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NUMBER 127, December 1998
ORGANIZATION NEWS
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEWS FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL
REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE
POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
GRANTS AND AWARDS
PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE
PERSONAL EXCHANGES
MEETINGS
NEWS OF MEMBERS
THE FLOCK: SPECIAL SECTION
VISIT THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF NORTH AMERICA:
OSNA - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OSNA/
AOU - http://pica.wru.umt.edu/AOU/AOU.html
AFO - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/AFO/index.html
COS - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/COS/index.html
CWS - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/CWS/
RRF - http://catsis.weber.edu/rrf
WOS - http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/birds/wos.html
BIRDNET - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/
NOMINATIONS FOR AOU OFFICERS AND ELECTIVE COUNCILORS must be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting. Thus, this year nominations are due 12 May 1999. To be elected at the 1999 Business Meeting of the Members (12 Aug 1999 at Cornell University), will be a Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Elective Councilors. The Bylaws of the AOU require that the President-Elect be elected bi-annually, the Vice President elected annually and serve only one term, and that the Secretary and Treasurer also be elected or re-elected annually. At the conclusion of the Aug 1999 meeting, Frank B. Gill will continue the second of his two-year term as President, and John W. Fitzpatrick will continue the second of his two-year term as President-Elect. The current Secretary (M. Victoria McDonald) announced at the previous Stated Meeting that the 1998-1999 term would be her last. Thus, nominations for a new Secretary are being sought. The incumbent Treasurer (Frederick H. Sheldon) is willing to be re-elected for the 1999-2000 term, but will resign effective at the conclusion of that term. Of the total of nine Elective Councilors, three are elected annually and serve for terms of approximately three years, beginning at the close of the Stated Meeting. Elective Councilors to be replaced at the conclusion of the 117th Stated Meeting in 1999 are Susan M. Haig, Jeffrey R. Walters, and Wesley W. Weathers. Continuing to serve in 1999-2000 will be Elective Councilors Irene M. Pepperberg, Carol M. Vleck, David W. Winkler, Walter D. Koenig, Scott M. Lanyon, and Stephen M. Russell. The procedure for nominating AOU officers and Elective Councilors is outlined in the Bylaws (Art IV, Sec 2). "Each Fellow and Elective Member shall be invited in advance of the Stated Meeting at which an election is to be held, to nominate, in writing to the Secretary, one person for ... Vice-President, one person for Secretary, one person for Treasurer, and three persons for Elective Councilors. These nominations shall be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting (12 May 1999) and shall be presented at the business session of the Stated Meeting. Nominations for all officers must be accompanied by written consent of the nominee."
FOREIGN SCIENTISTS - The Cooper Ornithological Society has a program whereby scientists in developed countries will sponsor a membership for foreign scientists from underdeveloped countries. If you are a member of an eligible country (listed in front cover of Condor) and wish to apply for a gift membership, please submit a statement of your need and a CV to: THOMAS E. MARTIN, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Univ. of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 USA.
NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP CLASSES OF Elective Member and Fellow of the AOU are due 11 Mar 1999 (5 months prior to the Stated Meeting). Elective Members and Fellows are encouraged to submit nominations of deserving colleagues. Following the Committee on Nomination of Fellows and Elective members' official charge to supplement nominations, the Committee will prepare only a few nominations, and thus timely submissions from members are imperative. Facsimiles and late nominations will not be accepted. Nominations and full supporting information are to be supplied by the nominators, and without the candidates' participation. All Nominators seeking to endorse a nominee must first obtain the 1999 instructions and forms from one of three sources: the Chair of the Committee on Nomination of Fellows and Elective Members, DR. M. ROSS LEIN, Department of Biology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CANADA (403-220-6549, Fax: 403-289-9311, mrlein@acs.ucalgary.ca), the Secretary, DR. M. VICTORIA McDONALD, Department of Biology, 201 Donaghey Ave, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035 (501-450-5924; Fax: 501-450-5914; vickiem.fs.uca@mail.uca.edu), or from any AOU officer. For ELECTIVE MEMBER nominations, the Secretary will compile and prepare ballot packets, and send these packets by early May 1999 to current Elective Members and Fellows. Ballots will be returned by mail to the Secretary by three weeks before the Stated Meeting, i.e., by 20 Jul 1999, and the names announced at the Business Meeting of Members on 12 Aug 1999 at Cornell University. For FELLOW nominations, the Secretary will compile and prepare packets, and send these by early July 1999 to current Fellows. Voting for 1999 will take place at the Fellows Meeting on 11 Aug 1999.
STUDENTS - FREE MEMBERSHIP!! Cooper Ornithological Society is always interested in getting more graduate students involved and provides up to 25 free student memberships each year (covers cost of membership for 2 years and carries full membership benefits) providing an important launch into ornithological careers at an early stage. To apply, simply send a CV of the student and a cover letter from the major professor that describes why the student deserves the award. Send application materials to: THOMAS E. MARTIN, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Univ. of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 USA. Deadline: 31 Jan 1999.
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DURING THE 22ND INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS in Durban, South Africa, August 1998, the International Ornithological Committee elected Professor WALTER J. BOCK (Columbia University) as President of the 23rd Congress and Professor DOMINIQUE G. HOMBERGER (Louisiana State University) as Secretary of the International Ornithological Committee. ERNST SUTTER (Switzerland) was elected Honorary President and JACQUES BLONDEL (France) was elected as Vice President. JOHN C. WINGFIELD (University of Washington) and FRED COOKE (Simon Fraser University) were elected to the Executive Committee. The 23rd International Ornithological Congress will take place in Beijing, China, 11 - 17 August 2002 with Professor XU WEISHU as Secretary-General.
THE JAMES F. LYNCH CONSERVATION BIOLOGY FUND has been set up through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in honor of Jim Lynch, long-time Smithsonian Research Scientist, who died 26 Mar 1998. This fund will assist students and researchers working in Central America and East Africa, including students native to these areas. The goal is to build this fund into an endowment that will continue to help scientists interested in conservation biology for years to come. Contributions and inquiries may be made to the James F. Lynch Conservation Biology Fund, care of JEANINE ROBERTS at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, PO Box 28, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA. The first award for this fund will be made in 1999.
NORTH AMERICAN PEREGRINE FALCON CELEBRATION at The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey, Boise, Idaho, 20-21 Aug 1999 is being announced by The Peregrine Fund, Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, The Raptor Center, and our Canadian friends. Everyone who has participated in the species' recovery in North America is invited. This is a celebration, not a scientific conference, and families are invited. The Peregrine Fund is seeking names and address of those who may wish to attend. Please write, call, or e-mail names and addresses to Peregrine Celebration, 566 W. Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709 (208-362-3716, Fax: 208-362-2376, tpf@peregrinefund.org. Information will be sent to you. Please pass the information on to others you know who helped with the Peregrine Falcon restoration.
CALL FOR PAPERS: THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BIOTELEMETRY is to be held in Juneau, Alaska, from 9-14 May 1999. The Conference is sponsored by the International Society on Biotelemetry (ISOB) and is hosted by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Auke Bay Laboratory. The scientific program will include two types of sessions: oral presentations and a poster session. Oral presentations will be limited to 15 minutes with an additional 5 minutes for questions and discussion. A commercial exhibition, highlighting advances in telemetry and telecommunication equipment, will be held in association with the Symposium from 10-12 May Abstracts due by 15 Jan 1999. CONTACT: John H. Eiler, National Marine Fisheries Service, 15th ISOB Organizing Committee, P.O. Box 35205, Juneau, Alaska 99803, USA (907-789-6033, Fax: 907-789-6094, john.eiler@noaa.gov, www.indstate.edu/isb/).
CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS. The first combined meeting of Bird Strike Committee USA and Bird Strike Committee Canada will be held 9-13 May 1999 at the Delta Pacific Resort and Conference Centre in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Papers are solicited regarding any biological, engineering, environmental, training, or policy issues related to wildlife, aircraft and airports. Papers accepted will be presented at the conference, and speakers may distribute copies of their entire paper if they so desire. There will also be space for a few poster presentations, but presenters must provide their own display set up. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 26 Feb 1999. For further information, contact BRUCE MACKINNON, Transport Canada, Safety and Security, Aerodrome Safety Branch, 330 Sparks St., Place de Ville, Tower C, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0N8 (613-990-0515; Fax 613-990-0508; mackinb@tc.gc.ca).
SCIENCE-BASED STEWARDSHIP: Recommendations for Implementing the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act is a report just completed by Defenders of Wildlife. This report is the result of a two-day workshop sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife in April 1998. The workshop involved discussions of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. The Refuge Improvement Act is the first organic legislation for the Refuge System, and it contains many important provisions that call for a greater role for science and biological information for refuge management and expansion. In April, Defenders brought together six experts with an excellent combination of experience related to science-based land management, including people who could offer outside perspectives in order to bring fresh ideas to the Refuge System. The workshop participants were: Dr. David Dobkin, a scientist who directs the High Desert Ecological Research Institute; Richard Fink, a law professor at California Western School of Law who authored a comprehensive law review article on Refuge System law in 1994; Dr. Eugene Hester, retired from the Interior Department after a long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the National Biological Service; Dr. Barry Noon, a professor at Colorado State University and former supervisory research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service; Dr. Ronald Pulliam, a professor at the University of Georgia who is the former head of the National Biological Service and was the science advisor to the Interior Secretary; and Palmer Sekora, retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with over 33 years of experience on 37 refuges. This energetic group of experts offered valuable insights and recommendations. Defenders is proud to publish this report and to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on implementing the recommendations. To request a copy of the report or for more information, contact: LAURA HOOD, Defenders of Wildlife, 1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005 (202-682-9400 ext. 283; fax: (202)-682-1331; Lhood@Defenders.org).
CALL FOR PAPERS to be included in a symposium and publication documenting and discussing the EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION ON BIRDS. The symposium will be held in conjunction with the 1999 Cooper Ornithological Society annual meeting in Portland, OR on 30 Mar 1998. Publication is expected in the COS publication "Studies in Avian Biology". Looking for authors interested in addressing broad or specific issues from a theoretical or empirical base. Three basic types of contributions are solicited: 1) major papers reviewing general issues of urbanization, urban effects on birds, and conservation strategies in urban settings; 2) major papers documenting case studies of birds along urban to rural gradients; and 3) short papers and anecdotes relating community, population, or individual bird behaviors to urbanization. Interested authors unable to attend the COS meeting can still submit a manuscript for inclusion in the monograph. If you are interested please submit a tentative title and brief description of your idea to JOHN MARZLUFF by 15 Jan 1999 (corvid@u.washington.edu or Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195). Draft manuscripts will be due 15 March 1999.
A SYMPOSIUM ENTITLED "RECENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE IMPACT of Bird Predation on Arthropod Populations and Communities" is being organized for the 1999 AOU Meeting in Ithaca by Russ Greenberg and Robert Marquis. We still have a few slots in the program. We are interested in hearing from people who might be able to make contributions. We are most interested in a) experimental studies; b) studies that emphasize issues beyond the control of economic pests; c) studies that place avian insectivory in a broader theoretical framework and d) studies of particular concern to the everyday lives of people. In addition, contributions that take a broad synthetic perspective are preferred. If interested, ASAP send an informal description of the areas of possible interest (one page) to RUSS GREENBERG, SMBC, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008 (antbird@erols.com).
HENSLOW'S SPARROW-on 22 Aug 1998 the USFWS reviewed a petition submitted by Jaspar Carlton of the Biodiversity Legal Foundation requesting listing of the Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The FWS issued a finding that the petition did not contain substantial information indicating that the requested listing may be warranted. The FWS had previously completed a rangewide status assessment of the Henslow's Sparrow for which a report summary can be viewed at <http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/eco_serv/endangrd/birds/hens_ss.html>. Based on the 1996 report, the FWS determined in 1997 that elevating the Henslow's sparrow to candidate species status for subsequent listing was unwarranted. The 1997 decision is posted at <http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/eco_serv/endangrd/birds/hens_dec.html>. Review of additional new data not referenced in the petition has led the FWS to conclude that there now is less reason to list the sparrow as threatened or endangered than in 1996-97. Henslow's Sparrow appears to be doing better in some portions of its range than previously believed. Findings are summarized in the 9 Sep 1998 Federal Register starting on p.48162. If you would like more details on the findings or on the petition process under the Act, please contact Ms. LORI PRUITT (812-334-4261,x211) or Mr. RON REFSNIDER. To obtain a copy of the complete 1996 status assessment report, contact Dr. STEVE LEWIS (612-713-5473).
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NEWS FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL
Provided by DAVID E. BLOCKSTEIN, Chair, and ELLEN PAUL, Executive Director, The Ornithological Council, 1725 K St. NW #212, Washington, DC 20006-1401 (202-530-5810; fax 202-628-4311; OC@cnie.org) "Providing Scientific Information about Birds." The Ornithological Council is supported by voluntary individual contributions on the OSNA dues notice as well as memberships from the ornithological societies.
FEDERAL NON-DEFENSE RESEARCH would double in 10 years under a bill S. 2217 the Federal Research Investment Act sponsored by Sens. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) which was approved unanimously by the Senate. Although the bill was not considered by the House, it is a very strong statement of congressional intent and support for science.
SOMBRERO ISLAND - There is still time to comment on the rocket launch site that Beal Aerospace plans to build on this northernmost island in the Lesser Antilles. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was due to be released in September, but as of 26 Oct, had still not been released. The British National Space Center has promised to make the EIS (or portions of it) available on its website at http://www.open.gov.uk/bnsc/bnschome.htm. Sombrero Island is one of the few undeveloped sites in the Caribbean and is known to provide nesting habitat for a number of seabird species. Among these species are: Roseate Terns and Brown Pelicans, which are endangered in the Caribbean; and Black-capped Petrels, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Least Terns, and Masked Boobies, all of which are species of special concern in the region. The development proposed by Beal Aerospace on this small island (which is free of mammalian predators) may result in substantial loss of nesting sites for these species. Also of concern are possible bird-aircraft collisions as planes approach the island to land. Comments may be directed to DR. PIPPA GOLDSCHMIDT, British National Space Center, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 955, UK and to the Honorable HUBERT HUGHES, Chief Minister, P.O. Box 60, The Valley, Anguilla. The Ornithological Council will be submitting comments summarizing the best science that is available and explaining how it relates to the planned rocket launch site and its effects on Caribbean seabirds. We are particularly interested in obtaining current population data on seabirds throughout the Caribbean. We are also interested in assessments of the current availability of suitable nest sites and potential threats to the continued existence of those sites. Contact ELLEN PAUL at epaul@dclink.com or by phone at (301-986-8568).
TEAMING WITH WILDLIFE has a new and very different look from the original concept (which was to impose a small tax on outdoor products such as binoculars, tents, field guides, and birdseed to collect funds to support state-based conservation programs) in the form of new legislation. On 7 Oct., Reps. Don Young (R- AK), Billy Tauzin (R-LA), and John Dingell (D-MI) and others introduced the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1998 (H.R.4717) in the House and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced the same legislation, under the title Reinvestment and Environmental Restoration Act in the Senate (S.2566). These bills call for a percentage of federal offshore oil and gas revenues to be provided to states for wildlife programs. The House bill dedicates 10% and the Senate bill dedicates 7% for wildlife conservation purposes with the total oil and gas revenues expected to be $4-5 billion in the years ahead. Under Title III, the new legislation directs funds to states to help conserve wildlife populations and their habitats and to provide more opportunities for wildlife education and recreation. Further information about this legislation, including a comparison to the original proposal and a Q-and-A about the legislation, can be found at the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Teaming with Wildlife Website at http://www.teaming.com or at http://teaming.sso.org.
A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR RECLAMATION OF THE SALTON SEA was approved by Congress. It authorizes $5 million for wildlife studies at the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge which is renamed after the late Congressman Sonny Bono (R-CA). Also $3 million is authorized for treatment of agricultural waters from the New and Alamo Rivers, which enter the Salton Sea. Additional legislation will be needed to authorize spending of more than $300 million that is estimated for an engineering project to reduce the salinity and stabilize the shoreline levels of the Sea (legislation passed by the House of Representatives, but not the Senate would have funded that). Separate legislation funded $8.5 million to the Salton Sea authority for engineering feasibility studies and$1.9 m for the Univ. of Redlands. It is likely that there will be another legislative effort after the feasibility study is completed in about 1 year. The Ornithological Council has provided information about the Salton Sea situation (including a resolution passed by AOU, COS, WOS and AF)) to all congressional offices and is working closely with congressional staff and agency representatives to help ensure science-based decision-making that takes ornithological concerns into mind. OC has formed a Salton Sea committee of experts in the region. The committee is headed by DAN ANDERSON of U. C. Davis <dwanderson@ucdavis.edu>.
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT legislation's bipartisan congressional support has reached a record of 92 representatives cosponsoring H.R. 2914.
A NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY STUDY - Unlocking Our Future: Towards A New National Science Policy - released by the House Science Committee in September and authored by Representative Vern Ehlers (R-MI), states: "While acknowledging the continuing need for science and engineering in national security, health, and the economy, the challenges we face today cause us to propose that the scientific enterprise ought to move towards center stage in a fourth role: that of helping society make good decisions. We believe this role for science will take on increasing importance, particularly as we face difficult decisions related to the environment." The report, which will be probably be influential in Congressional decisions over the next decade or longer is at <www.house.gov/science/science_policy_report.htm>
CIPAMEX (Sección Mexicana del Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves) has become the ninth society to join the Ornithological Council. Representatives to the OC Board have not yet been named.
CRAIG HARRISON, ESQ. has been named as the second representative to the OC Board from the Pacific Seabird Group.
PAUL SCHMIDT, formerly the Director of the Office of Migratory Bird Management (MBMO) has been named as the new Deputy Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ROBERT BLOEHM is serving as MBMO Acting Director.
PARTNERS IN FLIGHT has a new website address: http://www.PartnersInFlight.org. (This address is NOT case sensitive). MARSHALL HOWE, Chief of Monitoring Programs at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, has joined Janet Ruth of the USGS Midcontinent Ecological Science Center as a PIF Co-Coordinator for USGS. Marshall will be the USGS contact for monitoring issues. JIM KUSHLAN (Colonial Waterbird Society representative to the Ornithological Society) continues to serve as representative to the PIF Federal Committee. Contact Marshall or Janet regarding USGS involvement in Partners in Flight at: JANET RUTH, Research Biologist/ PIF Co-Coordinator for USGS, USGS Midcontinent Ecological Science Center, 4512 McMurry Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80525-3400 (970-226-9487; janet_ruth@usgs.gov) or MARSHALL HOWE, Chief of Monitoring Program - Patuxent/ PIF Co-Coordinator for USGS, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD (301-497-5858; marshall_howe@usgs.gov).
NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT (S.1970)- Despite easy passage in the Senate, the Act (S.1970) introduced by Sen. Spencer Abraham (R- MI) will not be enacted in this Congressional session. In the House, the bill became enmeshed in a political tug-of-war over an unrelated matter. Sen. Abraham promises to re-introduce the bill early in the next session. The bill would have provided as much as $4 million in matching grants annually for three years for projects to conserve neotropical migratory birds in the Caribbean and in Central and South America.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS-A long-term, comprehensive population management strategy would be developed by the Interior Dept. along with a 12-month study of the effects of Double-crested Cormorants on commercial and recreational fish species, under H.R. 4754, legislation introduced by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), but not approved by Congress. The Ornithological Council has been working closely with Cong. Thompson's office to ensure that future versions of the bill provide sufficient funding for research, education, and non-federal scientific participation in any management strategy. To assist, contact OC Exec. Dir. Ellen Paul at epaul@dclink.com or by phone at (301-986-8568).
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (www.cnie.org), maintained by the Committee for the NIE now includes: daily environmental news, over 300 environmental journals (from full text to tables of content), state of the environment reports, an environmental "yellow pages", information on jobs and careers, and meetings along with more than 400 full text reports on environment and natural resource issues from the Congressional Research Service, a directory of more than 200 higher education environmental programs, a population and environment virtual library and the virtual library on ecology and biodiversity and links to more than 2,000 sites <www.cnie.org>.
FEDERAL NON-DEFENSE RESEARCH would double in 10 years under a bill S. 2217 the Federal Research Investment Act sponsored by Sens. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) which was approved unanimously by the Senate. Although not considered by the House, i t is a very strong statement of congressional intent and support for science.
CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS: on 21 Oct., President Clinton signed the huge omnibus spending bill that will fund most of the government for the next fiscal year. The majority of the contentious environmental amendments were removed. Retained were provisions: waiving the application of environmental laws to renewal of federal grazing permits this fiscal year; waiving laws in favor of letting local interests set the timbering rules on certain national forests in northern California; holding up the issuance of new management plans that would likely reduce the allowed timber harvest on national forests; blocking a toughening of mining regulations on federal land; blocking an increase in the royalties energy companies must pay for federal oil and gas; preventing a toughening of auto mileage standards and their application to sport utility vehicles, and easing a law meant to protect the coastal barrier system from development. Funding increases for Everglades restoration and other clean-water initiatives were obtained. Funding for the National Science Foundation Research and Related Activities is up 8.8% to $2.77B. The Administration request was for 11.8%
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) will begin selling land around its National Environmental Research Park (NERP) lands. Many of these lands are tracts of undisturbed wilderness and are highly valuable to ecological research. So far, three labs have given up more than 1200 hectares (ha) to local governments and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, with another 5200 ha soon to follow. Most of the lands will be used for development of residential and commercial properties.
UNDER THE SOUTHERN NEVADA PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ACT, signed by Pres. Clinton, the Bureau of Land Management will auction 27,000 acres of public land near Las Vegas, NV. 85% of the proceeds will go to acquire privately owned environmentally sensitive lands in the state. Another 10% will go to the Southern Nevada Water Authority to build drinking water pipelines.
THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT (HEA) was reauthorized. It authorizes $300 million for three separate grant programs: State Grants, Partnership Grants, and Teacher Recruitment Grants.
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A MESSAGE TO ALL ORNITHOLOGISTS from THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL
The Ornithological Council provides scientific information about birds to decision makers - including those in Congress, federal and state agencies, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and decision makers in private industry and nongovernmental organizations. We also represent the concerns of ornithologists to the regulatory agencies that issue permits for research activities conducted by ornithologists. What does this mean? Our goal is to provide a summary of the best science that is available and explain how it relates to the issue of concern. Some examples of our activities in recent months are illustrative. We have commented (or are preparing comments) on:
• Possible changes to the permitting regulations and procedures under the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, CITES, Wild Bird Conservation Act, and other conservation laws
• Proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act regulations concerning the definition of the term "field study"
• Proposed changes to the regulations concerning hunting over baited fields
• Upcoming revisions to the forest management planning regulations
• The proposed National Park Service rules to prohibit the use of jet skis in most national parks except where jet ski use is appropriate under the circumstances
• The South Florida Multispecies Recovery Plan (insofar as it pertains to endangered bird species and bird habitat)
• Upcoming Endangered Species Act downlistings and de-listings for bird species
• A rocket launch site proposed for Sombrero Island (Anguilla), an important seabird nesting site
(The comments OC submits can be found on BIRDNET in the ACTION ALERTS section)
Where does the Ornithological Council get the information that is the basis for these comments? It comes from the more than 7,000 ornithologists who belong to one or more of the nine Ornithological Council member societies - the American Ornithologists' Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, Colonial Waterbird Society, Cooper Ornithological Society, Sección Mexicana Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves (CIPAMEX), Pacific Seabird Group, Raptor Research Foundation, Society of Caribbean Ornithology, and Wilson Ornithological Society. We make a strenuous effort to contact ornithologists who are known to have expertise in the subject of concern, either by direct contact or by posting information on OCNET, Ornith-L, and WORGNET - all e-mail lists for ornithologists that require subscriptions. We also summarize public notices and call for information in the Ornithological Newsletter. However, most of these public notices require responses within 60 - 90 days, so by the time the Ornithological Newsletter is published, the response deadline has usually either passed or the remaining time is very limited.
The Ornithological Council would like to be sure that all ornithologists have an opportunity to contribute scientific information and expertise on legislative and regulatory actions that affect birds. To do that, we have created a new feature on BIRDNET - the Ornithological Council website (www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET). This new section - EXPERT HELP NEEDED NOW - will contain public notices and other news items for which scientific information is sought. It will also include the comments that the Ornithological Council submits.
With this new page, you will now have three options for keeping informed:
• Check BIRDNET on a regular basis (every two weeks or so), and be sure to check the EXPERT HELP NEEDED NOW section
• Subscribe to OCNET, an e-mail list edited by Irene Pepperberg that provides legislative alerts and breaking policy news information to ornithologists from all member societies. Previously known as AOUNET, the name was changed to reflect the fact that it serves all the member societies of the Ornithological Council. Send a message to listserv@UMDD.UMD.EDU. The message should read "subscribe OCNET-L <your name>" (omit quotation marks and brackets).
• To subscribe to WORGNET, an e-mail list maintained by the Women in Ornithology Research Group, send a message to listserv@sivm.si.edu with the message "subscribe WORGNET." (omit quotation marks)
• To subscribe to Ornith-L, an e-mail list maintained by Kimberly Smith of the University of Arkansas for the scientific discussion of ornithology, send a message to listserve@uafsysb.uark.edu with the message "subscribe Ornith-L." (omit quotation marks)
• Register in the Database of Ornithological Expertise, found on BIRDNET. Registration is simple and takes only a few minutes. Access to and use of the information is restricted to the Ornithological Council, and, when possible, we avoid calling upon the same individuals repeatedly . If you have already registered and wish to add or change information, simply re-register. The new information will be merged with your existing registration.
When we prepare comments, we take into account all available data and interpretations. Where data are inconclusive or conflicting, we confer with those ornithologists who have submitted information to determine how to explain those circumstances, and their significance, in the comments. Your name and affiliation need not appear in the comments. Helping the Ornithological Council to prepare comments does not preclude you from submitting comments on your own.
With your input, the Ornithological Council can be even more effective as the voice of scientific ornithology.
Ellen Paul David E. Blockstein, Ph.D.
Executive Director Chairman
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INFORMATION NEEDED FOR BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA species account. Any unpublished information,
personal observations, and obscure references will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged.
CASSIN'S VIREO (Vireo cassinii). CHRISTOPHER GOGUEN (608-265-2665, goguen@calshp.cals.wisc.edu) or
DAVID CURSON (608-263-7595, curson@calshp.cals.wisc.edu), both at the Dept. of Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison,
226 Russell Labs, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison WI 53706-1598.
GLOSSY IBIS (Plegados falcinellus) JOHN C. KRICHER, Biology Dept., Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766
(jkricher@wheatonma.edu).
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH (Leucosticte tephrocotis). Information on other Rosy Finch species, would also be
appreciated. SCOTT MACDOUGALL-SHACKLETON, Dept. Ecol. & Evol. Biol., Princeton University, Princeton NJ
08544. (609-258-1935; shackles@princeton.edu).
UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda). C. STUART HOUSTON, 863 University Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N
0J8, Canada. (306-244-0742, houstons@duke.usask.ca).
BLOOD SAMPLES FROM EASTERN PHOEBES (Sayornis phoebe) for current study of population structure. We are interested in collecting blood samples from phoebe populations throughout its breeding (or wintering) range. If you work with/have access to adult or nestling phoebes and would be interested in helping, please contact AMANDA ALLEN BEHELER, Dept. of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47905 (765-538-2962; a-allen@fnr.purdue.edu).
NORTHERN FLICKERS (113 adults, 307 nestlings) were banded last summer in central British Columbia. Nestlings have an aluminum band on the right leg, adults have 1-2 color bands on both legs in addition to the metal band. Please send any information about sightings of banded flickers to KAREN WIEBE, Dept. Biology, Univ. of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, S.K., S7N 2C3 (wiebek@duke.usask.ca)
GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS (Fregata minor) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were marked with wrap-around wing tags. Tags are yellow with 3 black characters (one letter followed by two numbers) and are identical on the left and right wing of a given bird. Please send resighting information, including location and general behavior (e.g. flying, foraging, displaying, etc.), to DON DEARBORN, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 1735 Neil Avenue, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (614-292-2891; dearborn.4@osu.edu).
WHITE-FACED IBIS were banded and leg-tagged with orange-colored, numbered vinyl streamers. Ibis were first banded in spring/summer of 1998, on the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Oklahoma. White-faced Ibis were first confirmed nesting on the refuge and in Oklahoma in the spring of 1995. Please report sightings of leg-tagged ibis, including location, streamer color and number, and date to Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Rt. 1 Box 76, Jet. OK 73749. C/O RON SHEPPERD (580-626-4794; fax 580-626-4793).
BIRD TRACK DATA AVAILABLE-Due to space limitations I am forced to dispose of data pertaining to migratory birds tracked by NASA radars in the 1970s at Wallops Island VA, Bermuda and Antigua (West Indies). Birds were followed with accurate missile tracking radars. In addition to the three dimensional location all tracks have radar signature, speed and a measure of straightness. The longest tracks are over 200 km the shortest about 5 km. Some birds were identified by telescope on 16mm film. All tracks have been scored and these data are on disc. Anyone wishing to store about 2 cubic meters of radar signature records, films, magnetic tapes, and printout is welcome to use the scored data in any way they see fit. If the data are not accepted they will go in the dumpster by year 2000. Please address inquiries to TIMOTHY C. WILLIAMS, Dept. Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA 19081 (willia1@swarthmore.edu).
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POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
NOTE the printed version of the Ornithological Newsletter no longer contains job advertisements. As of the August '97 issue, the Positions and Opportunities section is available only in the on-line edition. This edition can be accessed directly at http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/OSNA/ornjobs.htm. This job list is edited once a week. Consequently, submissions can be made at any time, and advertisements are maintained until approximately the due date for submissions. Expect the on-line list to change both in content and format in the near future. Also, in the near future a list-serve service will be put into operation that will send job announcements to subscribers via e-mail. Many public libraries provide free Internet access.
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READERS ARE REMINDED that information on deadlines, etc., of grants listed in the third edition of "Grants, Awards and Prizes in Ornithology" is not repeated here. Only revisions of information in that booklet can be reported here, because of space limitations.
BREWSTER AND COUES AWARDS. Nominations are invited for the Brewster and Coues Awards for 1999. These awards are given annually by the AOU in public recognition of avian research of special significance. The Brewster Award is given for the most important research on birds of the Western Hemisphere published in the last ten years. The Coues Award is for research that has had a major impact on ornithology in the Western Hemisphere, though not necessarily done there, and has no time restriction. The Coues Award may be given in recognition of important or innovative work or new techniques that may have been published in relatively brief articles or in non-ornithological journals. For further descriptions of these awards, see The Auk 89:436-538. Nominations should include (1) the name and affiliation of the nominee and (2) a description of his/her contributions to ornithology. The committee will screen all new nominations and those retained from 1998, select a short list, and then contact nominators to acquire additional information and bibliographies of top candidates. Winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the AOU in August at Cornell University and in a subsequent issue of The Auk. Nominations should be submitted by 15 Mar 1999 to WES WEATHERS, Dept. of Animal Science, Univ. of California, Davis CA 95616-8532 USA (Fax 530-752-0175; email preferred, wwweathers@ucdavis.edu).
1999 AOU RESEARCH AWARDS. Instructions for submitting an application for a 1999 AOU Research Award are now available. Instructions can be accessed via the AOU homepage at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/AOU/index.html or directly from the chair of the Research Awards Committee at: http://www.biology.eku.edu/ritchiso/AOU-ResAward.htm. Instructions can also be obtained by contacting the Chair of the AOU Research Awards Committee by e-mail at gritchis@acs.eku.edu, or by regular mail at: GARY RITCHISON, Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475 - 3102. Requests for information sent to the AOU's permanent address at the Smithsonian Institution will result in unnecessary delays. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 1 Feb 1999.
STUDENTS INTERESTED IN THE MEWALDT-KING RESEARCH AWARDS are reminded that Dr. John Faaborg is the current chair of the Mewaldt-King Award Fund Committee and all correspondence related to this award should be directed to him at the address below. You are also reminded that the fund only supports research that relates to the conservation of birds. For more information check out the website of the Cooper Ornithological Society (http://www.ets.uidaho.edu/coop/cooper/coshome.htm) or contact DR. JOHN FAABORG, Mewaldt-King Award Fund Committee, 110 Tucker Hall, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-7400 (573-882-7541; faaborg@biosci.mbp.missouri.edu). Proposals must be received on or before 15 Jan 1999.
EASTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION Student Travel Awards - EBBA will grant travel awards to students who wish to attend the Associations' 1999 Annual Meeting (16-19 Apr 1999) at the Airport Holiday Inn in Rochester, New York. Travel awards can be used to defray any travel-related expenses. Preference will be given to EBBA Members and/or individuals presenting a paper at the meeting. Interested students should send a letter detailing their requests to: ROY S. SLACK, Chairman, EBBA Student Travel Award Committee, 234 Besaw Road, Phoenix, NY 13135.
THE FRANCIS M. PEACOCK SCHOLARSHIP for Native Bird Habitat grants financial aid ($4-5,000) to an advanced student (college seniors and graduate students) to study areas in the United States that provide winter or summer habitat for threatened or endangered native birds. Awarded by the Garden Club of America, in cooperation with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it offers scholars the opportunity to pursue real habitat-related issues that eventually benefit bird species and lend useful information for management decisions. Application deadline: 15 JAN 1999. For application guidelines, write, fax or e-mail: SCOTT SUTCLIFFE, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. (Fax: 607-254-2415; lh17@cornell.edu (no phone calls, please).
COS STUDENT TRAVEL AWARDS: Limited funding will be available to defray travel expenses for undergraduate and graduate students attending the Cooper Ornithological Society meeting in Portland, OR (29 Mar-4 Apr 1999). Students must be members of COS and present an oral or poster paper at the meeting to be eligible for the award. Students must be senior authors but papers may be co-authored with other students or nonstudents. A travel award will be granted only after the presentation is accepted for the annual meeting by the program committee (to be accepted to the program, submit abstract as directed in circular). To apply for the travel award, submit 5 copies of: 1) a 2-page résumé, 2) a detailed listing of anticipated transportation expenses, 3) a 3-page (including references) expanded abstract of your paper or poster covering objectives, methods, major results, and scientific significance, and 4) a letter of reference. Submit application materials by 15 Jan 1999 to: DR. ROLF KOFORD, Iowa COOP Unit, Science Hall II, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
SIGURD T. OLSON COMMON LOON RESEARCH AWARD--The LoonWatch program of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute (SOEI) at Northland College is accepting applications for the 12th annual Sigurd T. Olson Common Loon Research Award. Since 1986, the STO Award has provided funding for original research that leads to better understanding and management of Upper Great Lakes loon populations. The award supports research on behavior, breeding ecology, migration, winter ecology, and evolution of the Common Loon. Projects examining human-related disturbance, especially motorboat and personal watercraft use and shoreline development, are given consideration, as are education research proposals relating to loons and their aquatic habitats. In addition to these general categories, LoonWatch has set two special priorities for funding in 1999. Proposals addressing the following priorities will receive special consideration: * Loon mortality, especially that which occurs as a result of intraspecific aggression; * Studies exploring the economic value of a loon. What figures should be used when considering punitive damages against those who cause loon deaths? What impact does the presence of loons and/or the use of loon imagery have on the economies of northern towns? Award generally range from $1,000-$2,000. Proposal deadline is 15 Jan 1999, and funds will be distributed in early spring. To request proposal guidelines or for more information call or write LoonWatch Coordinator, Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin 54806, (715-682-1220; LoonWatch@wheeler.northland.edu).
The J.J. MURRAY RESEARCH AWARD is granted annually by The Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO). This award of $1000 is for research study on the birds of Virginia. Criteria and eligibility: This award was established in 1980 to honor Rev. J.J. Murray, Sr., the first President of the Society. The award is designed to promote graduate and undergraduate research and a very high priority will be given to student proposals. The research must consist of current or projected field studies on Virginia birds. The proposals will be judged for their scientific merit and the likelihood that the work will make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of Virginia birds. Upon completion of the research, the recipient will be asked to present the results at a VSO annual meeting and is encouraged to publish the results in an appropriate journal. Application procedures: Proposals should be of reasonable length. If the proposal is longer than 15 pages it must include a summary of no more than two pages. They will be evaluated by a review committee established by the VSO and must be received by 6 Jan 1999 to be considered. If the research is part of a degree program, students should include the name of the institution and department they are enrolled in, the degree they are working toward, and the name of their academic or research advisor. Each proposal should include a letter from the student's academic advisor verifying that the applicant is a student in good standing and the she/he is receiving the advisor's support for this project. This year's award winner will be announced on or before 15 Mar 1999. Please send proposals or requests for further information to: A. CLAIR MELLINGER, Biology Department, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 (mellinca@emu.edu).
GEORGIA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH GRANT is an annual graduate student research grant of up to $1,500 in support of ornithological research. Guidelines: 1) the applicants, during the grant period, must be enrolled graduate students in the State of Georgia or must be from Georgia if enrolled out-of-state; 2) the research must be primarily ornithological and must be conducted under faculty direction; 3) the grant will normally be for a period of 12 months (application for renewal is permitted). The grant will not fund the grantee's salary, tuition, or indirect costs; 4) the typewritten grant application, not to exceed 10 pages, should include a description of the research project, literature citations, an itemized budget, a statement of other financial support, and a brief resume of the applicant. Two letters of reference, submitted separately, are also required, one of which should be from the directing faculty member. The deadline is 15 Jan 1999 for receipt of grant application and the letters of reference by the Research Grant Committee, Georgia Ornithological Society, P.O. Box 1684, Cartersville, Georgia 30120. The grantee will be selected by 15 Mar 1999; 5) at the end of the grant period, the grantee is required to submit to the Research Grant Committee a brief written summary of research results and grant expenditures; 6) the grantee is encouraged to present research results to the members of the GOS at a semiannual meeting and/or to submit a manuscript to the journal of the GOS, The Oriole.
SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCH STATION STUDENT SUPPORT FUND-The American Museum of Natural History awards several grants each year of approximately $400-$800 to graduate students or postdoctoral students pursuing research at its Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains, Portal, Arizona. Information and application forms for this program and other Museum grant programs can be obtained by writing: Office of Grants and Fellowships, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. New York, NY 10024-5192. Application due date: 15 Feb 1999. Address questions concerning the Station to: Dr. Wade C. Sherbrooke, Director, Southwestern Research Station, Portal, AZ 85632. (520-558-2396; swrs@amnh.org).
THE 1998 DORIS HUESTIS SPEIRS AWARD, the most prestigious award of The Society of Canadian Ornithologists was presented to Dr. IAN McTAGGART COWAN, Dean Emeritus (Graduate Studies) and Professor of Zoology (retired), of the University of British Columbia on 4 August 1998 during the science program of the SCO Annual Science Meeting at UBC, Vancouver, British Columbia. The award honors Dr. Cowan's outstanding lifetime contribution to Canadian ornithology spanning seven decades which comprise major achievements in avian science, research, conservation and environmental management. Dr. Cowan is presently coordinating the completion of Volume 4 of "The Birds of British Columbia", the final part of one of the most comprehensive regional reviews of breeding birds produced in North America.
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"HOLARCTIC BIRDS OF PREY: PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE," Chancellor, R. D., B.-U. Meyburg & J.J. Ferrero (eds.) 1998. ADENEX & WWGBP, ISBN 84-605-7398-2, 680 pp, many diagrams, maps, line drawings and photographs This volume comprises the proceedings of the International Conference on Holarctic Birds of Prey and Owls held by WWGBP in conjunction with the Spanish nature conservation organisation ADENEX in April 1995 at Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. The volume contains 680 pages, with 59 original papers. Titles include Migration Patterns in West Palaearctic Raptors, Utility Structures as Mortality Factor for raptors and owls, Census Techniques for Birds of Prey in Large Areas, Electrical Transmission Pylons as Nesting Sites used by Kestrels, Organochlorine Pesticides, PCBs & Mercury in Osprey eggs, Morphometric Features characterizing Flight Properties of Palaearctic Eagles, Molecular Systematics of Holarctic Raptors, Dependence and Emancipation in Juvenile Marsh Harriers, Captive Breeding and Releases of Peregrines in North America, Phylogenetic Relationships in Holarctic Owls, Use of Logistic Regression Models to Predict Consumption of carcasses by Griffon Vultures, Toxic Chemicals and Birds of Prey in the Mid-1990s, Effects of the Feeding Station Establishment on the Egyptian Vulture in NE Greece, Analysis of the Relation between Land Cover and Golden Eagle Ranging Behaviour, Anti-Poaching at the Straits of Messina, Modeling Establishment of a Reintroduced Population of Griffon Vultures, The Role of the Individual Bird and the Individual Territory in the Population Biology of Sparrowhawks, etc. Available for £ 20 / US $35 / DM 55 / FF 170. Please order from: World Working Group on Birds of Prey and Owls, P.O. Box 52, Towcester NN12 7ZW, England
"COLORADO BREEDING BIRD ATLAS" edited by Hugh E. Kingery and illustrated by Radeaux, 1998. 600 pages, hard bound. Provides distribution for 265 breeding species in Colorado, with detailed accounts for 252 species. Accounts cover habitat, breeding, and distribution data derived from atlas field work. They include graphs showing habitat use and charts with phenology dates. 16-page color insert of photographs of Colorado habitats, nests, nestlings, and fledglings. Published by Colorado Bird Atlas Partnership & Colorado Division of Wildlife. Grants from Great Outdoors Colorado and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation permit low price of $34.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Order from Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation, PO Box 211512, Denver CO 80221. For credit card orders, call 303-291-7212.
The American Birding Association announces the following volumes:
"A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA" by Brad Schram, ABA Birdfinding Guides, Cindy Lippincott,
editor. Revised August 1998, ca. 334 pp., 60 maps, original line drawings. ISBN 1-878788-17-5, $23.95 plus $3.75
shipping. New to this edition are chapters covering sites for finding California Condors, Death Valley National Park,
Antelope Valley, and more. The seasonal abundance/regional occurrence bar-graphs have been updated, and the
Specialities Section is larger. Emphasis is placed on helping birders locate the region's many specialty birds.
"A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO THE BAHAMA ISLANDS" by Anthony W. White, ABA Birdfinding Guides, Virginia
Maynard, editor. June 1998, ca. 320 pp., 66 maps, black-and-white line drawings, 30 color photos of Bahama specialty
birds, and black-and-white photos. ISBN 1-878788-16-7, $21.95 plus $3.75 shipping. Covers all of the major islands,
numerous smaller cays, and the less developed Family Islands. Directions, abundance, seasonality, and distribution for
over 300 species summarized in a handy checklist.
"A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO VIRGINIA" compiled by David W. Johnston; ABA Birdfinding Guides, Paul J. Baicich,
series editor. May 1997, ca 288 pp., 45 maps, original line drawings. ISBN 1-878788-12-4, $18.95 plus $3.75 shipping.
Specialities section; checklist for over 390 species of birds; divided into six major regions: Eastern Shore, Coastal Plain,
Northern, Central, Southern Piedmont, and Southern Mountains and Valleys.
"A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO COLORADO" by Harold Holt; ABA Birdfinding Guides, Paul J. Baicich, series editor.
February 1997, ca. 400 pp., 80 maps, 24 original line drawings. ISBN 1-878788-05-1, $19.95 plus $3.75 shipping.
Covers the entire state and offers a wide variety of loop trips. It has been completely rewritten with specialities section
to help birders locate over 139 species and bar-graphs with seasonal occurrence/relative abundance information.
Order from the American Birding Association, P.O. Box 6599, Colorado Springs, CO 80934 (800-634-7736 or
719-578-0607).
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AVAILABLE FOR THE COST OF POSTAGE to an academic/nonprofit organization: Auk Vol. 67-114 (1950-1997) 72(3) missing; Wilson Bull. Vol. 88, 98-109 (1976, 1986-1997) 107(4) and 109(2) missing; J. Field Ornith. Vol. 56-68 (1985-1997) complete. SUSANNAH K. GRAEDEL, 73 Legend Hill, Madison CT 06443. (203-421-1961, graedel@worldnet.att.net).
FOR SALE. "Life History of the Blue Goose." Soper, J. Dewey. 1942. Proc. Boston Society of Natural History 42(2):121-225. $5.00. "Corte ecológico transversal en los Andes del Peru central con especial consideración de la aves. Parte I." Koepcke, M. 1954. Memorias del Museo de Historia Natural "Javier Prado" No. 3. $5.00. "Lista de las Aves de Venezuela con su Distribucion. Parte II." Phelps, W. H., and W. H. Phelps, Jr. 1963. $5.00. "Birds of the Ohio River Valley in West Virginia." Seeber, E. L., and R. M. Edeburn. 1951. Marshall College. $2.50. "Status and distribution of South Carolina birds." Post, W., and S. A. Gauthreaux, Jr. 1989. Contr. Charlestown Museum. $10. "The birdlife of Florida." Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. University Press of Florida. $75. Prices as indicated or best offer. ANN BRUCE, Tall Timbers Research Station, Rt 1 Box 678, Tallahassee, FL 32312 (850-893-4153 x 234; brucea@ttrs.org).
FOR SALE: Auk vol. 104(2-4), 105-111; Condor 90-92, 93(1-2), 94-96; Wilson Bull. 100-101. Best offer +shipping. Contact rjames@incom.net.
FOR SALE: Auk 1992-1998 $125; Condor 1992-1998 $125; J. Field Ornith. 1993-1998 $75. Shipping cost to be added. Contact Steven Fancy, sfancy@verinet.com
FOR SALE: "The Birds of Alaska," by I.N. Gabrielson and F.C. Lincoln. Stackpole, Harrisburg, PA and Wildlife Management Inst., Wash., DC. 1959. Color plates by Olaus Murie and E.R. Kalmback; gazetteer and extensive bibliography. 922 pp. Clothbound, very fine condition, with torn (paper) dustjacket. Great gift for the collector of classic bird books. $150. DAVID S. DOBKIN, High Desert Ecological Research Institute, 15 S.W. Colorado Ave., Suite 300, Bend, OR 97702 (Ph & Fax: 541-382-1117).
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* in this section indicates new or revised entry
*A SYMPOSIUM ON THE EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN OF FEATHERS will be held at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), 6-10 Jan 1999 in Denver, CO. The symposium, organized by Paul F. A. Maderson and Dominique G. Homberger, will have 17 invited papers and will run from Friday morning, 8 Jan through Saturday morning, 9 Jan. Non-members of SICB are welcome to attend but will have to pay registration fees: $320 before 4 Dec, $350 after, non-member postdocs $205, and students $130. The meeting will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel, Denver. For further information call 800-955-1236, send e-mail to <sicb@sba.com>, or visit the Web site <http://www.sicb.org>.
*MANAGEMENT OF MIGRATORY LANDBIRDS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES: STATE OF KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH NEEDS. 28-30 Jan 1999 Holiday Inn Biloxi Beachfront, 2400 Beach Blvd., Biloxi MS 39531. Supported by the Southeast Partners-in-Flight group, this 3-day event will feature invited speakers during the day and submitted poster sessions in the evening. For more information, contact KIMBERLY G. SMITH, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayettveille, AR 72701 (501-575-3251; kgsmith@comp.uark.edu).
GREAT PLAINS GRASSLANDS AT THE MILLENNIUM, 24-25 Feb 1999. A 2-Day symposium on the science of grassland management for the Great Plains at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management "Building on Our Heritage," Omaha, NE. Sponsored by U.S. Forest Service, Ecological Society of America, Society for Range Management, Center for Grassland Studies, University of Nebraska, Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska. Contacts: LORI HIDINGER, Ecological Society of America (lori@esa.org, http://esa.sdsc.edu/grasslands.htm); Society for Range Management (srmden@ix.netcom.com, http://srm.org/meetings.html).
CONFERENCE "POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS: Assessing Models for Recovering Endangered Species" sponsored by the University of California Berkeley and the Western Section of the Wildlife Society will be held 15-16 Mar 1999 in San Diego, CA. at the Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley. This conference will focus on issues in the development and application of demographic and genetic PVA models for conserving threatened and endangered species. The meeting will consist of presentations by invited speakers and sessions for contributed oral papers and posters. For information on the scientific program, contact STEVEN R. BEISSINGER (510-643-3038; beis@nature.berkeley.edu) or DALE R. MCCULLOUGH (510-642-8462; mcculla@nature.berkeley.edu). For information on logistics and registration, contact WILLIAM HULL (510-465-4962; whull@cgbd.org) or visit the conference web site at http://www.cccweb.com/tws-west/pva.
*"LIFE AMONG FEATHERS" is the title of the fifth Clark Ornithology Symposium, which will be held at Ohio Wesleyan University, 19-20 Mar 1999. Friday's program will include the following topics and speakers: the complex microbial community in plumage (Jan Pinowski, Jann M. Ichida), behavioral and ecological consequences of microbial feather-degradation (Edward H. Burtt, Jr.), avian sexual selection by microbes (Michael P. Lombardo), feather lice and reciprocal selection (Dale H. Clayton), molecular genetics of feather-degrading bacteria (Jerry Goldstein), and application of feather-degrading technology to poultry science (Jason C. H. Shih). Contributed paper sessions on microbiology of birds are scheduled for Saturday. Information on meals, accommodations, registration, and submission of abstracts for the contributed sessions are available by contacting EDWARD H. BURTT, Jr. (ehburtt@cc.owu.edu) or JANN M. ICHIDA (jmichida@cc.owu.edu).
*The COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, will hold its' 69th Annual Meeting, 29 Mar - 3 Apr 1999, in Portland, OR. Plenary speaker GORDON ORIANS will address "Four and ninety blackbirds: a lovely long-term dish". 1998 Miller Awardee RUSSELL BALDA will speak on "The use of natural history information in predicting cognitive abilities of corvids: clever corvids and cooperative colleagues". Symposia and Workshops will include: "The effects of habitat fragmentation on western bird populations" DAVID DOBKIN (541-382-1117), "Conservation of avian diversity in an urbanizing world", JOHN MARZLUFF (marzluff@gozer.idbsu.edu). Schedule: Tuesday (3/30) - Symposia, Workshops, Field Trip; Wednesday (3/31) - Plenary, Concurrent Sessions, Reception & Silent Auction; Thursday (4/1) - Concurrent Sessions, Exhibits, Posters & Banquet; Friday (4/2) - Concurrent Sessions, Exhibits & Posters; Saturday (4/3) - Field Trip. Location: DoubleTree Hotel (Lloyd Center), 1000 NE Multnomah, Portland, OR, Reservations (1- 800- 222- TREE) Single $87 / Double $102. For information on the scientific program contact MARTIN G. RAPHAEL, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512 (360-753- 7662; mgraphael@compuserve.com). For information on local arrangements contact ERICK G. CAMPBELL, BLM, 1515 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 (503- 952-6382); ecampbel@or.blm.gov). Visit the COS home page at http://www.ets.uidaho.edu/coop/cooper/coshome.htm for more information.
*SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCEMENT: An all-day symposium entitled "The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Western Bird Populations" will be held 30 March 1999 in conjunction with the Cooper Ornithological Society (COS) meetings in Portland Oregon. This symposium will focus on the contrasts between eastern and western landscapes, and closely examine both the theoretical bases of fragmentation effects and our current state or knowledge of the effects of habitat fragmentation on western bird populations. Papers will be given by invited speakers. For information on the program contact: T. LUKE GEORGE (707-826-3430, tlg2@axe.humboldt.edu) or DAVID DOBKIN (541-382-1117). Registration information will be included on the registration material for the Cooper Ornithological Society meetings. Separate registration for the symposium will be available.
EASTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION annual meeting, 16-18 Apr 1999, at the Airport Holiday Inn in Rochester, NY. Hosted by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory. Contact ELIZABETH W. BROOKS, 1435 Waterwells Rd., Alfred Station, NY 14803 <brookser@infoblvd.net>.
*4TH INTERNATIONAL URBAN WILDLIFE SYMPOSIUM will be held in Tucson, AZ 1-5 May 1999. It will be co-hosted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the University of Arizona. The meeting's goal is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and research that address management and conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats in cities, towns, and suburbs. For more information, contact: Urban Wildlife Symposium, 325 BSE, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 (http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanwildlife).
*WESTERN FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS will hold their 24th Annual Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, 3-6 Jun 1999. THEODORE G. TOBISH, JR. (2510 Foraker Dr, Anchorage 99517; 907-248-2153; tobishtg@ci.anchorage.ak.us), ROBERT E. GILL, JR. (NBS, Alaska Research Center, 1011 East Tudor Rd, Anchorage 99503; 907-786-3514; robert_gill@usgs.gov), and STANLEY E. SENNER (P.O. Box 102264, Anchorage 99510-2264; 907-278-8012; stan_senner@oilspill.state.ak.us) will chair the Local Organizing Committee. Details about meeting and field trips, and registration information, will be posted on the WFO Web Site (www.wfo-cbrc.org).
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 10-13 Jun 1999, will be held in Waterville, Maine, at the invitation of Colby College. The local host, W. HERBERT WILSON, may be reached at Dept. of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901 (207-872-3432, Fax: 207-872-3555, whwilson@colby.edu).
*DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE SAMPLING SURVEYS. Two workshops 14-17 Jun and 21-24 Jun 1999, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Presented by Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment (University of St Andrews, Scotland) and Colorado Co-operative Fish and Wildlife Unit. For details, contact RHONA RODGER, Workshop Organizer (rhona@dcs.st-and.ac.uk).
*SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, 1999 annual meeting, will be held 17-21 June at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD. For information visit www.inform.umd.edu/SCB, or contact David Inouye (di5@umail.umd.edu; 301-405-6946).
*THE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING will be held 26 Jun - 1 Jul 1999 at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Plenary speakers include Gail Michener, Lynne Houck, and Steve Nowicki. Symposia include "Educating about Animal Behavior: A Broader Perspective". For further information see http://www.cisab.indiana.edu/ABS/index.html or contact local host, MICHAEL PEREIRA [mpereira@bucknell.edu; 717-524-1430].
*THE VIII BRAZILIAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will be held in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil from 18-24 Jul 1999. Information about the meeting can be obtained from JORGE L.B. ALBUQUERQUE (albuquer@unisul.rct-sc.br), VIIICBO Chairman, or through our homepage: http://ultra.pucrs.br/museu/ornito
5th WORLD CONGRESS, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY (IALE), 29 Jul-3 Aug 1999, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA. The theme is "The Science and the Action." For information, e-mail iale@lamar.colostate.edu, see http://lamar.colostate.edu/~iale/Congress.htm, or fax: 970-491-2204.
*THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION will hold its 117th Stated Meeting at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 8-14 Aug 1999. For information on local arrangements contact DAVID WINKLER, Section of Ecology and Systematics, Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, e-mail: dww4@cornell.edu. For information on the Scientific Program contact PETER E. LOWTHER, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd at Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, e-mail: lowther@fmnh.org. Web page for meeting information being organized (http://www.fmnh.org/aou/aoupage.htm); information on Student Awards and Call for Papers available.
BIRD RINGING 100 YEARS-in order to celebrate the event an international scientific conference will be held at Ebeltoft, Denmark, 30 Sep-4 Oct 1999. The Conference is arranged by EURING, the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, and the National Environmental Research Institute, Kalo, Denmark. The conference will be held in English. For more information contact IB CLAUSAGER, National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Coastal Zone Ecology, Kalo, Grenavej 12, DK 8410 Ronde, Denmark (Ph: + 45 89 20 17 00; Fax: + 45 89 20 15 14; ic@dmu.dk). The First Announcement including registration details can be found on the Internet: <http://www.dmu.dk/news/birds.htm>.
THE VI NEOTROPICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will be convened by The Neotropical Ornithological Society for 4-10 Oct 1999 (note changed date) in Monterrey and Saltillo, Mexico. The local organizing committee is receiving inquiries on arrangements to hold symposia or other meetings that relate to the study and conservation of Neotropical avifauna. The Web site for the VI NOC, http://www-cestec1.mty.itesm.mx/VICON, will provide registration, abstract presentation and other details available or mail request to ERNESTO C. ENKERLIN, Chair of Organizing Committee: Centro de Calidad Ambiental; Sucursal de Correos J, Monterrey, NL 64849 MEXICO (Fax: 52(8)3596280; enkerlin@campus.mty.itesm.mx).
*BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL'S XXII WORLD CONFERENCE will be held 14-17 Oct 1999 and will be preceded by the BirdLife Global Partnership Meeting, both to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
SCALE AND ACCURACY FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT MODELING SYMPOSIUM, 18-22 Oct 1999, Snowbird, Utah, sponsored by Biological Resources Division of the USGS, US Forest Service, Potlatch Corporation, Boise Cascade Corporation, and the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society. For information contact KATHY MERK, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1141 (208-885-2750; kmerk@uidaho.edu).
*THE 23RD INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will be held in Beijing, China, on 11-17 August 2002. Information can be obtained via e-mail <infocenter@ioc.org.cn>, via the internet at <http://www.ioc.org.cn>, or via the home page of the 22nd congress at <http://www.ioc.org.za>. It will be possible to register and to submit abstracts via the internet. The following are contact addresses of people responsible for the 23rd Congress in Beijing. Professor XU WEISHU, Secretary-General of the 23rd Congress, Beijing Natural History Museum, 1-1-302, Beijing Science and Technology Commission Apt., Balizhuang, Haidian District, Beijing 100037, CHINA. (Phone & Fax: + 86-10-6846-5605; e-mail <s-g@ioc.org.cn>). The Honorable LIU FENG, Assistant Secretary-General of the 23rd Congress, China International Conference Center for Science and Technology, Xueyuan Nan Road, Beijing 100081, CHINA. (Phone: + 86-10-6217-4952; Fax: +86-10-6218-0142; e-mail <liufeng@public.bta.net.cn>). Requests to be included on the mailing list for brochures and for information on the 23rd Congress should be sent to the Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General of the 23rd Congress. All inquiries about the scientific program of the 23rd congress, as well as comments and suggestions for the general program, plenary lectures, and symposia should be sent to Dr. FERNANDO SPINA, Chair, Scientific Program Committee, 23rd Congress, Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica, Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, I-40064 Ozzano Emilia (BO), ITALY (Phone: +39-51-65-12-111; Fax: +39-51-79-66-28; e-mail <infsioc@iperbole.bologna.it>). General questions and comments should be sent to Dr. WALTER J. BOCK, President of the 23rd Congress, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, Mail Box 5521, New York, NY 10027-7004, USA. (Phone: +1-212-854-4487; Fax: 1-212-865-8246; e-mail: <wb4@columbia.edu>). Inquiries about the International Ornithological Committee should be sent to Dr. DOMINIQUE G. HOMBERGER, Secretary of the International Ornithological Committee, Department of Biological Sciences, 508 Life Sciences Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-1715, USA. Phone: +1-504-388-1747; Fax: +1-504-388-2597; e-mail <zodhomb@lsu.edu>.
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GREG BUTCHER, the former head of the American Birding Association has become editor of Birder's World Magazine. His new address is: Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53186-4055 (414-798-6584; Fax: 414-798-6468; gbutcher@birdersworld.com; http://www.birdersworld.com).
JOHN F. CAVITT recently started a postdoc in the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Montana working with Tom Martin. His new address is: Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 (406-243-6007; Fax: 406-243-6064; jcavitt@selway.umt.edu).
SOPHIE CALME has accepted a position as associate professor at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. She will be part of the Department of Terrestrial Ecology and Systematics. ECOSUR, Conservacion de la Biodiversidad, Zona Industrial No. 2, Carr. Bacalar-Chetumal, C.P. 77000, Chetumal, Q.Roo, Mexico (ph:983-21666; fax: 983-20447; scalme@ecosur-qroo.mx).
DAN FROEHLICH has taken over the position of MAPS Program Coordinator and Bander Training Program Director for the Institute for Bird Populations at Point Reyes in California. His new addresses are: Institute for Bird Populations, P.O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 (415-663-1436; Fax: 415-663-9482; dfroehlich@birdpop.org).
TODD HASS recently started a postdoc in the Zoology Department at the University of Washington working with Julia Parrish. They are establishing a long-term, volunteer-based beached bird survey program for the outer coast of Washington State. His new address is: Zoology Department, Box 351800, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800 (206-616-2791; thass@u.washington.edu).
PETE MARRA has accepted a postdoctoral fellowship with Russ Greenberg at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. His new address is the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington DC 20008 (202-673-4790; pmarra@nzp.si.edu).
HANS PEETERS' painting of a Golden eagle, commissioned by the highly effective Mexican conservation organization Agrupacion Sierra Madre, was made into a limited edition print and into a postage stamp by the Mexican Postal Service. He was honored at first cancellation ceremonies in early October in Zacatecas.
W. DOUGLAS ROBINSON and TARA R. ROBINSON have moved to the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5414, where Douglas has accepted a faculty position. They can be reached by phone (334-844-9219) or e-mail (Douglas: wdrobins@acesag.auburn.edu; Tara: songwren@pop.life.uiuc.edu).
MARGARET RUBEGA and CHRIS ELPHICK have left the University of Nevada, Reno, for the University of Connecticut. Their new address is : Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UConn, 75 North Eagleville Rd., U-43, Storrs, CT 06269 (rubega@uconnvm.uconn.edu, 860-486-4502; elphick@uconnvm.uconn.edu, 860-486-4547; fax for both is 860-486- 6364).
FRED C. SCHAFFNER resigned his position as Director of Science and Technology at Universidad Metropolitana, in July 1998 to accept the position of Deputy Director, Office of Federal and External Affairs, Office of the President, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 364984, San Juan, PR 00936-4984 (787-765-5955x 2055, 2015; F_SCHAFFNER@UPR1.UPR.CLU.EDU). His home and personal e-mail addresses remain unchanged.
JENNIFER SEAVEY has recently accepted a position with Michael P. Williams Consulting, Inc in Seattle, Washington. Jennifer received her Master's degree from the U. of Washington has been doing seabird research until accepting this position. Current contact info: Michael P. Williams Consulting, Inc. 1000 Lenora St, Suite 510, Seattle, WA 98121 (206-623-3280; seavey@seanet.com
WAYNE E. THOGMARTIN is now in the doctoral program with Southern Illinois University's Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab. His new address is: Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab., Southern Illinois University, Mailcode 6504, Carbondale, IL 62901 (W 618.453.5495; EM wthogma@siu.edu)
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THE FLOCK - SPECIAL SECTION
THE FLOCK, the 1997 Membership directory of all six OSNA societies was mailed in June 1997. Please check your listing (especially your e-mail address). To correct your address in the membership database please send the new information to the OSNA Business Office at Allen Press, P.O. Box 1897, Lawrence, KS 66044-8897 (913-843-1221; fax 913-843-1274; osna@allenpress.com). To alert your colleagues of your new address information contact the Ornithological Newsletter Editor, CHERYL L. TRINE (address below).
CHANGES/ADDITIONS:
BOWMAN, REED. EM: rbowman@archbold-station.org
GIBSON, DANIEL D. EM: fnddg@uaf.edu
JOHNSON, OSCAR W. EM:owjplovers@montana.campuscw.net
LITTLE, RANDOLPH S. EM: RSL@WORLDNET.ATT.NET
MCGOWAN, KEVIN J. FX: 607-257-1720.
MORRISON, MICHAEL L. EM: wildmlm@worldnet.att.net
RAPHAEL, MARTIN G. EM: mraphael/r6pnw_olympia@fs.fed.us
ROEDEL, MICHAEL D. Montana Natural Heritage Program, 1515 East Sixth Avenue, Helena, MT 59620. PH: 406-444-3655; EM: mroedel@nris.state.mt.us
RUBEGA, MARGARET. EM: rubega@uconnvm.uconn.edu
SHELDON, FRED. PH: 225-388-2887; EM: fsheld@lsu.ed
SLADEN, FRED W. PH: 603-526-4321; EM: wintours@mail.tds.net
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