Ornithological Societies of North America

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NUMBER 141, April 2001

INDEX

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

ORGANIZATION NEWS

VISIT THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF NORTH AMERICA:
OSNA - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OSNA/index.html
AOU - http://www.aou.org
AFO - http://www.afonet.org/index.html
COS - http://www.cooper.org/
WS - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/CWS/index.html
RRF - http://biology.boisestate.edu/raptor
WOS - http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/birds/wos.html
BIRDNET - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/index.html

MARCIA BRADY TUCKER TRAVEL AWARDS were granted to 45 outstanding students to help defray expenses for transportation to the 118th stated meeting of the AOU in St. John's, Newfoundland, 14-19 Aug 2000. The AOU Student Awards Committee is pleased to announce this year's winners: MARINA ANCIAES, Univ. Kansas, "Fluctuating assymetry as indicator of fragmentation effects in passerine birds from Brazilian tropical forests." JENNIFER M. ARNOLD, Univ. Mass. Boston, "The basis for seasonal changes in reproductive success: an experimental study of the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)." BARBARA BALLENTINE, Auburn Univ., "Female mate choice in relation to structural plumage coloration in Blue Grosbeaks." SUSANNE C. BARD, Univ. Washington, "Can a Neotropical suboscine discriminate between conspecifics during song playback?" KIMBERLY S. BOSTWICK, Univ. Kansas, "Sexual selection for mechanical sounds associated with wing shape evolution in three independent clades of manakins (Pipridae)." GRACE BOTTITTA, Trent Univ., "The influence of body condition on incubation constancy by arctic Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) nesting on South Hampton Island." KIMBERLY B. BRAND, Univ. South Florida, "Mass loss in breeding Florida Scrub-jays." CHRIS BUTLER, Cornell Univ., "Possible effects of climate change on spring arrival dates of migratory birds in the northeastern United States." PAUL A. CALLO, Univ. Maryland, "The genetic distribution model of avian nest defense." BETH CHRISTMAN, Cornell Univ., "Juvenile dispersal and family formation in the Bridled Titmouse." ALISON L. CHUBB, Univ. Calif. Berkeley, "A molecular phylogeny of avian orders based on the nuclear ZENK gene." MARIO COHN-HAFT, Louisiana State Univ., "Vocal and DNA sequence variation and phylogeography of Amazonian Hemitriccus flycatchers." KERRI CORNELL, Villanova Univ., "Hatching success and nestling sex ratio in a chickadee hybrid zone." MATTHEW EVANS, Simon Fraser Univ., "Natural cavity use by Barrow's Goldeneye and Bufflehead in British Columbia, and a comparison to nest box usage." TINA L. FLEISCHER, Univ. South Florida, "Egg rejection in the absence of selection in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)." ANDREW D. GIVEN, Univ. Toronto, "Extra-pair fertilizations in the Red-billed Gull." REBECCA J. HARRIS, Tufts Univ., "Territorial movements of a forest songbird into clearcuts and across logging roads in response to two playback methods." PATRICK HART, Univ. Hawaii, "What is limiting the population size of endangered 'Akepa in a Hawaiian rainforest?" JORDAN O. KARUBIAN, Univ. Chicago, "Evolution of delayed plumage maturation in the Red-backed Fairy Wren." JAMES S. KELLAM, Purdue Univ., "Potential costs of pair bond maintenance during the non-breeding season in Downy Woodpeckers." MICHELLE KISSLING, Univ. Idaho, "A spatial analysis of bald eagle nests and associated landscape features." DANIEL A. KLUZA, Univ. Kansas, "Differences in response to habitat disturbance at the center and edge of geographic range." JEREMY W. LICHSTEIN, North Carolina State Univ., "Autoregressive models of songbird habitat use in managed southern Appalachian forests: landscape effects and spatial autocorrelation." WAN-CHUN LIU, Univ. Mass., "Dawn singing patterns in Chipping Sparrows signal dominance relationships among close neighbors." NANCY A. MAHONY, Univ. British Columbia, "Demographic variation in Brewer's Sparrows at the northern edge of their range." HEATHER MCGUIRE, Louisiana State Univ., "Evaluating the Great White Heron's taxonomic status using microsatellite genetic markers." CELIA MCLAREN, Univ. Manitoba, "Patterns of multiple parasitism on Song Sparrows by Brown-headed Cowbirds." JASON A. MOBLEY, Univ. Calif. Berkeley, "Molecular phylogenetics, historical ecology, and the evolution of nest building in kingbirds and their allies (Aves: Tyrannidae)." BONNIE NIELSEN, Univ. Idaho, "Nesting success of a Hawaiian honeycreeper along an altitudinal gradient of culicine mosquitoes." LESLEY EVANS OGDEN, Simon Fraser Univ., "Scopes and isotopes: comparing two methods for identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing winter shorebird habitat in the Fraser River Delta." JONATHAN M. OLSON, Univ. Quebec-Montreal, "The fall migratory behavior of the Greater Snow Goose in southern Quebec." TARA A. PATON, Univ. Toronto, "Evidence from complete mitochondrial genome sequences for the phylogenetic placement of the sandgrouse." LUIS MIGUEL REINO, Technical Univ. Lisbon, "Modeling the distribution of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio in northern Portugal." MICHAEL G. RUSCIO, Cornell Univ., "Effects of female behavior on male mate choice in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)." MATTHEW D. SHAWKEY, Univ. South Florida, "Proximate causes of brood reduction in Florida Scrub-jays in suburban habitats." ROBERT J. SMITH, Univ. S. Mississippi, "Migratory condition and its influence on reproductive performance in American Redstarts." ROBERT D. STARK, Ohio State Univ., "Are cues for individual recognition encoded in woodpecker drums?" SABRINA TAYLOR, Dalhousie Univ., "Humboldt Penguin foraging patterns: identifying conflicts with commercial fisheries." JOSE TELLO, Univ. Illinois-Chicago, "Molecular phylogenetics of the genus Platyrinchus (Aves, Tyrannidae): Preliminary results." TODD T. TRACY, Colorado State Univ., "Brightly colored male House Finches sing fewer syllable types." TODD J. UNDERWOOD, Univ. Manitoba, "Can Warbling Vireos grasp-eject Brown-headed Cowbird eggs? A test of bill-size constraints and the evolutionary equilibrium hypothesis." MEGAN L. WHITMAN, Univ. Rhode Island, "Quantifying body condition of songbirds at a stopover site during autumn migration." BARBARA J. WILSON, Univ. Rhode Island, "Diet preferences and nutrient storage in migratory Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceous)." BONNIE E. WOOLFENDEN, York Univ., "Sex, lies and genotypes: the mating system of the Brown-headed Cowbird." HEATHER L. ZIEL, Univ. Maine, "Single paternity of clutches in American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)."

AOU PRESENTATION AWARDS were given to three students for excellence in the rigor and quality of their scientific paper at the 118th stated meeting of the AOU in St. John's, Newfoundland, 14-19 Aug 2000. These unranked awards were presented to the winners at the annual banquet. The NELLIE JOHNSON BAROODY AWARD was given to JORDAN O. KARUBIAN, Univ. Chicago, for his presentation entitled, "Evolution of delayed plumage maturation in the Red-backed Fairy Wren." The two AOU COUNCIL AWARDS were given to: JEFFREY E. BRADLEY, Univ. Washington, "Mice as predators of bird nests;" and MARIO COHN-HAFT, Louisiana State Univ., "Vocal and DNA-sequence variation and phylogeography of Amazonian Hemitriccus flycathers."

MARC BECHARD will be ending his term as Editor of the Journal of Raptor Research with Volume 35, Issue #2 of 2001. All new manuscript submissions should be addressed to the new editor JAMES BEDNARZ, Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, P.O. Box 599, State University, AR 72467 U.S.A.

STUDENT TRAVEL AND PRESENTATION AWARDS FOR THE 119th AOU MEETING: Limited funding is available from the AOU to help defray travel expenses (transportation only) for students attending the American Ornithologists' Union meeting in Seattle, Washington, 15-18 Aug 2001. Students presenting an oral or poster paper may also be eligible for one of three AOU Presentation Awards. Detailed instructions for submitting an application for either a travel award or a presentation award are posted on the AOU Program Coordinator's homepage at: http://www.fmnh.org/aou/aoupage.htm. Deadline for receipt of all applications is 4 May 2001. Questions may be directed to DR. PETER MARRA (EM: marra@serc.si.edu)

NOMINATIONS FOR AOU OFFICERS AND ELECTIVE COUNCILORS must be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting, i.e. by 16 May 2001. Contact Secretary M. ROSS LEIN for more information: mrlein@ucalgary.ca

AOU FELLOWS AND ELECTIVE MEMBERS ARE REMINDED that ballots for Elective Members must be returned to the Secretary by 25 July 2001. The deadline for nominations for EMs and Fellows has already passed. Newly-elected ELECTIVE MEMBERS will be announced at the Business Meeting of Members (16 Aug 2001) at the 119th Stated Meeting at the University of Washington. In early July 2001, FELLOWS will be sent balloting and other information related to their upcoming meeting (15 Aug 2001 at the University of Washington), during which they elect new Fellows and conduct other business. Contact Secretary M. ROSS LEIN for more information: mrlein@ucalgary.ca

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NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

LEAD POISONING STILL A PROBLEM FOR WILD CALIFORNIA CONDORS-From Mar and Jun 2000, five free-flying condors died in Arizona. Four were confirmed lead poisonings and the fifth was unrecovered. The remaining 16 birds were trapped and tested. Nine of the birds were treated for lead poisoning. Four birds still had gun shot pellets in their system. The birds were treated and re-released and are now being carefully monitored. (Excerpted from "Condor News", USFWS.)

SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHER SURVEY TRAINING WORKSHOP, 19-20 May 2001 . Kern River Preserve, Weldon, Kern Co., California. Topics include: identification, vocalizations, basic biology, survey protocol and permitting requirements. The workshop fee is $125 non-students; $25 students. Workshop attendance is limited to 40 people. For reservations and additional information, please contact: MARY J. WHITFIELD, P.O. Box 1316, Weldon, CA 93283 (PH: 760-378-2402, EM: wifl@lightspeed.net).

THE TEXAS ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY now publishes a biannual magazine, Texas Birds, containing essays and articles on identification, distribution, birding locations, book and product reviews as they relate to Texas and northeast Mexico as well as other articles of interests on topics which may directly affect changes in the status of the avifauna of the state. TOS also publishes the Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society 2-3 times yearly. Members receive both publications as well as TOS Newsletters and other items as they are published. We also solicit articles and papers on topics relevant to Texas. For more information regarding TOS membership or TOS publications please visit our website at: http://www.texasbirds.org or contact BRUSH FREEMAN, TOS Publications Chair at, Brush@onr.com.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIRD OBSERVATORY is the new name for the Colorado Bird Observatory. This change has been made to better reflect the mission: the "conservation of Rocky Mountain and Great Plains birds," not just those of Colorado. RMBO's contact information is: 14500 Lark Bunting Land, Brighton, CO 80601 (PH: 303-659-4348, URL: http://www.rmbo.org, EM: staff email address can be simply converted by replacing "@cbobirds.org" with "@rmbo.org").

INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL PROGRAM MARK WORKSHOP, 4-8 Jun 2001, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Supported by the Wildlife Management Institute. This intermediate-level workshop will provide quantitative biologists and statisticians with the statistical background to understand the main-stream analyses performed by Program MARK, and the familiarity with the program to perform these analyses. A mixture of lectures and laboratory exercises will be provided. The clientele for this workshop are biologists with past experience in the analysis of data from marked animals. This is not a workshop for beginners to this subject. Cost for the 1-week workshop is $1,000. Details of the workshop are provided at http://www.cnr.colostate.edu/~gwhite/mark/workshops.htm.

OPERATION RUBYTHROAT: THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT http://www.rubythroat.org. Everybody loves hummingbirds, and these tiny feathered dynamos can be used to help students learn about science, math, geography, culture, and virtually any academic discipline. Operation RubyThroat is an award-winning cross-disciplinary project in which participants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Central America collaborate to study behavior and distribution of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). K-12 teachers and students especially are invited to participate in this Web-based project. The Operation RubyThroat Web site is the most comprehensive one available about hummingbird natural history and hummingbird banding and research. The project is an outreach initiative of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History near York, South Carolina, USA (http://www.hiltonpond.org).

RECENT CRITICISMS by Animal Rights groups plus a desire to enhance professionalism in zoo keepers led the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums to cooperate with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to develop and deliver a modestly priced, distance-delivered Zoo Technology Program. This Certificate Program, designed to train entry level zoo keepers contains individual courses of value to anyone involved in maintaining captive animals. If you have people maintaining your research animals they may find value in such courses as Behavior and Breeding, Workplace Skills, Communications for Zookeeepers, Sanitation and Safety, or Animal Health and Veterinarian Support. For an information package on the Zoo Technology Program e-mail cabbott@nait.ab.ca or write CAROLYNN ABBOTT, Continuing Education, L001 NAIT, 11762 - 106 Street, Edmonton, CANADA, T5G 2R1.

NORAC (North American Ornithological Atlas Committee) now has a website hosted by the American Birding Association: http://americanbirding.org/programs/cons/atlas.htm. Contents include the Proceedings of the meeting held prior to the AOU Conference at Cornell in August 1999, with recommendations for repeat Atlases. States and provinces should check the site and let NORAC know of address and other updates for their information. Send corrections to SALLY LAUGHLIN (Co-Chair), PO Box 157, Cambridge, VT 05444 or to laughlin@sover.net. Contents of the site include: Purpose of the North American Ornithological Atlas Committee (NORAC), History, Officers, Proceedings of th 1999 NORAC Conference at Cornell, Upcoming meetings, NORAC Committees, Handbook for Atlasing North American Breeding Birds (standards prepared in 1990), Breeding Bird Atlas Contacts in North America (States and Provinces), Published Atlases in North America and Europe.

ABSEARCH, Inc. provides 11 natural resources databases including Ornithology which provides 19, 900+ records with abstracts for all articles published in Auk, Ornith. Monogr., Condor, Studies in Avian Biol., Wilson Bul., J. of Field Ornith. (1955-present) and J. of Raptor Res. (1945-present). ABSEARCH databases are available on CD-ROM or Online. Visit our web site for a free guest trial and ordering information. Please call with any questions!

BIRDZILLA.COM (http://www.birdzilla.com) has recently made the Bent series of Life Histories of North American Birds available on-line. The entire 24 volume set was scanned and OCR'd with greater than 99% accuracy. The information is available by species in the Wild Bird Omnibus section of the Birdzilla.com Web site.

THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA is Almost Done! We have completed publication through Volume 14 of the 18 volume series. Nearly 100 manuscripts are in hand in various stages of production--Volume 15 & 16 should be complete this year as scheduled. The last two volumes are scheduled for 2002. Check out the website http://www.birdsofna.org for updated publication information. The contributions of BNA authors have been astounding. Simply put, you have made this landmark series happen. We thank you! Well over 700 authors have contributed to the series. Many BNA authors and coauthors have done more than one profile: 2 (73); 3 (47); 4 (10); 5 (8); 6 (7); 7 (1); 8 (3); and 18!!, the champion PETER LOWTHER. BNA authors interested in helping to complete the few remaining accounts should contact the editor, ALAN POOLE (poole@birdsofna.org). Attention Authors! Final deadlines for sending in the final accounts is near at hand. In order to process the last accounts in time for publication next year, BNA will need all outstanding accounts in the door asap. Authors who think they will have trouble submitting their manuscript this year should contact the BNA editorial office right away, (215-567-1195). If you are still fine-tuning your first drafts, please cut them loose. Let us help you. And there will be lots of time in the review process to make final changes. Last Chance to Buy! A limited number of First Editions of BNA are available. Over 2,000 subscriptions have been sold; only a few hundred remain. If you know of a library, bird club, or individual wishing to purchase a copy, please let them know that time is running out. We can send you a packet of promotional information including sample profiles that you can forward to the librarian with your endorsement. PATRICIA WARNER is eager to help you: PH: 215-567-1170 EM: warner@birdsofna.org. Thanks again for bringing this project in on schedule. Frank B. Gill

NORTH AMERICAN GROUSE PARTNERSHIP--a new organization incorporated in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation for the purpose of promoting the conservation of grouse and the landscapes they require for continued existence as viable components of their ecosystems--invites membership by anyone who desires to support its objectives. Primary emphasis will focus on western grassland and shrub-steppe species, Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Gunnison and Greater Sage-Grouse, and associated avian species. Structured as a national and international organization, the Grouse Partnership works at the grass-roots level through semi-autonomous state and provincial chapters, each tailoring its activities to meet the needs of local and statewide conservation goals, and through cooperation with other organizations and agencies with allied interests. Open to anyone with a concern for grouse and their habitats, contact the Treasurer, CLEE SEALING, 1670 N. 1/2 Road, Fruita, CO 81521 (EM: sealingc@acsol.net) for further information and membership application. Memberships start at $35 per year and include subscription to Grouse Partnership News.

SALT MARSH SPARROW SYMPOSIUM to be held in Nov. 2002 at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel Maryland. This elite group of specialized birds faces myriad environmental challenges. Some of these challenges are natural, such as living in a salty environment and adapting to regular tidal fluctuations and storm surges. Other challenges are human caused, such as draining and ditching of marshlands, the rise of sea levels, and the incursion of alien species. This conference will shine a spotlight on this unique North American group of species and subspecies. Topics include but are not limited to the behavioral, morphological, and physiological adaptations of sparrows to coastal marsh habitat, population status and monitoring, population genetics and evolutionary history, and impacts of human activity on local populations. Papers on related species and subspecies will be considered if they provide insight into the biology and conservation of their salt marsh relatives. A few more general review papers on the status of tidal wetlands and their avifauna will also be entertained. We hope to synthesize the current understanding of life history patterns of subspecies and species adapted to coastal marshes, move toward a coordinated monitoring effort among salt marshes along all the coasts, define conservation needs, and brainstorm about future conservation efforts. Studies in Avian Biology has indicated preliminary interest in publishing the conference proceedings. To aid us in establishing a tentative table of contents for the proceedings and schedule for the conference, please contact RUSS GREENBERG at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (EM: antbird@erols.com, PH: 202-673-4908). Please specify potential topics you would like to contribute or see contributed, and whether you are interested in publishing your work in the proceedings. We will be putting out a formal call for abstracts (which will be reviewed) in the coming months. Individuals interested in receiving updates on the meeting as well as participating in ongoing discussions related to the ecology, conservation, and monitoring of this group can do so by sending a blank email to: join-mire@rana.er.usgs.gov.

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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.

APPLY FOR PERMITS EARLY - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit biologists have asked OC to remind ornithologists to apply for their research permits as far in advance as possible. An increasing workload that has not been matched by an increase in staff has made it more difficult to process permits rapidly. Some ornithologists (and especially graduate students) wait until the late spring to apply for permits for research that is planned to start in a few weeks. If you haven't already filed your permit application, move it to the top of your priority list.

CLINTON SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER to enhance migratory bird protection; fate under bush administration unclear - On 10 Jan 2001, President Clinton signed an Executive Order 13186 proscribing the responsibilities of federal agencies to protect migratory birds. The Executive Order resulted from several years of effort by numerous conservation organizations that were concerned about two federal court cases holding that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not apply to federal agencies. A subsequent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director's Order implementing those two decisions was further cause for concern. The Executive Order does not expressly state that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is applicable to the federal government. Instead, it cites all the laws that are intended to further bird conservation in the U.S. - the MBTA, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act - as support for the premise that federal agencies are required to consider the effects of their actions on birds. The device used to promote this responsibility takes the form of a required Memorandum of Understanding between each federal agency whose actions have, or are likely to have, a measurable negative effect on migratory bird populations, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The MOU shall promote the conservation of migratory bird populations. The Executive Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an interagency Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds (Council) to oversee the implementation of the order. It is not known if the Bush administration will retain this Executive Order and pursue this policy and these actions. The Bush administration has stated that it, like all new administrations, will review the Executive Orders of prior administrations and will take such action as it feels appropriate. The full text of the Executive Order can be found on BIRDNET at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OC/experthelp/MBTA_fed.html.

INVASIVE SPECIES PLAN ISSUED - On 20 Jan 2001, the National Invasive Species Council completed the National Invasive Species Management Plan. The NISC was established pursuant to Executive Order 13112, which charged this inter-agency council to develop a plan to prevent and control invasive species to minimize their economic, ecological and human health impacts. The Council is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce and the Interior; and includes the Departments of State, Transportation, the Treasury and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Plan seeks to address invasive species in the areas of prevention, coordination, control, rapid response, monitoring, and information sharing. The draft plan was published in Oct 2000 for public comment. The final version of the Plan, which recommends a significant research effort, does not estimate or recommend funding levels for implementation. The Plan is available at http://www.invasivespecies.gov/.

NEW NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WEBSITE ENHANCES OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE NATIONAL PARKS - The National Park Service has created an Internet-based site for its Research and Collecting Permits. The site covers all National Park Units in the United States. The web site is: http://science.nature.nps.gov/research. The web site has been designed to be a comprehensive location for researchers to: have the opportunity to review procedures, previous research efforts, policies, and conditional requirements before submitting a new proposal; search NPS-identified research preferences (the system is new and park staff may not provide this information for several months); complete and submit an application for a permit via the Internet; file required Investigator's Annual Reports via the Internet. The National Park Service looks forward to encouraging scientists, agencies, non-profits, and all researchers and research institutions to consider the U.S. National Parks as a good place for science that provides public benefits to all citizens. Editorial note from the Ornithological Council: We laud the National Park Service for this excellent website, which is one of many efforts underway by the NPS to encourage scientific research in the parks. Thanks to Tim Goddard, John Denis, and the NPS Research and Permit Team for their work in making the parks more accessible to scientists. Note that the database of research needs is very new, so it doesn't have much information yet, but we encourage scientists to check it frequently. Matching your research interests to the research needs of a park could help you get funding, and it could also help you get support resources from the park, along with easing the way to getting a permit. The National Park Service encourages feedback on this website.

PREVIEW OF BUSH BUDGET, EFFECTS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND AVIAN CONSERVATION - On 28 Feb 2001, the Bush Administration released its "blueprint" budget that identifies the spending levels for each department and agency. Little detail was provided in this document; the full, detailed budget is expected to be released on 4 Apr 2001. Administration officials state that the "top-line" figures (totals shown in the blueprint budget) are firm. The National Science Foundation is slated to receive $4.5 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), a $56 million increase from 2001. This level is more than $1 billion greater than 1998. Approximately $1.5 billion would go to new research and education awards in 2002; $200 million would kick off the President's Math and Science Partnership initiative to provide funds for States to join with institutions of higher education in strengthening math and science education in grades K-12. The requested sum is also intended to allow NSF to increase graduate stipends for the Graduate Research Fellowships, the Graduate Teaching Fellowships in K-12 Education, and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships programs. These funds will help attract the best students to pursue careers in science and engineering. For the Department of the Interior, the 2002 Budget provides DOI with $9.8 billion. This represents a four-percent reduction below 2001 but a 15-percent increase (almost $1.3 billion) over the 2000 level. With regard to the U.S. Geological Survey, no figure is given but the document states "The budget also proposes to better target many U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) activities. The self-stated performance goal of USGS is "to provide science for a changing world." DOI is examining ways to focus USGS on providing sound science to support the Department's land management agencies in their decision-making processes. Nothing is said about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, the National Park Service would get a "downpayment" to eliminate the NPS deferred maintenance backlog over five years in the amount of $440 million for non-road projects, a 30-percent increase over 2001. In addition to addressing deferred maintenance needs, the Administration will enhance natural resource protection in parks by strengthening science-based management through the Natural Resource Challenge. To fund this initiative, the budget increases NPS operations by $20 million to accelerate biological resource inventories, control non-native species, and preserve endangered and threatened species habitat on park lands. The budget proposes full funding of LWCF at $900 million starting in 2002 ($356 million over 2001), including $450 million for State and local conservation grants. The text in the budget document claims that, "over the next four years, the Administration will request more LWCF funds than provided during any other Administration."

THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE AGREEMENT to NAFTA created the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, which, among other things, has authority to hear and decide questions about enforcement of environmental laws by the three NAFTA countries (Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.). In 1999, The Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Center for International Environmental Law, and others submitted a complaint (technically known as a "submission") to the CEC that the United States is failing to enforce its Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) effectively. The particular allegations involved logging. They claimed that the U.S. should not be allowing logging without issuing permits under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They clam that the U.S. has deliberately refused to apply the MBTA to logging and that the USFWS even has a policy that no enforcement or investigative action should be taken in incidents involving logging operations that result in the taking of non-endangered, non-threatened migratory birds and/or their nests. On 15 Dec, the NACEC Secretariat (professional staff who implement initiatives and conduct research in core program areas on topics pertaining to the North American environment, environmental law and standards, and other environment/trade issues, in addition to processing citizen submissions on enforcement matters) decided that a factual record is warranted. Development of a factual record in essence, means further inquiry by the NACEC, which would ultimately lead to a determination of the claim. The Secretariat has not yet released its rationale for this recommendation. That document will be released once the Council (the NACEC's governing body) has made its decision on whether or not to instruct the Secretariat to prepare a factual record. It is now up to the Council to determine if a factual record should be prepared. For further information, please consult: http://www.cec.org/citizen/guides_registry/registryview.cfm?&varlan=english&submissionID= 56.

CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT ACT REINTRODUCED - On 14 Feb 2001, Rep.DonYoung (R-AK) and Rep.John Dingell (D-MI) reintroduced the Conservation and Reinvestment Act as HR 701 (the reintroduction was timed so the bill would have the same number as that introduced in the 106^th Congress) in the 107^th Congress. The bill is essentially the same as the bill that passed the House last year, but that stalled in the Senate. The most important of the bill's nine titles is Title III, which, through increased Pittman-Robertson funding, reinvests the development of nonrenewable resources - specifically, offshore gas and oil exploration - into a renewable resource of wildlife conservation and education. This new source of funding will nearly double the Federal funds available for wildlife conservation. Title VII of the bill would provide permanent funding for an incentives program to promote the recovery of endangered species and threatened species and the habitat upon which they depend. This Title would provide funds to implement actions identified under approved recovery plans that have the greatest potential for contributing to the recovery of an endangered or threatened species and, to the extent practicable, require use of the assistance on land owned by a small landowner. For further information, visit http://www.teaming.com/.

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REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION--Franconia Notch, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, has recently been shown to be an area of intense bird migrations (Auk, Spring 2001). The Town of Franconia is drafting an ordinance for communication tower construction with the aim of minimizing the danger of such towers to wildlife including migratory birds. The town hopes to complete the draft ordinance this spring. If you know of any studies of the effects of guy wires, lighting, height, location, type of tower construction or other information that might be relevant for such an ordinance this information would be greatly appreciated. Please send citations, reprints and unpublished information to TIMOTHY C. WILLIAMS, Department of Biology Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore PA 19081. (EM: twillia1@swarthmore.edu).

PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS (Pluvialis fulva) have been banded on Oahu, HI; Johnston Atoll; and near Nome, AK; and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS (P. dominica) near Nome, AK. Each bird wears a FWS metal band plus some combination of color bands or color flags. Observers are asked to note the colors and exact sequence of all bands or flags on the bird. It is important to record which leg carries the particular color(s) and, where used together, whether the color band is above or below the metal band. Sightings are possible over vast areas including the insular Pacific, Pacific coast, portions of South and Central America, prairie regions of the U.S. and Canada, Alaska, and northeastern Russia. Please send observations with as much information as possible to OSCAR JOHNSON, Dept. Biol., Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT 59717 (406-994-4548, FAX 406-994-3190, email owjohnson2105@aol.com) or PHILLIP BRUNER, Nat. Sci. Div., BYU-Hawaii, Laie, HI 96762 (PH: 808-293-3820, FX: 808-293-3825, EM: brunerp@BYUH.edu).

ILLUSTRATOR WANTED for children's book (fiction) that features birds of Africa and North America. Contact: MIRANDA HENNING, 22 Captain's Way, Falmouth, ME 04105 (207-878-8117, EM: mhenning@arcadis-us.com

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS (Pluvialis squatarola) have been banded near Nome, AK. We ask that observers along the Pacific coast be alert to possible sightings of these birds during spring migration. Each bird wears a FWS metal band plus two color bands on one leg, and a single color band on the opposite leg. It is important that we know the exact combination of color(s) carried on each leg. Please send observations with as much information as possible to OSCAR JOHNSON, Dept. Biol., Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT 59717 (406-994-4548, FAX 406-994-3190, email owjohnson2105@aol.com) or PHILLIP BRUNER, Nat, Sci. Div., BYU-Hawaii, Laie, HI 96762 (PH:808-293-3820, FX 808-293-3825, EM: brunerp@BYUH.edu).

SONGBIRD COLLABORATORS SOUGHT--Joe Phelps, a PhD candidate at Purdue University, is seeking feather samples from indigo buntings, gray catbirds, Acadian flycatchers, and eastern phoebes. Birds of any age are suitable for providing samples. Samples will be used in a study of natal dispersal. An agreement with the Bird Banding Lab will allow collection by any person with a current banding permit who agrees ahead of time to attempt to collect for this project. If you are likely to be handling these species, and would be willing to volunteer, or if you would like more information, please contact JOE PHELPS at jphelps@fnr.purdue.edu or (765) 494-5040 .

WANTED: WRITING PROJECTS or FIELD WORK. I am moving to the central lower peninsula of Michigan in May and will be available to provide field assistance to anyone working in that area or to offer my writing and editing skills or Access database development and management, even to those outside the area who are willing to work by phone and Email. I have eight years of experience in avian monitoring (primarily loons and songbirds, but also raptors and colonial waterbirds), a Master's degree in Conservation Biology, and an intense interest in staying up to date on work in these areas. I have excellent library research skills (and will have access to the library at Central Michigan University), and I am skilled in translating technical papers into something digestible by the lay person. I have published articles in both the popular press and professional journals and am currently the editor of the North American Loon Fund newsletter, "The Loon Call." Anyone interested in discussing project ideas, contract work, or even more long term employment, please contact me by mail (Tgostomski@northland.edu) or by phone at (715/682-1220) before 30 April.

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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://birds.cornell.edu/OSNA/ornjobs.htm. This job list is edited approximately once a week. Consequently, submissions can be made at any time, and advertisements are maintained until 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.

A LISTSERVE SERVICE has been set up at Cornell University. Subscribers to this list will receive the new job announcements on a regular basis. These are the same announcements as will appear on-line. To subscribe send the following message to: listproc@cornell.edu, "subscribe BirdJobs-L your name". When sending your message, please send using the "plain text only" format option and be sure to include your name in the message. You leave by sending to listproc@cornell.edu "unsubscribe BirdJobs-L".

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GRANTS AND AWARDS

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. For information on continuing grants programs relevant to ornithological research, visit the new electronic home of the Grants, Awards, and Prizes booklet: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/Grants/index.html.

THE MORLEY NELSON FELLOWSHIP is an annual stipend awarded by the Conservation Research Foundation to honor Morlan W. Nelson's outstanding contributions to raptor management and conservation. The purpose of this award is to support work reflecting the multi-faceted career of Morley Nelson. Priority will be given to applicants in raptor research, management, and conservation, who might use the stipend to supplement or attract other funding. One or more stipends for up to $600 could be awarded each year, and could extend more than one year. The criteria for this Fellowship are broad and not restricted to raptor research; anything bearing on the conservation of raptors will be considered, such as habitat issues, education, cinematography, etc. Please send 3 copies of a brief proposal (4 pages, including a 1-page personal resume) outlining goals, objectives, and expected results/products of the study or activity, names of 3 references, total budget, and other sources of support. Send by 1 Oct to WILLIAM G. MATTOX, Conservation Research Foundation, 8300 Gantz Ave., Boise, ID 83709.

BREWSTER AND COUES AWARDS. Nominations are invited for the Brewster and Coues Awards for 2001. 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 work on birds of the Western Hemisphere published in the last ten years. The Coues Award is for work that has had a major impact on ornithology in the Western Hemisphere, and has no time restriction. To qualify for the Brewster Award, the work must have been done entirely, or nearly so, on birds of the Western Hemisphere; for the Coues Award, the work may have been on birds anywhere in the world. 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. Each nomination must include (1) the name and institution of the nominee; (2) a written description of the contributions of the nominee to ornithology; and (3) a bibliography that documents these contributions. Please see The Auk (89: 436-438, 1972) for a description of the important differences in qualifications necessary for the Brewster Coues Awards. Nominations should be submitted by 15 May 2001 to: DR. JOHN W. FITZPATRICK, AOU President, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA (FX: 607-254-2415; email preferred: jwf7@cornell.edu).

THE LINCOLN PARK ZOO NEOTROPIC AND AFRICA/ASIA FUNDS support field research in conservation biology around the world. The Neotropic fund focuses on projects undertaken in Latin America and the Caribbean. The fund emphasizes the support of graduate students and other young researchers, particularly those from Latin America. Since 1986, the fund has awarded over 146 grants in 19 countries. The Africa/Asia fund, launched in 1997, focuses on projects throughout Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Each fund typically supports between five and ten projects annually, including project renewals for a second year. Most awards fall into the range of $3,000-$6,000. Initial support is for up to 12 months from the date of award, and the maximum duration of support is two years. The current deadline for receipt of Neotropic and Africa/Asia proposals is 1 Oct 2001. For additional information and application procedures go to http://www.lpzoo.com/conservation, email conservation@lpzoo.org, or write to: LINCOLN PARK ZOO NF/AA FUNDS, Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614.

CANON FELLOWSHIPS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE NATIONAL PARKS - The NPS Social Science Program coordinates the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program. The objective is to encourage the best and brightest graduate students in all relevant scientific disciplines to conduct important research in the parks. Each year, the program awards scholarships to doctoral students to support student research in the national parks. Canon U.S.A., Inc. has signed a 5-year, $2.5 million dollar agreement to support 32 Ph.D. students studying in the biological, physical, social and cultural sciences. Applications for the 2001 awards are due by 1 June 2001. The announcement and application can be found at http://www.nps.gov/socialscience/waso/01canon.pdf.

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PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE

INTERNATIONAL HAWKWATCHER (ISSN 1527-0319) is a new scientific journal devoted to original, previously unpublished raptor research. It is issued twice per year, in January and August, and receives an international distribution. Thus far, three numbers are available, with No. 4 scheduled to appear in Aug 2001. The general theme for that number is "raptor behavior." For additional details concerning the contents of the first three numbers, and cost, please contact editor and publisher DONALD S. HEINTZELMAN at dsh@early.com

UKRAINIAN JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY-- Visit home page of BERKUT, Ukrainian Journal of Ornithology: http://www.geocities.com/berkut_ua/berkut.htm. The journal publishes works about study and conservation of birds in North Eurasia (from Middle Europe to the Far East of Russia). You can read brief information about the journal, contents of all issues, summaries of all publications, selected papers, index of bird names.

THE NORTH AMERICAN LOON FUND announces the fifth publication in a series of proceedings on loons. The proceedings, "Loons: Old history and new findings," is a peer-reviewed compilation of 12 scientific papers presented on 15 Aug 1997 at the American Ornithologists' Union in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This proceedings also includes state by state status reports contributed by the representative organizations and agencies charged with loon conservation. A report covering Canada and the loon's North American status are also included. The proceedings co-editors are Judy McIntyre and David Evers. To order the proceedings, please send $15 to AMY CHABOT, North American Loon Fund, P.O. Box 329, Holderness, New Hampshire 03245. Orders can also be taken at LoonFund@hotmail.com.

"BIRD FLOCKS AND THE BREEDING CYCLE" by F. Fraser Darling. Blackburn Press. ISBN 1-930665-16-4 (paperback) 120pp $39. This book, first published in 1938 and here reprinted with a foreword by Dr. Michael Gochfeld of Rutgers University, is a classic. To the world at large in the mid-twentieth century, Frank Fraser Darling (1903-1979) was well known for his novel and aggressive conservation efforts, which cast him as one of the leading lights of new conservation initiatives and of new approaches to land-use planning and agricultural development in Britain, North America and Africa. Bird Flocks and the Breeding Cycle is known to a smaller coterie of ornithologists and behavioral ecologists. This book elaborated something quite novel, a comprehensive behavioral ecology principle linking environment, sociality, physiology, behavior, reproductive synchrony, predation and breeding success. What became known as the "Darling Effect", was elaborated on by researchers who over the next 60 years have both supported and rejected it, in each case refining the principle and establishing its boundaries. May be obtained from Blackburn Press: (http://www.blackburnpress.com), or through e.g. Amazon.com

"THE FEEDERWATCHER'S GUIDE TO BIRD FEEDING" by Margaret A. Barker and Jack Griggs, HarperResource, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. 250 color illustrations. 12 Dec 2000. ISBN: 006-273744-9. $13.95 . An up-to-date, modern handbook on backyard bird watching, it takes readers on an informative tour of North American backyards and birdfeeders, and brings together the information from people passionate about birds and bird feeding. This book is born of the highly successful program, Project FeederWatch, the grassroots program that enlists everyday bird watchers to report on the birds they see in their own backyards. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology compiles the data into the largest existing database on backyard birds. In this book, Margaret Barker, the coordinator of Project FeederWatch for over six years, and Jack Griggs, author of the highly acclaimed All The Birds of North America, have teamed up with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to publish the first four-color book to make use of these incredible resources. The FeederWatcher's Guide to Bird Feeding is divided into two comprehensive sections: Part one: "A attracting and feeding birds," and Part two, "Identifying Birds at Feeders," that describes every bird reported by more than one percent of FeederWatchers throughout the continent. Identifying marks are described for species that may often be confused. This beautifully laid out section includes illustrations and information that make identification easy. The text incorporates much information about birds developed from Project FeederWatch data and FeederWatchers' observations. For more information on Project FeederWatch, please see the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu.

"WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CUCKOOS AND TURACOS OF THE WORLD" by Johannes Erritzoe, 2000. Published by the author. 401 pp cloth with a CD ROM. $65.00. ISBN: 87-987835-0-5. This annotated bibliography brings 5,634 scientific references. It is the first bird-book bibliography with a CD ROM attached, which make it possible for the reader to choose between electronic search (Acrobat Reader) or to use the species and geographical index in the book. A list of keywords is given alphabetically as a help for using the CD ROM. The book also contains a list of 550 English vernacular names and their different scientific names. All scanned books, papers, periodicals and bibliographies are listed. For further information: http://www.birdresearch.dk. Books can be ordered by the author: (EM: erritzoe@altavista.net).

"FLORIDA'S FRAGILE WILDLIFE: CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT" by Don Wood, 2001. 240 pp. 30 b&w photos and maps. $39.95. Cloth. University Press of Florida. ISBN: 0-8130-1888-9. Orders:800-226-3822. This book examines more than 20 threatened species and, for each species, outlines the benefits of specific conservation initiatives and discusses how to implement them - a "how-to" menu of specific management techniques and research technologies. The author served for 20 years as endangered species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. You can read more about it, and see an image of the book's dust jacket at: http://www.upf.com/Spring2001/wood.html

"EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN OF FEATHERS"-- 16 papers plus the introduction and discussion in a 1999 SICB symposium organized by Paul F. A. Maderson and Dominique G. Homberger were published in the Sep 2000 issue of Amer. Zool. (Vol. 40, No. 4). Personal copies are $40 within the U.S. ($42 to Canada and Mexico and $45 to other countries). Contact: Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd., Suite 402, McLean, VA 22101.

BETTER BIRDWATCHING IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST ECOREGION. A CD-ROM Guide to Identifying and Finding Birds. $49.95. Better Birdwatching in the Mountain West provides comprehensive information about bird species found in the area above, known as the Mountain West Ecoregion. Over 1000 photos for 264 species, almost 600 video clips for over 200 species, almost 600 sounds for over 200 species, over 200 interactive quizzes, range maps for 474 species with lists of places where you can find them, a Bird checklists with travel & observation tips for over 200 parks & refuges. System Requirements: At least a 100 MHz processor, 16 MB of RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive, monitor capable of displaying 640 X 480 pixels and thousands/16 bit color. Microsoft® Windows: Pentium, Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT. Macintosh®: Power PC, System 7.5 or higher. For a sample demonstration of "Better Birdwatching in the Mountain West Ecoregion," or to order a copy, visit http://members.aol.com/birdcdroms or call (888) 414-2837.

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PERSONAL EXCHANGES

FOR SALE OR TRADE: Amer. Birds 1973-90 (complete set). Contact: DOUG FAULKNER, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, 14500 Lark Bunting Lane, Brighton, CO 80601 (EM: doug.faulkner@rmbo.org).

NEEDED: Journals and books for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's (formerly Colorado Bird Observatory) library at its new office. We are accepting donations and have a small number of duplicate journals (Auk, Condor, Conservation Biology, Journal of Field Ornithologists, Wilson Bulletin, and others) and books to trade or sell. We will pay shipping for donations. Please contact DOUG FAULKNER, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, 14500 Lark Bunting Lane, Brighton, CO 80601 (EM: doug.faulkner@rmbo.org).

REPRINTS FOR SALE - Ornithological reprints from the personal collection of W.F. Blair are for sale. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Frank Blair Research Library of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute in Fort Davis, Texas, USA. E-mail for lists of available reprints: EM: andy.price@tpwd.state.tx.us

FOR SALE: Mist nets, brand new, never opened. 50 Avinet mist nets, made in Japan 7 x 42 feet, 4 inch mesh. Selling at $35 each or best offer. Contact A. T. PETERSON, 785-864-3926, or town@ukans.edu.

FOR SALE. 3-volume set, 1968 A. C. Bent "Life histories of North American cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, towhees, finches, sparrows, and allies". These are the original government publications, not the Dover reprints, and in good condition with some fading on the covers. $55 or will trade for Breeding Bird Atlas publication from a state/province I don't have yet (South Dakota, New York, West Virginia, Iowa, Maritime Provinces, Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland/D.C.). Contact: KELLY A. BETTINGER at phoebe@peak.org

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MEETINGS

A 'permanent' meeting list is maintained on BIRDNET (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/BIRDMEET.html) that focuses mainly on meetings of the Societies that are members of the OC, showing the planned sites and dates of ornithological meetings as far into the future as possible. Note that BIRDNET also maintains a site for the International Ornithological Committee, which includes links to past and future Congresses, at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/IOC/index.html.

* in this section indicates new or revised entry

NAAG 2001 - The Tenth North American Arctic Goose Conference and Workshop will be held 3 - 7 Apr 2001 at the Hilton Hotel in Quebec City, Canada. For more information, visit http://www.goose.org/naag or contact GILLES GAUTHIER (PH: 418-656-5507; EM: gauthier@bio.ulaval.ca) or JEAN-FRANÇOIS GIROUX (PH: 514-987- 3000 ext. 3353; EM: giroux.jean-francois@uqam.ca).

THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY's 71st Stated Meeting will be held at the Old Town Sheraton in historic Albuquerque, NM, 17-21 April 2001. For information on local arrangements contact KATHY GRANILLO, US Fish and Wildlife Service, PO Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103 (PH: 505-248-6818; EM: Kathy_Granillo@fws.gov) or DEBORAH M. FINCH, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2205 Columbia SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 (PH: 505-766-1048, EM: dfinch@fs.fed.us). For information on the Scientific Program contact J. DAVID LIGON, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (PH: 505-277-3858, EM: jdligon@unm.edu). Circular of information will be mailed to members in autumn of 2000. For details and updates, see COS webpage (URL: http://www.cooper.org).

EASTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION 78TH ANNUAL MEETING will be held 20 - 22 Apr 2001 at the Harford Glen Environmental Education Center at Abingdon, MD. For information contact KEN HESELTON, 105 Haverhill Rd., Joppa, MD 21085 (PH: 1-410-679-6419, EM: kheselton@cs.com).

*2001 ONTARIO ECOLOGY AND ETHOLOGY CONFERENCE, University of Guelph, 2-4 May 2001. The meeting will begin with a mixer and registration at the Graduate Student Lounge on Wednesday evening. Presentations will begin on Thursday morning with four invited speakers, followed by 2-3 concurrent sessions of contributed papers on Thursday afternoon and most of Friday. We hope you can join us. THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 3-6 May 2001, at the invitation of the University of Arkansas, will be held at the Fayetteville Hilton and the University Center for Continuing Education, which share a common building on the historic downtown Fayetteville square. The meeting will be held jointly with the Arkansas Audubon Society. The local host, DOUG JAMES, may be reached at the Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (PH: 501-575-6364, FX: 501-575-4010, EM: djames@comp.uark.edu).

THE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY's 38th annual meeting will be held 14-18 July 2001 at Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon. Plenary speakers include Eliot Brenowitz, Harry Greene and Ellen Ketterson. Symposia include, "Aggression and group organization in animal societies," "Behavioral genetics for the next decade," "Detecting and measuring mating preferences," and "Song Learning." For further information see http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Program, or contact the local hosts ANDY BLAUSTEIN (EM: blaustea@bcc.orst.edu) or LYNNE HOUCK (EM: houckl@bcc.orst.edu).

SOCIETY FOR CARIBBEAN ORNITHOLOGY TO MEET IN CUBA, 15-22 Jul 2001--The biannual meeting of the Society for Caribbean Ornithology (SCO) will be held in the Topes de Collante National Park in the Sierra del Escambray (about 340 km east of Havana) from 15-22 Jul 2001 (inclusive of two travel days). An announcement and registration brochure has been mailed to all SCO members and is posted on the SCO website at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/SCO/index.html. American ornithologists should note that it is possible to attend this meeting legally. Details are posted on the SCO website.

THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL WATERFOWL AND WETLANDS SYMPOSIUM: The Waterfowl Legacy: Links to Watershed Health, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, will be held in Washington D. C., 20-22 Jul 2001, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. A Latin American and Caribbean Waterfowl Conference Workshop will be held prior to the symposium on 19 Jul. Session topics include Watershed Health and Waterfowl, North American Waterfowl Management Plan Checkup, The Future of Waterfowl, and Beyond North America. For more information, contact BRENDA CARLSON, Ducks Unlimited, One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, Tennessee 38120, (PH: 901-758-3707, EM: bcarlson@ducks.org or visit http://www.ducks.org (after 15 Jan 2001)).

THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY will hold its 15th Annual Meeting at the University of Hawai'i in Hilo, Hawai'i, 29 Jul - 1 Aug 2001. The scientific program will consist of a plenary address by Sir Robert May, 7 symposia, approximately 300 contributed oral presentations, two evening poster sessions, and a variety of workshops and discussions. The conference theme is Ecological Lessons from Islands, and includes such figurative islands as isolated fragments of habitat within altered landscapes. The meeting is co-hosted by the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC) of the Biological Resources Division - U.S.G.S., the University of Hawai'i, and Hawai'i's Secretariat for Conservation Biology. For complete information on the conference, as well as detailed travel and registration information, visit the conference website at http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~scb. For questions regarding local arrangements contact KRISTIE TROUSDALE (PH: 808-967-7396 x 232; EM: Kristie_Trousdale@usgs.gov); for questions about the scientific program contact BETHANY WOODWORTH (PH: 808-967-7396 x 237; EM: Bethany_Woodworth@usgs.gov).

1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DISTANCE SAMPLING. Estimating Wildlife Abundance for Ecology, Management and Conservation, 30 Jul - 3 Aug 2001 at St. Andrews, Scotland. The aim of the conference is to bring together for the first time all those interested in the estimation of wildlife abundance using distance sampling methods. Keynote speakers are David R. Anderson, Collin Bibby, David L. Borchers, Stephen T. Buckland, Kenneth P. Burnham, Jeffrey L. Laake, Bryan F.J. Manly, Kenneth H. Pollock and Fred L. Ramsey. For more information and registration of interest visit: http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/icods/. Alternatively, contact the conference organizer, RHONA RODGER at rhona@dcs.st-and.ac.uk

OHIO AVIAN ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION CONFERENCE is scheduled for 3 Aug 2001 at the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow on the campus of The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. This first time, 1-day event will feature a keynote address on the North American Bird Conservation Initiative by Dr. Scott C. Yaich and an invited paper by Bruce G. Peterjohn, North American Breeding Bird Survey. The Conference theme is Bird Conservation in the 21st Century: Soaring into the Next Millennium. For more information, contact us at the Olentangy Wildlife Research Station, Ohio Division of Wildlife, 8589 Horseshoe Road, Ashley, OH 43003 or call 740-747-2525 (EM: OhioAvianConference@yahoo.com).

*AOU 119TH STATED MEETINGS (15-18 Aug): Plenary sessions: Staffan Bensch, "Molecular methods to study population divergence - the first steps of speciation"; Dee Boersma, "Seabird conservation"'; Marion Petrie, "Current issues in mate choice and sexual selection"; Robert Ricklefs, "The physiology-life history nexus"; Hubert Schwabel, Maternal steroid hormones in the egg: functions, mechanisms, and implications." Symposia: "Bird Collections: Development and use of a scientific resource"; "The science, management and policy of seabird conservation"; "New perspectives in evolution of sexual traits" Workshops and Roundtables: "Migration monitoring in the Americas"; "Introduction to Band Manager" and "Advanced Band Manager"; "Funding opportunities for ornithology at National Science Foundation"; "The wave of the future: Using recorded sound to monitor avian diversity and abundance" ; "New opportunities for research on the National Wildlife Refuges"; "Field optics." Deadline for Student Award applications and for place on Scientific Program is 4 May 2001; information on Student Awards and Call for Papers available in Circular and at web pages. For more details on topics, participants, schedule and location, please visit the AOU Seattle website at http://depts.washington.edu/bird2001/

CONFERENCE: The Application of Ecological Research to Conservation: East meets West, Simon Fraser University, BC, 19-22 Aug 2001. The NSERC/Canadian Wildlife Service Chair in Wildlife Ecology (CWE) at SFU will be organizing and hosting this conference with the following aims: 1) to discuss the relevance and application of basic science to conservation and management, 2) to host a workshop on university-government collaboration, with the aim of extending the Wildlife Ecology Chair concept to other regions of Canada, and 3) to mark the retirement of Dr Fred Cooke, who has been the Senior Chair of CWE for the last 10 years. For further information contact: DR TONY D. WILLIAMS, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. Tel. (PH: 604-291-4982, EM: tdwillia@sfu.ca).

3^RD CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' Union--the Avian Calendar: Exploring Biological Hurdles in the Annual Cycle (22-26 Aug 2001), in Groningen, The Netherlands. The meeting is jointly organized with the Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie and the Animal Ecology Group o the University of Groningen, Netherlands. For the complete meeting announcement, visit the website: http://www.nou.nu. If you want more information, contact: Third EOU Conference, c/o THEO BOUDEWIJM, Akelei 42, 4102 JM Gulemborg, Netherlands (EM: theo.boudewijn@hetnet.nl).

BIRD STRIKE 2001-the third combined Bird Strike Committee USA/Bird Strike Committee Canada Conference, to be held in Calgary, Alberta, 27-30 Aug 2001. Presenter proposals due 2 Apr 2001, Early Bird Registration Deadline 1 Jun 2001. CAROL LIBER (PH: 604-276-7471; FX: 604-276-9142; EM: pnwp@netcom.ca) of Pacific Northwest Planners will manage this conference and coordinate the exhibitors program. Questions or comments may be addressed to BRUCE MACKINNON (PH: 613-990-0515; FX: 613-990-0508, EM: mackinb@tc.qc.ca).

*THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY 8^TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, 25-29 Sep 2001, Reno/Tahoe, Nevada. Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship through Science and Education. Among the 13 scheduled symposia are: Avian Interactions with Utility Structures, Sage Grouse Management and Habitat Relationships, and Remote Photography in Wildlife Research and Management: Detection, Inventory, and Beyond. For more information, please contact: The Wildlife Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (PH: 301-897-9770, EM: tws@wildlife.org, URL: http://www.wildlife.org).

*WESTERN FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS, 26th Annual Meeting (27-30 Sep 2001) at Reno, Nevada. Call for Papers and Poster Presentations. Talks and posters relating to the following general themes are especially solicited for the current meeting, but other topics will also be welcomed: 1) Systematics, biogeography, and geographic variation of birds of the Pacific Coast region, the North American interior, and the interface between the two; 2) New information on field identification problems relevant to the birds of western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean; 3) Techniques for field study of birds, including censusing, monitoring, and other studies; results of studies resulting from the application of such techniques; 4) Ecology, population biology, and conservation of birds in the state of Nevada or any of the bioregions or habitats it represents (Great Basin, Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada, Columbia Plateau). Guidelines for paper and poster presentations and abstracts may be found at the WFO web site: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org. An abstract of your presentation or poster should be submitted electronically to TED FLOYD (tedfloyd57@hotmail.com) or as hard copy (Ted Floyd, Great Basin Bird Observatory, One East First Street Suite 500, Reno NV 89501). Abstracts should be received by 30 Jun 2001. For more information about the meeting, visit the WFO web site at http://www.wfo-cbrc.org or contact LUCIE CLARK (335 Ski Way #300, Incline Village NV 89451 (PH: 775-831-2909; EM: luclark@sierra.net).

PRAIRIE GROUSE TECHNICAL COUNCIL Biennial Meeting, 5-8 Nov 2001, will be held at Woodward, Oklahoma. The aim of the conference is to bring together all those involved or interested in research and conservation on prairie grouse, especially Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Sage Grouse. Research papers and discussion sessions will be held on 6 & 7 Nov. Field trips in the area will provide opportunities to see and learn about Lesser Prairie-Chicken research and habitat conservation efforts. For more information contact RUSS HORTON (PH: 405-364-7142; EM: rhorton@onenet.net) or STEPHANIE HARMON (PH: 918- 581-7458 x229; EM: stephanie_harmon@fws.gov).

6TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF RESEARCH ON THE COLORADO PLATEAU, 5-9 Nov 2001. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. This conference will provide a scientific forum for research results and land-management issues related to the biological, paleontological, geological, cultural, physical, and social sciences on the Colorado Plateau. Everyone who has conducted research and/or is interested in research and resource management on the Colorado Plateau is invited to attend. The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center's Colorado Plateau Field Station and Northern Arizona University. Investigators who have conducted research relevant to the Colorado Plateau are invited to submit an abstract for an oral paper or poster presentation. Abstracts should be submitted by August 12th, 2001 to receive priority consideration and reduced registration fees. Special sessions will include Biological Inventory and Monitoring, Sustainable Ecosystems during times of Environmental Change, and Factors Influencing Regional Identities and Culture. Persons interested in organizing other special sessions or symposia should contact KENNETH COLE (PH: 520-556-7466 ext. 230; EM: Kenneth_Cole@usgs.gov). Conference details are posted at: http://www.usgs.nau.edu/6th_biennial_conf/

SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY 2002 Annual Meeting (2-6 Jan 2002), Anaheim Marriott, Anaheim, CA. For information see the SICB web page at http://www.SICB.org or contact the SICB business office (PH: 703-790-1745, FX: 703-790-2672, EM: SICB@BurkInc.com).

BIRDS OF TWO WORLDS: ADVANCES IN THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF TEMPERATE-TROPICAL MIGRATION SYSTEMS - March 2002. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo are hosting a conference to synthesize the cutting-edge findings about the basic ecology and evolution of migratory birds. The conference will take place tentatively in March 2002 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and will last two and a half days. The conference will include a series of invited talks organized into symposia, round table discussions and an evening session of contributed posters. The 6 main symposium topics are currently: 1) The control of numbers: the when and where of population limitation, 2) Population structure and differentiation in winter and summer, 3) Social systems and life histories, 4) The evolution and phylogeography of temperate/tropical migration, 5) Migration: strategies for departure and stopover, and 6) Causes and consequences of habitat occupancy/selection in winter and summer. The underlying question of each topic is how the ecology and evolution of birds is affected and constrained by long distance migration. We will include the best conceptual papers - without constraints on geography (Nearctic/ Palearctic). All inquiries/suggestions regarding this meeting should be sent to PETE MARRA (EM: marra@serc.si.edu) or RUSSELL GREENBERG (EM: antbird@erols.com). Additional information will be posted in upcoming OSNA newsletters.

23^rd INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS, Beijing, 11-17 Aug 2002: The first brochure for this congress has been posted on the congress home page which can be reached at URL: http://www.ioc.org.cn. Persons without access to the Internet can obtain a copy of this brochure by contacting MR. LIEU FENG, Assistant Secretary-General of the 23rd Congress, China International Conference Center for Science and Technology, Xueyuan Nan Road, Beijing 100081, CHINA. (PH: + 861062174952; FX: +861062180142; EM: liufeng@public.bta.net.cn. All ornithologists are encouraged to take part in this first ornithological congress of the millennium and the first in Asia.

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NEWS OF MEMBERS

ALISON BANKS has a new position as wetlands program coordinator at the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, (formerly Colorado Bird Observatory). Please contact her at RMBO, 13401 Piccadilly Road, Brighton, CO 80601; PH:303 -659-4348, EM: Alison.Banks@rmbo.org.

JAMESON CHACE has taken a post-doc position at Villanova University. Jim can now be reached at Villanova University, Biology Department, 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085-1699. PH: 610-519-7534, EM: jameson.chace@villanova.edu.

LAWRENCE V. COMPTON, long-time member of AOU, COS, and WOS, died 8 Feb 2000, at the age of 93.

DR. FRED COOKE will be appointed a member of the Order of Canada at a ceremony in Ottawa later this year, according to an announcement by Canada's Governor General Adrienne Clarkson on 14 Feb. The Order of Canada is the most prestigious award presented to a Canadian citizen. Dr. Cooke's appointment is in recognition for his outstanding research career. He began his career studying genetics at Cambridge University before moving to Queen's University in Ontario. Since 1993, he has been the Canadian Wildlife Service/Simon Fraser University Chair in Wildlife Ecology. His team of 50 faculty, staff and students has become the largest research program in the Science Faculty at Simon Fraser University. The Chair in Wildlife Ecology began as a cooperative project between Environment Canada, Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council and Simon Fraser University. Dr. Cooke is President-Elect of the American Ornithologists' Union and an Associate Editor of the Waterbird Society.

DON ECKELBERR, Elective Membe rand Fellow of AOU, member of COS, WOS, and AFO, died 14 Jan 2001 in Bay Shore, NY after a lengthy hospitalization. Before he died, he viewed and approved the page proofs for the forthcoming LIVING BIRD article about his life work.

CHARLES HARTSHORNE, member of the AOU since 1951, elected Elective Member in 1979, died 10 Oct 2000 at his home in Austin, Texas at the age of 103. A respected philosopher, theologian and educator, Dr. Hartshorne was best known to ornithologists for his 1956 paper (Auk 78:176-192) that introduced the "monotony threshold hypothesis" to explain variation in bird songs, and for his 1973 book "Born to Sing" which explored the musicality and esthetics of bird

CHRISTINE A. HOWELL has accepted an NSF BioInformatics PostDoctoral Fellowship in Bette Loiselle's lab. Her new contact information is: Dept. Biology, University of Missouri-Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63121-4499. PH: 314-516-7278, FX: 314-516-6233, EM: chowell@jinx.umsl.edu

RALPH J. RAITT, who was a fellow of the AOU, an honorary member of the COS and member of the WOS has died.

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THE FLOCK - SPECIAL SECTION

THE FLOCK, the 1999 Membership directory of all six OSNA societies has been mailed. 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:

RYDER, JOHN P., 904 Castlegreen Drive, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. PH. 807-683-3331; EM: jpryder@tbaytel.net.

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