seed, as if they were feeding. The idea was to see which decoy would have more seed stolen from its pile by real live males. In 21 separate trials, 17 male turkeys risked stealing seed from the minor snood decoy, while only four risked offending the major snood.

This data corroborates other studies in which longer-snooded turkeys prove to be the more frequent winners of male-male battles. As the snood length is a characteristic of testosterone level, the snood may indeed show the stronger bird, or it could simply be that the competitor is always outmanned by a longer snood.

- Don Glass, posted on Moment of Science website

More research on snood length

Conservationists are told to adapt and even capitalize on the predicted warming trend.

Ten years ago, J.D. Irving Woodlands Division planted only black spruce to replace the trees it harvested on its 1 million acres of Maine forest. Today, the Canadian company is branching out, planting white pine and other species that can tolerate warmer temperatures. If scientific forecasts for climate change prove correct and the cold-loving black spruce disappears from northern Maine's forests, the company won't experience major disruptions in its forestry operations. And if climate scientists have it all wrong, Irving won't suffer by having diversified into other species, said Andy Whitman, director of the Manomet Maine Center for Conservation Sciences in Brunswick. Read full article in The Portland Press Herald…

Norwich 2010 Quest Home Stretch

September and October were busy months for birders in Norwich, as over 10,000 individual birds were reported to Vermont eBird on 160 checklists! We've added a dozen new species to the Quest master list since mid-August, bringing our total to 164. Fall warbler migration was especially exciting in Norwich this year as 23 different species were observed; few locations in the state rivaled this warbler diversity. Now in the final two months of the year, our focus shifts to waterbirds and winter visitors. How many more new species can we find?

Interesting findings are emerging from our Norwich Quest eBird data. For example, the largest monthly totals of Turkey Vultures, Northern Flickers, Blue-headed Vireos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Eastern Bluebirds and House Finches were tallied during September. Also that month, 46 different Magnolia Warblers were observed and reported. October was the birdiest month of the year so far, led by Canada Geese (1,538 reported), Mallards (788), American Crows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and White-throated Sparrows (284). Although in some cases these numbers likely reflect multiple counts (e.g., Mallards), monthly totals for each of these species were the highest of 2010 to date. Additional species which also saw their greatest numbers in October include Great Blue Heron (15), Golden-crowned Kinglet (13), and Savannah Sparrow (25). Cautiously interpreted, patterns such as these demonstrate the value and importance of eBird. Every contribution adds to the value of this fascinating tool, and the data are available for anyone to analyze. Once 2010 concludes, we'll post a full synopsis for downloading and further exploration.

Here are Norwich Quest additions through October:
* Bay-breasted Warbler - near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads, Aug. 23; 2 seen on Sep. 19
* Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads on Aug. 24 and 3 other days
* Philadelphia Vireo - seen near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads on Sep. 1 and throughout the month
* Lincoln's Sparrow - first on Sep. 12, then 4 other locations until Oct. 2
* Prairie Warbler seen Sep. 12 along Bragg Hill Rd.
* Swainson's Thrush - near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads on Sep. 19
* Rusty Blackbird - seen Sep. 22 and 23 near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads
* Bicknell's Thrush - Sep. 26; seen well near corner Bragg & Tucker Hill Roads
* Northern Pintail at Ledyard Bridge on Oct. 4 and 5
* Horned Lark - flock of 5 seen at Campbell Flats on Oct. 19
* Red-breasted Merganser - Oct. 30 at mouth of Ompompanoosuc River

Can we reach 170 species? Maybe 175? Our total for the year will depend on how many of us get out searching, how often we do so, and on natural factors such as weather, snow cover and food availability to our north. Remember that luck also plays a big role at this time of year, so finding new species in November and December will depend in part on carefully examining any unusual sightings. A number of additional species, such as Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Bohemian Waxwing, Lapland Longspur and Pine Grosbeak are all possible, so get out there and report your sightings to eBird. Good luck -- 175 or bust!

Doug and Spencer Hardy
Chris Rimmer

Photo: Swainson's Thrush courtesy of Paul Mansz

Wind farm sites are the new proving ground for Maine’s environmental groups

TransCanada moved several towers and road alignments to satisfy concerns raised by Maine Audubon and its partners, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Appalachian Mountain Club, about sensitive habitat at Kibby. The debate, then and now, focused on Bicknell’s thrush, a bird that nests only in high elevations in the Northeast. All three groups are on the same page concerning Kibby, and have filed consolidated comments on all phases of the project.

But TransCanada’s push to build out the Kibby site onto adjacent Sisk Mountain has put the company and environmental groups on opposite sides, and produced an unsuccessful plan to build 15 more turbines. The environmental groups say an eight-turbine cluster on the northern side of Sisk meets the legal standards, but not the seven further to the south. LURC indicated, in a straw vote, that it would unanimously reject the plan, so TransCanada went back to the drawing board and has produced an 11-turbine plan, reducing the southern seven to four, that is scheduled for a hearing in January.

Read the entire story at Viewpoints | Mainebiz

Mountain ranges may act as "safe haven" for species facing climate change

Swiss researchers studying the projected effects of climate change on alpine plant species have discovered that mountain ranges may represent a 'safer' place to live during changing climate conditions. The research, published in the Journal of Biogeography, finds that the habitat diversity of mountain ranges offer species 'refuge habitats' which may be important for conservation.

The research, led by Daniel Scherrer and Christian Körner from the University of Basel, Switzerland, was carried out over two seasons in the Swiss Central Alps at 2500m. The authors used a high resolution infrared camera and hundreds of soil sensors to monitor the actual temperature experienced by plants in alpine landscapes.

The authors used known 'indicator values' for thermal preferences of plant species permitted to link microhabitat life conditions with biodiversity, the number and abundance of species.

"In this study we examined if different vegetation types and plant species occur under different micro-habitat temperatures," said Körner. "We also estimated the potential loss and shift in abundance of micro-habitat temperatures under a warming climate scenario."

"Comparing various slopes, the study made it obvious that slope exposure and ruggedness of terrain produce a broad spectrum of life conditions not seen over similar areas in forests or in the forelands and plains," said Scherrer. "While it was known from measurements with thermometers that plant and air temperatures can differ substantially in alpine terrain, the high degree of sustained thermal contrasts among habitats still came as a surprise."

Depending on exposure, low stature alpine vegetation warms up dramatically when the sun is out, but under cloudy weather part of that warmth remains stored in the soil, which also makes nights cosier for roots in many places.

"We found that the occurrences of plant species across these mosaics of warmth match with their known temperature preferences," explained Körner. "This means that rugged alpine terrain offers refuge habitats - or at least stepping stones to these - at short distance, for both small plants and animals that prefer cool life conditions."

The authors simulated the frequency of certain temperatures for a 2 degrees warmer climate with a computer, and found that only 3% of all types of temperature conditions will disappear. So, while the extent of some of the cooler habitats will shrink, importantly, they will not be lost altogether.

The authors found that warm habitats become more frequent, and new, warmer habitats will become established, so habitat diversity will in fact increase. The study also illustrates that weather station data is not a suitable basis for projecting future life conditions of organisms in such high elevation terrain.

"We suggest that alpine terrain is, for the majority of species a much 'safer' place to live under conditions of climate warming, compared to flat terrain, which offers no short-distance escapes from the changing temperatures," said Scherrer.

"It is known from earlier geological periods that mountains were always important for survival of species during periods of climatic change such as in glacial cycles, because of their 'habitat diversity,'" concluded Körner. "Mountains are therefore particularly important areas for the conservation of biodiversity in a given region under climatic change and thus deserve particular protection."

Deformed Beaks May Signal a Greater Environmental Problem

The highest rate of beak abnormalities ever recorded in wild bird populations is being seen in a number of species in the Northwest and Alaska, and scientists to this point have not been able to isolate the cause.

Black-capped Chickadees, Northwestern Crows, and other birds are being impacted by the problem, which affects their ability to feed and clean themselves and could signal a growing environmental health problem.

In birds affected by what scientists have termed “avian keratin disorder,” the keratin layer of the beak becomes overgrown, resulting in noticeably elongated and often crossed beaks, sometimes accompanied by abnormal skin, legs, feet, claws and feathers. Biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center published their findings in this month’s issue of The Auk, a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology.

“The prevalence of these strange deformities is more than ten times what is normally expected in a wild bird population,” said research biologist Colleen Handel with the USGS, “We have seen effects not only on the birds’ survival rates, but also on their ability to reproduce and raise young. We are particularly concerned because we have not yet been able to determine the cause, despite testing for the most likely culprits.”

The disorder, which has increased dramatically over the past decade, affects 6.5 percent of adult Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska annually. Beak deformities in this species were first observed in the late 1990s and biologists have since documented more than 2,100 affected individuals. Increasing numbers of other species have also been observed with beak deformities throughout Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. An estimated 17 percent of adult Northwestern Crows are affected by avian keratin disorder in coastal Alaska.

Beak deformities in birds can be caused by many different factors, including environmental contaminants, nutritional deficiencies, and bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infections. In the past, other large clusters of beak deformities have been associated with environmental pollutants such as organochlorines in the Great Lakes region and selenium from agricultural runoff in California. These biological discoveries were the first indication that something was wrong in the ecosystem and led to efforts that ultimately corrected the problem.

“We’re seeing ecologically unique species affected across a wide range of habitats. The scope of this problem raises concern about environmental factors in the region,” said USGS wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert.

The increasing occurrence of deformities in multiple bird species with broad geographic distribution suggests that avian keratin disorder is spreading and may be an indication of underlying environmental health problems. Additional studies by the USGS will continue to investigate why so many birds are currently affected in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Current research is focused on understanding the disease and potential causes of the disorder.

“Epizootic of beak deformities among wild birds in Alaska: An emerging disease in North America?” and “Beak deformities in Northwestern Crows: Evidence of a multispecies epizootic,” are available in this month’s printed issue of The Auk, a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology.

Visit the Alaska Science Center’s photo gallery of beak deformities for additional pictures.

THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN: November 2010

RARITY FOCUS

On 12 October, Alan and Donna McKenzie found and photographed a Wood Sandpiper at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on the outskirts of the Village of Ladner, Delta, BC. The sanctuary is a well-known and popular British Columbia birding location and a great place for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other species.

The Wood Sandpiper was located in the sanctuary's SW pond, west of the entrance, at a location where there are a number of large logs where dowitchers and yellowlegs regularly perch.

For photos of the Wood Sandpiper, see:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/Warbler2020/WhatSNew#

Wood Sandpipers are highly migratory Eurasian shorebirds that occur regularly in North America only as rare migrants in the Aleutians and Bering Sea islands, or as very local breeders in western Alaska. They are accidental visitors elsewhere in North America, with previous definite records for British Columbia (1994), Washington (1988), New York (1907 and 1990), and Delaware (2008). For illustrations of this species, see the National Geographic guide (fifth edition), pages 166-167, or the Kaufman Focus guide, pages 184-185.

A number of birders visited the sanctuary the very next morning in an attempt to relocate the bird; however, they came up empty-handed, as did birders in the following days. Fortunately, on the afternoon of Saturday, 16 October, the Wood Sandpiper was again relocated near the viewing tower and later near the sanctuary's outer dike. On 17 October, at least 100 birders searched in vain for the bird, although two Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were found as a consolation prize. The Wood Sandpiper never appeared again.


ONE-DAY WONDER: ENIGMATIC SNIPE

Regular readers may remember that two Novembers ago we passed along a convincing report of a Jack Snipe observed near Astoria, Oregon, together with a reference to two recent previous Oregon records (October 2004 and November 2007, both supported by specimens obtained at the same location by the same snipe hunter!):
www.refugenet.org/birding/novSBC08.html#TOC02

Jack Snipe, a Eurasian species wintering mainly from the British Isles and nw. Europe to c. Africa and the Indian subcontinent, is an extreme rarity anywhere in North America, with fewer than 10 reports from localities including Newfoundland, Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington.

With this in mind, a Jack Snipe flushed by Aaron Lang and his dog on 16 October at Beluga Slough, Homer, Alaska is of considerable interest. Lang's dog initially flushed the bird, after which it dropped into some tall vegetation about 40 feet away. Lang immediately noticed the snipe's small size and intriguing field marks. The bird flushed a total of three times at which time Lang obtained a couple of photos of the bird in flight. Other birders were called, but the snipe was not relocated until early in the evening, when birders obtained three views of the shorebird in flight. Each time it flushed silently and at close range. Even in low light its boldly patterned back small size, and short bill length were noticeable.

This Jack Snipe, a one-day wonder, was to be found on subsequent days.

Photos and description by Aaron Lang can be found here:
http://www.birdingak.com/

Cryptic and fairly quiet, this is certainly a difficult species to find in North America. The words "mysterious" and "enigmatic" may best describe its status here. However, these recent discoveries may beg the question: Might there actually be a few semi-regular wintering birds or late-migrating Jack Snipes to be found elsewhere in our Pacific coast wetlands? Birders afield in these regions and habitats should perhaps be aware of this possibility.


ANOTHER FAMILIAR DECISION: ESA AND GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE

Last month, we reported on the "warranted but precluded" status of Sprague's Pipit in relation to the Endangered Species List:
www.refugenet.org/birding/OctSBC10.html#TOC08

In the last days of September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the Gunnison Sage-Grouse is also justified for inclusion on the Endangered Species List but precluded from this status because of other considerations.

This represents a point of collision for science, land use, wildlife management, and dollars. In the final analysis, "getting to the back of the line" is not good for birds.

"The Gunnison Sage-Grouse numbers fewer than 4,000 birds and occupies only about 10 percent of its historic range. Placing this bird on the Candidate List for endangered species protection at some un-named point is an abdication of responsibility," said the American Bird Conservancy's President George Fenwick. The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is found only in six or seven counties in Colorado, and one in Utah. The Gunnison Basin in Colorado comprises over half the species' entire world range.

In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that the similar Greater Sage-Grouse is also warranted for inclusion on the Endangered Species List but is also precluded from listing. How many more of these decisions are in the wings?


GULF UPDATE: WHERE WE ARE NOW

Although the gushing BP oil well, Deepwater Horizon, was finally plugged with cement and declared "dead" in September, oil continues to wash ashore on National Wildlife Refuges, National Seashores, and other natural areas under state and local jurisdiction. Hundreds of workers are still collecting an estimated 50,000 pounds of oily debris from many vital bird habitats every day.

The Obama administration, under pressure from the oil industry and states on the Gulf, lifted the drilling moratorium on 12 October, a moratorium that the administration imposed in April in the wake of the disastrous BP oil gusher. The ban was scheduled to expire 30 November. Instead, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the change of date because new safety and inspection rules imposed after the accident had reportedly reduced the risk of another catastrophic blowout. Some drilling supporters say the new rules are too onerous, while critics say significant risks remain in deep-water drilling.

The temporary ban on exploratory oil and gas drilling was lifted immediately, although drilling has been slow to resume while the oil companies work to meet a number of new safety requirements. Toward the end of October, it was revealed that BP and Halliburton knew for at least six weeks before the Deepwater Horizon explosion that the cement mixture being used to seal the bore hole was unstable, "but neither acted upon that data," according to the presidential commission investigating the country's worst-ever environmental disaster. This is one of the first official findings of responsibility for the accident.

Meanwhile, efforts to have offshore oil and gas revenues directed to a reasonable mitigation fund – the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – are stuck in Congress. While the House of Representatives passed the CLEAR Act which contained provisions to fully fund LWCF to the tune of $900 million annually, the Senate has yet to act. We covered this story in September:
www.refugenet.org/birding/SepSBC10.html#TOC05

Just because $900 million per year is made available through the LWCF doesn't mean that the funds are appropriated by Congress. Moreover, boosting the oil and gas revenue beyond $900 million for a more robust "conservation royalty" and dedicating a large proportion to Gulf-coastal acquisition for birds and other wildlife might be an excellent idea given the public's outrage over the Gulf fiasco. Still, what the oil and gas companies have been regularly paying in terms of offshore oil and gas revenue (averaging about $6.3 billion annually over 5 of the past 6 years – excluding one excessive year, 2008, where the offshore revenues reached beyond $18 billion) is simply not being directed to fully fund the LWCF. The $900 million is certainly collected, but it's not all directed to conservation. It's Congress that has failed to appropriate those collected funds for conservation mitigation.

It will now be up to a "lame-duck" Congress to move on this. The lifting of the drilling ban is a good reason to finally secure a guaranteed future for LWCF. The Senate could take the next step by moving on the CLEAR Act. Or there could be another vehicle, some other bill where the LWCF is allocated the real dollars needed for conservation.

Regardless of what happens, you can find good background on the LWCF need, public opinion, and the LWCF track record here:
http://lwcfcoalition.org/files/General_Factsheet_Revised.pdf


URBAN TREATIES

In mid-October, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the availability of new challenge funding grants for nine additional cities under the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds (Urban Bird Treaty). The USFWS will also revisit the current nine Urban Bird Treaty cities with challenge grant funds to continue their participation in the program.

The Urban Bird Treaty program, connecting cities and partners to conserve birds through education, hazard reductions, conservation actions, and habitat improvements, is designed to help educate citizens about birds and conserve the birds that nest, overwinter or migrate through urban areas.

Those interested in investigating such funding are encouraged to visit this website:
www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/Partnerships/UrbanTreaty/urbantreaty.html


IBA NEWS: BC UPDATE

Since our "rarity of the month" was a shorebird found in British Columbia, some Important Bird Area news from British Columbia is appropriate.

The Important Bird Areas Program in BC is a joint partnership between BC Nature, Bird Studies Canada, and Nature Canada. The most recent issue of BC's IBA newsletter, the program's sixth newsletter, is now available on the BC Nature website. This newsletter contains informative reports, profiles of outreach events, new communication materials, and more. You can find more details here:
www.bcnature.ca/pages/stewardship_projects/IBA_publications.html

For other Canadian IBA programs see here:
www.ibacanada.ca/

And for additional information about worldwide IBA programs, including those across the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program web site at:
www.audubon.org/bird/iba/


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


STAMP ART: A HAUTMAN AGAIN

Last month, James Hautman won the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. He has previously won the competition three times, in 1989, 1994, and 1998. His painting of a pair of Greater White-fronted Geese will grace the 2011-2012 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp to go on sale in late June 2011. The USFWS produces the stamp, which sells for $15 and raises about $25 million annually, to provide critical wetland and grassland habitat for the Refuge System.

There were 235 entries in last month's contest, and James's brother, Robert Hautman, placed second with his painting of a single Greater White-fronted Goose. Robert Hautman is a two-time previous contest winner (1997 and 2001). A third Hautman brother, Joe, has won three times, in 1992, 2002, and 2008. This is serious family talent!

You can view James Hautman's first-place image here:
www.fws.gov/home/feature/2010/2010DS047.jpg


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:
www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BDFEUJWXT


BOOK NOTES: A WORLD OF BIRDING

A new National Geographic book, GLOBAL BIRDING, by Les Beletsky, encourages North American readers to tour the world through armchair birding. This book provides the reader with birding wonders overseas, chapter by chapter, location by location, and with introductory advice on where to do, when to go, and how to approach birds in these astounding areas. There aren't many maps, 10 total, in the book's 320 pages, but its 200 photographs are gorgeous, just the kind one expects from National Geographic.

Following two chapters on birding from a global perspective and the geography of birds, six chapters take the reader continent by continent to some of the finest birding locations and some of the most interesting birds in the world. And in case you are wondering, Beletsky also provides the names of key local birding and conservation organizations in each region along with essential contact information.

The book is an invitation to exploration and discovery; it offers a tantalizing look into birding possibilities around the world. It is certain to broaden your birding perspective, too.


SETTLEMENT REACHED IN HAWAIIAN RESORT CASE

In June, we reported on the suit against the St. Regis Princeville Resort over the resort's failure to prevent the deaths of young Newell's Shearwaters and Hawaiian Petrels. These birds, heading from their mountain-slope nesting sites to the sea, are attracted to the bright lights of Kaua'i, Hawaii.
www.refugenet.org/birding/juneSBC10.html#TOC07

An agreement has been reached in this suit where the resort will further reduce its lighting and fund programs aimed at restoring populations of the threatened birds. The parties have worked to identify additional lighting reductions that will help reduce the number of seabirds at risk at the resort but will also allow the St. Regis to continue to provide guests with a safe and enjoyable experience. Additionally, since these seabirds may still be attracted to the remaining lights, the resort will make contributions to off-site projects aimed at protecting the birds.

You can find further details here:
www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/101019.html


TIP OF THE MONTH: CHECK OUT THE BIRDING LISTSERVS

When you are leaving your home area – on business or pleasure – and you wish to catch up on some out-of-town birding, it it always a good thing to see what local birders are talking about. Let's say you will be visiting Southern California or Michigan or Florida or Washington DC, and you want to catch up on the local birding scene.

A quick way to do just that is to view the local birding listserv for the area in question. It's a great way to see what birds are being seen, especially which "most-wanted" of your birds or which rarities might be encountered.

For a number of years, Jack Siler has provided a crucial link to most of the vital regional and specialty listservs. It has been a wonderful service. You can view all the listservs through this essential page:
www.birdingonthe.net/birdmail.html

In each case, of course, you can subscribe to the listserv in question, but that's not required. At Silers' site you can simply view… and learn!


THIS MONTH'S QUIZ FOR A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRD BOOK

To recognize National Geographic's connection with the E-bulletin, as always we have some fine National Geographic books to distribute to E-bulletin readers. Readers who choose to enter our quick-and-easy contest have the chance to win one of these books. Each of our quiz questions will either relate to one of our news items for the previous month, or it will relate to some event or experience that is due to occur during the current month.

For more on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC books, see:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks

There will undoubtedly be multiple readers who answer our monthly question correctly, so we will only be able to distribute five copies to readers whose names are picked at random from all those submitting correct answers. Because of shipping constraints, only folks residing in the U.S. or Canada are eligible.

The prize this month will be GLOBAL BIRDING, the book mentioned above in our "Book Notes" section. We will have five copies to distribute.

For more on this book, see here:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=6200640

Question for this month: Newell's Shearwater, breeding only in Hawaii's mountains, may be a separate species, but it is currently considered a subspecies of what other shearwater species?

Please send your answer (along with your mailing address) by 18 November to:
birdingebulletin1@verizon.net

Question for last month: If you see a Red Knot next month with an orange "flag" on its leg, in what country would it have been banded?

The answer: Argentina.

Last month's winners were: Steven Juhlin (Cape Girardeau, MO), Jill Mathieu (Norton, MA), Sandra McNew (Colorado Springs, CO), Laimons Osis (Seal Rock, OR), Vivienne Torgeson (Lyons, OR). Congratulations to these winners.

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You can access past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) website:
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html

If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the monthly Birding Community E-bulletins, we simply request that you mention the source of any material used. (Include a URL for the E-bulletin archives, if possible.)

If you have any friends or co-workers who want to get onto the monthly E-bulletin mailing list, have them contact either:

Wayne R. Petersen, Director
Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program
Mass Audubon
718/259-2178
wpetersen@massaudubon.org
or
Paul J. Baicich
410/992-9736
paul.baicich@verizon.net

We never lend or sell our E-bulletin recipient list.

This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats.

This issue is sponsored by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and the wonderful bird and birding books they make available:
www.shopng.com/birdbooks

You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html