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NUMBER 142, June 2001
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/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
REPORT OF THE SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING of the Cooper Ornithological Society, held at the Sheraton Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 18-21 Apr 2001. Co-chairs of the Local Committee were KATHY GRANILLO and DEBORAH FINCH, and Scientific Program Committee Chair was DAVE LIGON. There were 278 registrants for the meeting. The program included symposia on Grassland Birds, Borderland Birds, workshops on Litigation in Ornithology, and Museum Specimen Preparation. One hundred papers and 41 posters were presented. The Friday plenary paper was "The Western Range Revisited" by Debra Donahue, University of Wyoming. The Saturday plenary talk was "Systematics post-Sibley and Monroe" by Dr. Peter Houde, New Mexico State University. The Society's award for lifetime achievement in ornithological research, the Miller Award, was presented to FRANK PITELKA. A full citation will be published in The Condor. Glenn Walsberg read the full citation for the banquet audience. Dr. Pitelka was unable to attend the meeting. The Society bestowed Honorary Membership on SHIELA MAHONEY and J. MICHAEL SCOTT for outstanding contributions to the Cooper Ornithological Society and to ornithology. Citations will be published in the Nov 2001 issue of the Condor. The Society's 2000-2001 Painton Award was presented to NIDIA ARGUEDAS and PATRICIA G. PARKER for their paper entitled "Seasonal Migration and Genetic Population Structure in House Wrens," published in Condor 102:517-528 (2000). The Painton Award (bestowed every other year) honors the author(s) of the best paper published in the Condor during the previous 4 years. Mewaldt-King Student Research Awards were presented to 3 students this year: JILL L. DEPPE, University of California - Riverside, for "Selection of stopover habitat by trans-gulf Nearctic-Neotropical migrant landbirds in Yucatan, Mexico," AMANDA M. HALE, University of Miami, for "Metapopulation approach to understanding the effects of sociality, population dynamics, and persistence," and KRISTEN RUEGG, San Francisco State University, for "Using molecular markers to link breeding and wintering populations of Swainson's Thrush, a neotropical migrant." The Grinnell Student Research Awards were presented to 3 winners this year: DAVID LOGUE, Colorado University, for "A new approach to determine the function of duetting in a tropical wren," KENNETH FEELEY, Duke University, for "Factors influencing the diversity and abundance of breeding birds in isolated habitat fragments," and ANDREA SMITH, Queens University, for "Evolutionary history of the Band-rumped Storm Petrel: a test of sympatric speciation in sea birds." Four awards were presented for outstanding student papers: MARK F. HAUSSMANN, Iowa State University, was awarded the Brazer Howell Award for his paper (with co-auther Carol M. Vleck), "Telomere length provides a novel technique for aging birds." DAVID M WHALEN, University of New Mexico, was awarded the Frances F. Roberts Award for his paper (with co-author Brayn D. Watts), "The influence of migrant density on stopover patterns of Northern Saw-whet Owls." Board of Directors Student Paper Awards were presented to JOSEPH A. REALE, Jr., Miami University, for his presentation (with co-author Robert B. Blair), "Reality check: do artificial nests adequately predict nesting success?" and to LEONOR JIMENEZ, Inst. Ecologia, for her poster (with co-authors Juan Fransisco Ornelas and Alejandro Espanosa), "A phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of plumage iridescence in hummingbirds". Dr. Sator O. Williams III gave the banquet presentation on "From Coronado to today: 5 centuries of Avifaunal exploration in New Mexico." Through the annual balloting by all members of the Society, JOHN FAABORG, JOSEPH ORTEGA, and ABBY POWELL were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors. In the Board of Directors' meetings, the following were elected to, or continue in, office: TERRELL RICH, President; BONNIE BOWEN, President-elect, EILEEN M. KIRSCH, Secretary; PETER STETTENHEIM, Assistant Secretary; BONNIE BOWEN, Treasurer (until a new treasurer can be found and elected); JAMES J. DINSMORE, Assistant Treasurer, DAVID DOBKIN, editor of The Condor, and JOHN T. ROTENBERRY, editor of Studies in Avian Biology. The Cooper Ornithological Society will meet with the AOU, RRF, and Society of Canadian Ornithologists for the 3rd North American Ornithological Conference in New Orleans, 24-30 Sep 2002. TOM SHERRY and KIM SMITH are co-chairs of the Local Committee, and FRANK MOORE is chair of the Scientific Committee. Several resolutions were passed by the Board of Directors. If you know of individuals or organizations that should receive official copies of one or more of these resolutions, contact MARK SOGGE, chair of the Conservation-Resolutions committee, or ELLEN PAUL, Executive Director of the Ornithological Council, who provided resolutions for our consideration this year.
AOU FELLOWS AND ELECTIVE MEMBERS ARE REMINDED that ballots for Elective Members must be returned to the Secretary by 25 Jul 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 Jul 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 will elect new Fellows and conduct other business. Contact Secretary M. Ross Lein for more information.
NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FOR AOU OFFICERS AND ELECTIVE COUNCILORS to be elected at the 2001 Business Meeting of Members (16 Aug 2001) at Memorial University of Newfoundland. To be elected are a Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Elective Councilors. The Bylaws of the AOU require that the Vice-President be 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 2001 meeting, John W. Fitzpatrick will begin the second year his two-year term as President, and Fred Cooke will begin the second year of his two-year term as President-Elect. The incumbent Secretary (M. Ross Lein) and the incumbent Treasurer (Jeffrey D. Brawn) are willing to stand for re-election. Because nominations are allowed up until 16 May, after the deadline for this newsletter, a list of nominees is not being printed. However, the list can be obtained by contacting the Secretary (PH: 403-220-6549, EM: mrlein@ucalgary.ca).
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LUIS BAPTISTA MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM. "Nature's Music: The Science of Bird Song, a symposium dedicated to the memory of Luis Baptista" will be held Saturday, 3 Nov 2001, Calif. Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA. This symposium on bird song presents reflection and research by Dr. Baptista's colleagues Peter Marler, Donald Kroodsma, Roderick Suthers, Sarah Collins, Erich Jarvis, Henrike Hultsch, Irene Pepperberg, Meredith West, and Robert Bowman. For further information check the web page http://www.calacademy.org/research/bmammals/baptista_symposium/ or contact BAPTISTA_SYMPOSIUM@CALACADEMY.ORG
A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF PARTNERS IN FLIGHT (PIF) RESEARCH AND MONITORING NEEDS, derived from the PIF Bird Conservation Plans (BCPs), is now available on line. The database is available on the Web through the PIF home page (URL: http://www.partnersinflight.org). A major purpose of the database is to enable researchers to match their research interests and expertise with bird conservation needs identified by PIF. It should also be a valuable resource for land managers, bird conservationists and others. Select the link to "Search the PIF Research Needs Database" on the home page and use the various search functions to meet your needs. The database will be updated each time a new Bird Conservation Plan is completed.
The POCONO AVIAN RESEARCH CENTER, INC. is a new organization incorporated in the fall of 2000 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. We are dedicated to fostering an appreciation of our native birds through research, education and community involvement. Presently the staff and volunteers are operating a migration banding station. We have successfully completed two seasons with Project Owlnet and one season with MAPS. We are looking forward to the birds of summer. PARC is a non-membership organization, but donations of old journals, banding equipment, and money will help us furnish our banding stations and offices with useful reference materials. PARC can be reached at: PARC, PO Box 4, Cresco, PA 18326 (PH/FAX: 570-595-9324, EM: poconoavian@hotmail.com).
A CALL FOR PAPERS--BIRDS OF TWO WORLDS: ADVANCES IN THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF TEMPERATE-TROPICAL MIGRATION SYSTEMS. The Smithsonian Institution is hosting a conference to synthesize the cutting-edge findings about the basic ecology and evolution of migratory birds. The emphasis will be on temperate-tropical systems, but contributions are not restricted to these if they have general theoretical importance. The conference will take place in spring of 2002 in the Washington, DC region and will last three and a half days. The conference will include a series of invited talks organized into symposia, round table discussions and a contributed poster session. Contributed peer-reviewed papers will be published in an edited volume. We are soliciting proposals for papers to fill conceptual gaps in the conference and eventual book. If you are interested in developing a talk and chapter on one of the following topics, please send a title and one page abstract to PETE MARRA (EM: marra@serc.si.edu) or RUSSELL GREENBERG (EM: antbird@erols.com) 1) Plasticity of migratory behavior within taxa; 2) the evolutionary basis for different migratory strategies (e.g.,partial or irruptive migration) ; 3) emergent properties (ecological, morphological and behavioral) that distinguish migratory and resident species; 4) morphological constraints imposed by migration and how this effects function at other times of year; 5) physiological adaptations to varying climates (e.g. temperate vs. tropical); 6) interspecific competition and interactions between migrants and residents and between migrants; 7) costs and benefits of migration strategies and the evolution of migration patterns. We are open to other ideas, which you may introduce to us through a brief e-mail. The six major subject areas include A. The evolution of migration systems; B. Adaptations for two worlds; C. Migration itself; D. Social systems, E. Population connectivity and seasonal interactions; F. Population limitation and regulation. Papers should reflect a comprehensive review of the field, include specific exemplary research results, and develop a blue print for future research. We will include the best conceptual papers - without constraints on geography (New World versus Old World) or focal taxonomic groups. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 Aug 2001.
THE EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION (EOU) AND THE NEW JOURNAL AVIAN SCIENCE The European Ornithologists' Union has been formally founded in Aug 2000 in Zürich. Its objectives are the advancement of ornithology and the promotion of the scientific study of birds among ornithologists in Europe with JACQUES BLONDEL (President), LIZ PASZTOR (Vice-President), ANDREAS HELBIG (Secretary), PETER JONES (Editor), and LUKAS JENNI (Treasurer). The next conference of he EOU will be held in Groningen, The Netherlands, 22 - 26 Aug 2001. For more information see http://www.eou.nu. The EOU will publish the scientific journal Avian Science, The European Journal of Ornithology. The Editor of Avian Science is PETER JONES (ICAPB, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland). The EOU is a society under Swiss law and open to members from any country. Annual membership fee includes the journal Avian Science and is EURO 40.- for members of high-income countries and EURO 20.- for members of low-income countries and students. For more information and membership consult the home page at http://www.eou.at or contact the Secretariat of the EOU, STEPHAN TRÖSCH, Hintergasse 22, CH-8268 Salenstein, Switzerland, (FX: ++41-71-664 35 63, EM: eou@bluewin.ch).
NORTH AMERICAN WATERBIRD CONSERVATION PLAN: The current draft of the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan (NAWCP) is available for review at http://www.nacwcp.org; comments are welcome. In late Oct 2000, an international conference and monitoring workshop were held in Plymouth, MA. Regional Working Groups are organizing throughout North America to plan and implement waterbird conservation at regional (state, province, bird conservation region) scales. Participation is invited. At the conference, the Plan agreed to take the lead in facilitating planning for waterbirds that, as a group, is not otherwise covered by continental bird conservation initiatives. These species include grebes, rails, cranes, limpkin, moorhen, loons and similar species. A workshop for stakeholders in the conservation of these species is being planned for late summer or fall 2001. Participation is encouraged. Contact JIM KUSHLAN, (EM: Jkushlan@aol.com), or MELANIE STEINKAMP, (EM: Melanie_Steinkamp@usgs.gov).
EDITOR OF NUTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB PUBLICATIONS: After a long and distinguished career, Dr. Raymond Paynter is retiring as Nuttall Ornithological Club Editor (and will become Editor Emeritus). His broad duties will be split into those involving NOC Publications (sensu stricto), and those involving NOC Memoirs. The Memoirs have in recent years focused on historical aspects of ornithology, and will solicit editorial expertise in that area; the NOC here seeks an Editor for its Publications. The Publications have a long and distinguished history of such benchmark monographs in scientific ornithology as Lanyon's meadowlarks; Skutch's neotropical life histories; Haffer on South American and Diamond on New Guinea avifaunas/speciation; Mayr & Short's species taxa of North American birds, etc. Effective immediately, the scope of the Publications has been broadened to include annotated regional check-lists similar to those produced by the BOU, state and regional volumes (such as Birds of Massachusetts), and, especially, multi-authored symposium or topical works. Editorial responsibilities will embrace solicitation, peer review, and editing of manuscripts; production will be contracted out. The Editor of each volume will receive a modest per-volume honorarium (split in the case of multiple editors), as well as per-volume publication support costs. While workload will likely vary episodically, since 1957 there has been a mean of one volume every two years, with up to 5 years between volumes; there have been only three multivolume years: 1962 (two), 1972 (three), and 1974 (two). Applicants should send a letter of interest (documenting their scientific/editorial qualifications and institutional facilities/support), plus an updated CV and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addressees of four (4) references, to DR. WILLIAM E. DAVIS, JR., 127 East Street, Foxboro, MA 02035 (EM: wedavis@bu.edu). Position will remain open until filled.
THE MYSTERY OF THE DYING EAGLES-During the winter of 1994-1995, 29 bald eagles were found dead at DeGray Lake, Arkansas. An additional 26 eagles died in the winter of 1996-1997. Aberrant neurologic signs were also observed in the wintering population of American Coots. Pathologically, the disease is identified by lesions, or vacuoles, in the white matter of their central nervous systems. As the disease progresses, nerves lose their normal capacity to transmit and receive electrical impulses. The disease is now called Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy (AVM). Eagles with AVM have been seen overflying stoops and flying into trees and rock ledges. In 1999, it was discovered in other waterfowl species as well. Affected waterfowl show reluctance to fly, erratic flight, or inability to fly. Partial paralysis may be observed in swimming birds, causing them to swim with one leg extended, swimming in circles, or even upside down. It has been confirmed in birds from nine different souther reservoirs in Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It has caused the deaths of at least 69 bald eagles, hundreds of coots, and a small number of other waterfowl since 1994. Impaired and dead AVM-positive birds have generally been observed between Oct and Mar, with a peak from mid-Nov through early Dec. It has been determined that AVM is not a prion-related disease, like "mad-cow disease," but is more likely the result of exposure to a synthetic or naturally occurring toxicant. Several compounds are known to cause similar lesions, but none have been detected in the affected birds. If anyone has additional information or suspects that AVM may have struck agian, please contact the National Wildlife Health Center at 608-270-2448. Additional information on the disease AVM is available at http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/offices/od/odm/avm/ (From "Endangered Species Bulletin", Vol. 25 (5))
FIRST BREEDING AND HATCHING OF ENDANGERED MAUI PARROTBILL IN CAPTIVITY, on 21 Jul 2000, at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on the island of Hawa'ii. This provides the possibility this extremely rare forest bird will eventually recover, using captive breeding as a tool. The wild population has dwindled to fewer than 500. An introduced avian disease carried by non-native mosquitos is thought to be the primary reason for the parrotbill's decline. The chick's parents hatched at the center from eggs collected in the wild in 1997 and 1999. "It's a big step to have captive adult birds healthy and content enough to breed," said Alan Lieberman, co-director of the Zoological Society of San Diego's programs in Hawa'ii. Currently, the center has three adult parrotbills, including the pair that bred. Two other endangered Hawaiian songbirds being held at the center, the Palila and the Hawaii Creeper, also successfully bred for the first time this year. The center plans to keep a small genetically diverse population of each species to help replenish numbers in the wild once proper habitat has been secured. More information about the Maui Parrotbill is available at: http://pacificislands.fws.gov/wesa/parrotmaui.html (From "Endangered Species Bulletin", Vol. 25 (5))
DOMINION FALCONTRAKSM-Dominion, one of the nation's leading producers of energy, has formed a public/private partnership for the largest peregrine falcon-tracking research project ever attempted on the wild birds in the United States. Other partners in the project are the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, North Star Science and Technology of Baltimore, Shenandoah National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Efforts to re-establish falcons in the eastern United States involved breeding a variety of subspecies of peregrines from around the world with surviving native birds. The effort produced offspring with ancestors that were migratory birds and ancestors that were non-migratory. Whether the peregrines that currently occupy the eastern U.S. have inherited the wanderlust of its foreign ancestors or the stay-at-home characteristics of the native birds is unknown. It is known that some individuals do stay close to their home territories throughout the year, but many also migrate in the fall. It is not known where they go. The tracking project should provide information that will help ensure the survival of the peregrine. The pesticide DDT, which nearly caused the extinction of the falcon, is illegal to use in the United States; but it is still widely used south of the border. According to Mitchell Byrd, founder of the Center for Conservation Biology, "If our birds are migrating to those areas, they may fall victim to the same poisoning that nearly wiped them out three decades ago. By learning where they go, we can work with those countries to eliminate DDT." Nineteen juvenile falcons will be raised at various hack sites and tracked over a period of three years. Dominion has set up a web site that will track the movements of the falcons once they learn to fly and leave their nests. More information about the project and links to falcon Web sites hosted by each of the project's partners is also provided on their web site at: http://www.dom.com/about/environment/falcon/
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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.
OC PROTESTS SMITHSONIAN PLANS TO CLOSE CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH CENTER, MIGRATORY BIRD CENTER - Upon learning of the Smithsonian's plan to close the Conservation and Research Center (CRC), the Migratory Bird Center, and other research programs, OC wrote to Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small and the Smithsonian Board of Regents, urging them to reverse the decision to close CRC, which has been characterized as a "crown jewel" of the Smithsonian. The Board of Regents met on May 7 to review Small's reorganization plan [this newsletter went to press prior to May 7]. OC was also among the 37 scientific, zoo, and conservation organizations that wrote a joint letter to Secretary Small, hoping to persuade him to abandon the plan to close CRC. Daily updates and a list of addresses for the Board of Regents can be found at http://crcforever.50megs.com/ along with many articles and editorials from the Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and NATURE.
REPORT OF FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, POLICY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT RELEASED - On Earth Day 2001, the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) released a report reflecting the views of many of the nation's leading environmental scientists and decision makers calling for major changes in the relationship between science and environmental policy. The report emphasizes the need for "significant" investment in new approaches to science and for changes in governmental organization to address "serious voids" that impede efforts to acquire and translate scientific knowledge. The report, which offers specific recommendations for improving the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking, is based on deliberations by more than 450 scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders from a broad range of disciplines, interests, and locales. The group was convened late last year as the first National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment. NCSE asked participants to assess the current state of environmental decisionmaking in the United States and to advise the incoming Administration and the new Congress on needed improvements. The results are contained in a new report entitled "Recommendations for Improving the Scientific Basis for Environmental Decisionmaking," which can be found at http://www.cnie.org/2000conference. Printed copies are available from NCSE: staff@NCSEonline.org or 202-530-5810. NCSE Senior Scientist David Blockstein, who also chairs the Ornithological Council, was instrumental in organizing the meeting and compiling the report. OC Executive Director Ellen Paul facilitated the session on Federal Government Structure. The report addresses the environmental challenges now facing our society through a detailed set of recommendations compiled by 14 expert working groups that met during the conference. Underscored throughout the report is the contention that sound environmental decisionmaking is dependent on "an effective interface between scientists and policymakers and the reliable and timely translation of information and views between the two communities." The report further emphasizes "the need for science-based education at every level of society if the general public and their elected public officials are to make informed, effective, and timely decisions." In addition to various programs recommended for development by key players such as the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the report also advocates forming new or reinvigorated entities, including: * a National Environmental Information Infrastructure that would support intensified public information, education, and training on environmental issues, * a Bureau of Environmental Statistics, analogous to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that would provide periodic "state-of-the-science" reports on key environmental issues, * a Joint Committee on the Environment in the U.S. Congress, analogous to the Joint Economic Committee, * a resurrected Office of Technology Assessment, * Policy Centers within all federal science and resource management agencies.
CONGRESS INUNDATED BY E-MAIL The Washington Post reported on Mar 19 that Congressional offices are receiving 80 million e-mail messages a year. Senators receive as many 55,000 messages a month while House members receive as many 8,000. In a study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts entitled the Congress Online Project, which is designed to improve communications between members of Congress, the public, interest groups, and lobbyists, the e-mail deluge was blamed in part on "the indiscriminate practices of grass-roots lobbying organizations and companies that are spamming congressional offices with millions of e-mails that they cannot possibly respond to." Congressional offices routinely ignore these e-mails especially because many come from outside their districts or states. The Congressional Management Foundation and George Washington University conducted the study, which also suggested that the Congressional offices set up special addresses for specific issues. And you thought you had too much e-mail! [PS - you can address mail to any senator at: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 and to any representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515].
NEW SHOREBIRD MONITORING GROUP IN PUERTO RICO - The Society of Puerto Rican Ornithology has created a shorebird monitoring group to increase the knowledge of shorebird abundance and distribution on the island. The group, which began field work in Jan 2001, consists of 17 volunteers who conduct monthly censuses in 12 localities. Among the localities are the Cabo Rojo salt flats, one of the major shorebird stopover and wintering sites in the Caribbean, with more than 40,000 individuals observed annually. The data are intended to promote conservation efforts and will be shared with international shorebird groups. ADRIANNE G. TOSSAS, Coordinator (EM: agtossas@hotmail.com).
QUESTIONS ABOUT PERMITS, ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE PROTOCOL APPROVAL - OC encourages ornithologists to contact OC with questions and concerns about permitting and compliance with Animal Care and Use Committee requirements. Please e-mail ELLEN PAUL at epaul@concentric.net (regular mail: 3713 Chevy Chase Lake Dr., Apt.3, Chevy Chase, MD 20815).
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STUDY SKINS AND SPECIMENS--Biology Department of Lakehead University requests donations of study skins, mounts, skeletal specimens, eggs, and nests for ornithological teaching collection. All species gratefully accepted. Identification and full data not necessary. Please contact JANICE HUGHES, Dept. of Biology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 5E1 (PH: 807-343-8280, FX: 807-346-7796, EM: Janice.Hughes@lakeheadu.ca).
WE ARE CONDUCTING A SURVEY to identify birds that apply foreign materials to their plumage, such as ants ("anting"), other arthropods, fruits, leaves, etc. If you have ever watched birds apply foreign materials, we would greatly appreciate if you could send answers to the following questions: 1. Have you seen free-ranging (wild) birds apply foreign materials to their plumage or to the plumage of another individual? 2. What about captive birds? 3. What material, organism, or substance was applied? (ants, millipedes, plant leaves, etc.?) 4. Was the substance held in the beak and applied, or did the bird "bathe" or "wallow" in the substance? 5. Did the bird eat the substance that it applied? 6. During what season were they applying materials (or did you notice their molt condition)? 7. Are you aware of any published reports (however obscure) that discusses anting or self-medication, or do you have reprints of any of your own work that mentions anting? Please send any information to PAUL WELDON by email (EM: pweldon@OSF1.gmu.edu) or to JACK DUMBACHER at the Smithsonian Conservation Research Center, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630 (EM: dumbacherj@nzp.si.edu). Thanks very much for your assistance!
GOLDEN EAGLES WITH UNUSUAL PLUMAGE. We are working on a paper on the range in color variation in this species and request information on unusually dark, unusually light, leucistic, etc., specimens. If you have even a vague recollection of seeing an unusual specimen (alive or dead) please contact us. DAVID H. ELLIS (EM: dckellis@theriver.com) or JAMES W. LISH (EM: lish@okstate.edu).
CALL FOR BIRD BANDING TRAINING MATERIAL: The North American Banding Council (NABC) education committee is compiling training materials to be used in the North American Banders' Study Guide. We request assistance in providing up to date worksheets, photographs, CD's, videos, computer programs, teaching exercises, and overheads that individuals or organizations use to train prospective bird banders. These materials could deal with identification, aging, sexing, and molt limit techniques. Any materials sent to the addresses below will be reviewed and returned in a timely manner. If they are selected for use in the national bander certification test, the individual or organization will be duly noted. Please send materials in the eastern United States and Canada to ROBERT THOBABEN, 1835 St. Rt. 380, Wilmington, Ohio, 45177 (PH: 937-382-4739, EM: thobaben@erinet.com). For material dealing with the western United States or Canada contact KEN BURTON, P.O. Box 716, Inverness, CA, 94937 (PH: 415-669-1847, EM: kmburton@svn.net).
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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.
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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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.
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"CONDORS AND VULTURES" by David Houston. 2001. World Wildlife Series. Voyageur Press. 10 x 9, paperback, 72 pp., 50 color photos. ISBN: 0-89658-523-9. $16.95. Condors and Vultures discusses their diversity and distribution, how these birds fit into natural wildlife communities, and the special adaptations that are required to be an efficient scavenger. It explains why in many parts of the world they are endangered by human activities and need active conservation. Available in bookstores or it can be ordered directly from Voyageur Press with a Visa or MasterCard via phone (800-888-9653), fax (651-430-2211), or on the web (URL: http://www.voyageurpress.com). Orders may also be mailed with a check or money order payable to Voyageur Press, P.O. Box 338, Stillwater, MN, 55082. Please add $3.95 for shipping and handling per order.
BIRD BEHAVIOR. The first issue of 2001, Volume 14, is devoted entirely to the first in a series of invited "Millennium Review" articles. This article is by Myron C. Baker and is entitled, "Bird Song Research: The Past One Hundred Years." Contact Cognizant Communication Corporation for subscription information: (URL: http://www.cognizantcommunication.com/).
"A BIRDER'S GUIDE TO ALABAMA", John F. Porter, Jr. 2001. University of Alabama Press. Spiral bound, paper. 368 pages, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, 75 illustrations. ISBN: 0-8173-1052-5. $24.95. This first birdfinding guide to Alabama divides the best birding spots throughout the state into four distinct geographic sections. Each section is covered by expert birders from that region and includes a general description of the area, access, the "hot spots" for viewing, the species expected to be seen and when, and details on the closest accommodations. The guide includes over 50 maps, as well as line drawings and photographs of different bird species. It also offers bar charts describing the frequency and distribution for all the bird species recognized for Alabama. For order information, please contact: University of Alabama Press, Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380. (PH: 205-348-9534, FX: 205-348-9201, URL: http://222.uapress.ua.edu).
"PROCEEDINGS OF THE NINTH AMERICAN WOODCOCK SYMPOSIUM". 2000. Edited by D.G. McAuley, J.G. Bruggink, and G.F. Sepik is now available. Held in Baton Rouge, LA in Jan 1997. The Proceedings contains 15 peer-reviewed articles and 1 abstract on a wide range of topics dealing with Scolopax minor. Single copies are available from: DAN MCAULEY, Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 5768 South Annex A, Orono, ME 04469-5768 (PH: 207-581-3357, FX:207-581-3783, EM: dan_mcauley@usgs.gov) Additional copies of this report may be obtained from: The National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield VA 22161 (1-800-553-6847 or 703-487-4650). Request U.S Geological Survey, Biological Research Division, Information Technology Report USGS/BRD/ITR-2000-0009.
"WILDLIFE STUDY DESIGN" by Michael L. Morrison, William M. Block, M. Dale Strickland, and William L. Kendall. Apr 2001. 255 pages, Springer-Verlag, ISBN 0-387-95118-0, $69.95. The book covers all major aspects of study design as applied to wildlife and conservation studies, including surveys of major types of studies and variables, impact assessment, sampling techniques, inventorying and monitoring, and data analysis. Also included is a practical, step-by- step guide to setting up a new study. The book is aimed at resource managers, researchers, and students of wildlife and conservation biology. Ordering information from Springer at 1-800-777- 4643 or http://www.springer-ny.com.
"EXPLORING ALAKSA'S BIRDS," Richard P. Emanuel and George Matz. 2001. 96 pp. 11" x 8 ½" , softbound. ISBN: 1-56661-054-0. $23.95. This new book from Alaska Geographic7 presents a colorful survey of the realm of birds in the forty-ninth state. It offers facts about how species are named provides insight into bird talk, describes birds' adaptations to survive the ferocity of Northern winters, and considers the range of Alaska bird research from the unique facilities of Middleton Island to backyard feeder observers. More than 100 full-color photographs portray Alaska birds from auklets to warblers and a checklist identifies over 400 species occurring in the state. Available from Alaska Geographic, 639 W. Int'l Airport Rd. #38, Anchorag, AK 99518 (PH: 907-562-0164 or 888-255-6697, EM: http://www.akgeo.com).
"THE GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, CATHARUS MINIMUS, AND ITS NEW ENGLAND SUBSPECIES, BICKNELL'S THRUSH, CATHARUS MINIMUS BICKNELLI," by Joe T. Marshall. 2001. Nuttall Ornithological Club. 136 pp., 2 color plates, 6 figures, 3 tables, 2 photos, 5 maps, 2 appendices, index. ISBN 1-877973-40-8, (cloth) $30 (includes s&h). This book invites reconsideration of the status of Bicknell's thrush as a full species. It should be of interest to ornithologists whose work deals with speciation and the species and subspecies concepts. Make checks payable to Nuttall Ornithological Club, c/o Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
"CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, VOLUME II," edited by William E. Davis, Jr. and Jerome A. Jackson. 2000. Memoir XIII, Nuttall Ornithological Club. 401 pp., 111 black-and-white photographs, 7 graphs, ISBN 1-877973-40-8, (cloth) $30 (includes s&h). Six of 10 chapters deal with the contributions to ornithology of major North American institutions. Other chapters concern the Canadian Wildlife Service, Nebraska ornithology, the Association of Field Ornithologists, and the Waterbird Society. Make checks payable to Nuttall Ornithological Club, c/o Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
"GUIDE TO SOUTHERN ARIZONA BIRD NESTS & EGGS, VOL. 1: DESERT AREAS", Pinau Merlin. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press. 182 pp, 20 b/w and 43 color illus., 32 color photographs. ISBN: 1-886679-17-7. $14.95, paper. By using a four-step identification method, readers are able to quickly identify the probable builders or borrowers of 54 desert nests. Once at the most appropriate entry readers are presented with a concise and informative natural history narrative of the nest builder or borrow. A nesting dates chart, glossary, selected reading list and index are also included. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press, 2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 85743 (PH: 520-883-3028, FX: 520-883-2500, URL: http://www.desertmuseum.org).
"JOURNEYS THROUGH PARADISE", Gail Fishman, 2001. 336 pp., 6 x 9. 23 b/w photos, 3 maps, cloth. ISBN: 0-8130-1874-9. $24.95 + $4 p/h for first book and $1 for each additional book. Following the original steps of pioneering naturalists, Gail Fishman profiles thirteen men who explored North America's southeastern wilderness between 1715 and the 1940's, including John James Audubon, Mark Catesby, John and William Bartram, John Muir, and Alvan Wentworth Chapman. She evaluates what they accomplished and measures their importance, also pointing out their strengths and failings. She paints an engaging picture of what America was like at the time. Orders: University of Florida Press, 15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611-2079 (PH: 800-226-3822, FX: 800-680-1955, URL: http://www.upf.com).
"NORTHERN, WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN BIRDS" on 15 CD's by C. Chappuis Published by "Société d'Etudes Ornithologiques de France" in collaboration with the British Library - National Sound Archive of London. This new publication in a pocket format is a revised and extended version of the Alauda records on Western Africa. Out of 5000 sounds available, nearly 3500 sounds have been selected. This is a compilation of sounds gathered by the author during more than 30 years of expeditions across Africa along with contributions made by 140 other recordists. This encyclopedia of data from sounds of nature is presented in a small format at a reasonable price. As well as strange unusual sounds, sometimes particularly reminiscent of the big equatorial forest, the listener will be able to discover numerous vocalizations which have never been published or even described until now. The rich documentation sheds an entirely new light on certain categories of species. Lastly, help is provided to the listener in recognizing species with a similar acoustic structure. This publication in two volumes contains a presentation of nearly all nesting, migrant or wintering species in the regions mentioned above (1466 species out of the 1550 that can be seen) on 15 CD's of approximately 73 minutes. The text gives information on the circumstances in which the recording took place. Volume I: 423 species on 4 CD's accompanied by a bilingual 68 page book. Species seen in Northern Sahara and in adjacent Atlantic islands (Canaries, Cape Verde). 275 of these species are also seen in the region covered by Volume II as migrant and wintering birds. Volume II: 1043 species on 11 CD's accompanied by a 190 page book (in French or English version). Species nesting in Sub-Sahara and in the Gulf of Guinea. The area's delimitations in this Volume II are the northern Angola border, southern and eastern Zaire, eastern Congo, eastern Central African Republic, and eastern Chad. To facilitate immediate acoustic comparison on the field, the CD's utilize the same species indexation as in the following two standard guide books: For Volume I: The Birds of Algeria, by P. Isenmann (SEOF, Paris) For Volume II: Birds of Western Africa, by N. Borrow and N. Demey (Helm and Black, London). For U.K. and U.S.A. these CDs are available exclusively from: The British Library National Sound Archive Wildlife Section, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB, U.K. (PH: 0207-412-7403/7402. FX: 0207-412-7441. EM: nsa- wildsound@bl.uk). Checks should be made payable to « The British Library » ; Major credit cards accepted (Please supply-Card number, Name on card, Expiry date and issue number where applicable). Prices, included postage & packing (second class mail in UK, airmail all other countries): Volume I: £36, Volume II £75, Volume I and II (no shared species in the two) £98. For other countries these CDs are available from: SEOF- Bibliotheque, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France. (PH: (33)01 40 79 38 34. EM :quetzalcom@libertysurf.fr). Payments, made out to Société d'Etudes Ornithologiques de France, must be made by VISA card, international postal order or by check, made in French Francs payable in France (Eurocheques not accepted). Prices : Volume I: 350 FF, Volume II: 750 FF (please specify French or English version), both Volume I and II: 980 FF. Postage per order: 35 FF.
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WANTED: Used copy of the out-of-print "Florida Scrub Jay: Demography of a Cooperative-breeding Bird" by Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick and a used copy of the overpriced "The Birdlife of Florida" by Stevenson and Anderson. Will gladly pay for books and postage. Contact KARL E. MILLER, Dept. of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, P.O. Box 110430, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (PH: 352-377-5940, EM: karlos@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu).
WANTED: Journal issues to complete gaps missing in library set for Conservation Biology and Avian Ecology Lab at Michigan Technological University's School of Forestry. Auk (1987-1993), Condor (1987-1995), Ibis (1987-2000), J. Field Ornithology (1965-1995), Wilson Bulletin (1987-1994), The Passenger Pigeon (1980-2000), The Loon (1980-2000). We will pay for shipping if donated, but will also consider purchasing outright. Contact: STEVE WINDELS, PhD student, Mich. Tech. University (EM: skwindel@mtu.edu, PH: 906-487-3059) or DR. DAVID FLASPOHLER, MTU (EM: djflaspo@mtu.edu, PH: 906-487-3608).
FOR SALE: Bausch & Lomb Stereomicroscope 4-two power pod heads on the "A" stand, and 2x Auxiliary lens and a variable intensity illuminator. Best reasonable offer. T. FORD (EM: motdorf@hotmail.com).
ORNITHOLOGICAL JOURNALS FOR SALE-From the first volumes, 61-96 years each. Each run nicely leather bound for the first three-quarters. The Auk, Condor, Wilson Bull., Bull Nuttall Ornith. Club: 8 vols. in 4. Ibis: 20 vols. 1895-1914 fully bound. Shipping at cost. Send for price list to HERMAN KITCHEN, 4087 Burgen Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116.
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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
*METADIVERSITY II: ASSESSING THE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE BIODIVERSITY COMMUNITY, The Mills House Hotel (25-26 Jun 2001), Charleston, South Carolina. Sponsored by the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), part of the Center for Biological Informatics, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS). Projects such as the North American Biodiversity Information Network and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility demonstrate both the need and the possibilities of creating an integrated system of software applications. But effective user needs assessment is key in building these types of tools. By identifying typical research tasks of a specific user community in advance, complex information systems can be built that integrate a range of content, data and applications that all meet specific needs of researchers. Metadiversity II, a follow up to the 1998 Metadiversity meeting held in Natural Bridge, VA, is devoted to creating an environment where researchers, policy makers, publishers and information professionals can meet to develop appropriate recommendations as to content and functionality requirements for systems intended to fully support scientists and researchers within the biodiversity field. Confirmed speakers at Metadiversity II include: · Carol Tenopir, University of Tennessee - Knoxville · Don King, King Research · Meredith Lane, Academy of Natural Sciences · Paul Uhlir, National Research Council · Robert Colwell, Biota · Janet Gomon, Integrated Taxonomic Information Systems · Heather Joseph, BioOne Metadiversity II is intended to continue the dialog that began at the first Metadiversity event with a focus on creating recommendations relating to content and functionality by in-depth discussion of the following: -- Identify places biodiversity information user needs are being met and how they are being met; -- Identify gaps in biodiversity information needed to support users; -- Identify populations of priority potential users of biodiversity information. Small discussion groups of participants will subsequently provide further basis for development of integrated resources of biodiversity information. Full program details and registration form appear at the NFAIS web site (http://www.nfais.org). Registration Fees: A flat registration fee of $175 covers all meals for the two-day conference. Payment is due at or prior to registration at the conference. Call NFAIS now to register immediately by telephone (215/893-1561)! Location: The Mills House Hotel 115 Meeting Street Charleston SC 29401 A room block has been reserved for the attendees of the conference at an attractive rate of $99.00 per night. For hotel reservations, call 1-800-874-9600 or 803-577-2400. Please specify that you are part of the NFAIS meeting when you make your reservation. Jill O'Neill Director, Planning & Communications NFAIS 1518 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 - 3403 (PH: 215-893-1561 EM: jilloneill@nfais.org).
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. 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).
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 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, 3 Aug 2001, Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. This 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 2001): 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 Schwabl, "Maternal steroid hormones in the egg: functions, mechanisms, and implications"; David Wilcove, "Putting Woodpeckers in the Bank And Other Strange, New Approaches to Saving North America s Endangered Birds." Symposia: "The science, management and policy of seabird conservation"; "New perspectives in evolution of sexual traits"; "Bird Collections: Development and use of a scientific resource." 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." Pre-registration deadline for meetings is 6 Jul. Deadline registration for campus housing is 20 Jul (no on-site registration for housing). For more details and updates 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 organize and host this conference with the 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).
3RD 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 of 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. 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).
*ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS' 2001 ANNUAL MEETING and related activities will be held in Cape May, New Jersey this coming 14-15 Sep 2001 (Friday morning to Saturday evening). Events will include paper and poster sessions, banding demonstrations, birding trips, and more. Details will be published in the summer edition of AFO Afield and in http://www.afonet.org/. Our meeting headquarters will be the Grand Hotel, Cape May. Questions? Contact: SCOTT SUTCLIFFE (EM: sas10.cornell.edu) at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850.
THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY 8TH 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 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).
*THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION's 2001 Annual Meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel Downtown in Winnipeg, MB Canada, 24-28 Oct 2001. For information on local arrangements contact The Local Organizing Committee at Manitoba Conservation, Box 24, 200 Saulteaux Cres., Winnepeg, MB Canada (PH: 204-945-7775; EM: wildlife@gov.mb.ca). For information on the Scientific Program contact JEFF SMITH, HawkWatch International 1800 S. West Temple, Suite 226 Salt Lake City, UT 84115 (PH: 801-484-6758; EM: jsmith@hawkwatch.org). Circular of information will be mailed to members in spring of 2001. For details and updates, see conference webpage (URL: http://www.networkx.net/~sparrow/rrf2001.html).
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. 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/
*25th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WATERBIRD SOCIETY 2001 - the Silver Anniversary meeting of the Waterbird Society (originally the Colonial Waterbird Group) will be held at the Sheraton Fallsview Conference Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, 7-11 Nov 2001. Two symposia are planned with concurrent sessions in the late morning and early afternoon each day and field trips on the last day. Tentative symposia titles are : "Waterbirds of the Great Lakes" and "Waterbird Foraging Decision". For further information on the scientific program contact PETER FREDERICK (352-846-0565, pcf@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU). Field trips will be on 11 Nov. Questions about arrangements can be sent to the Local Committee Chair CHIP WESELOH (PH: 416-739-5846, EM: Chip.Weseloh@ec.gc.ca). Further details are on the Society webpage (URL: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/birdnet/cws/).
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).
*THE PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP, 29th Annual Meeting (20-24 Feb 2002) will be held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in Santa Barbara, California. The meeting will feature symposia on "Oil and California's Seabirds" and "Status and conservation of the White Pelican", within a full scientific program on 21-23 Feb; committees will meet on 20 Feb. Field trips to the Channel Islands will be offered before (19-20 Feb) and after the meeting (24 Feb). For general information, contact HARRY CARTER, U.S. Geological Survey, 6924 Tremont Road, Dixon, CA 95620 (PH: 707-678-0682 x625; EM: Harry_Carter@usgs.gov) or SARAH FANGMAN, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 (PH: 805-884-1473; EM: sarah.fangman@cinms.nos.noaa.gov). For information about the scientific program, contact LISA BALLANCE, NOAA, NMFS, SW Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 (PH: 858-546-7173; EM: lisa.ballance@noaa.gov). For meeting updates, check the PSG web page (URL: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/PacBirds/index.html).
*THE 9th ALASKA BIRD CONFERENCE, 6-8 Mar 2002, Wedgewood Resort, Fairbanks, Alaska. All inquiries/suggestions regarding this meeting should be sent to NANCY DEWITT at the Alaska Bird Observatory (EM: ndewitt@alaskabird.org).
*PARTNERS IN FLIGHT CONSERVATION PLANS: A WORKSHOP ON IMPLEMENTATION AND INTEGRATION IN THE AMERICAS will be held 20-24 Mar 2002 at the Asilomar State Park Conference Center in Monterey, California. The focus will be on implementing conservation actions identified in Partners In Flight Bird Conservation Plans in coordination with objectives from other major bird initiatives -- the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the U. S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and the North American Colonial Waterbird Conservation Plan. Conference sessions will include Project Case Studies, Species and Habitat Monitoring, Outreach to New Partners, Education and Information, Birding Economics, Measuring Success, International Cooperative Projects, Research Progress and Applications, the Interface of Biology and Politics, and Strategic Planning for the Next Decade. A poster session, large vendor display and field trips will be offered. There will be opportunities for adjunct meetings of committees, working groups and other entities. A proceedings also will be published. For further information, see http://www.prbo.org/PIF/NPIF2002.htm or contact TERRY RICH (EM: terry_rich@fws.gov) or C. J. RALPH (EM: cjr2@axe.humboldt.edu).
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.
23rd 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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SCULPTOR TONY ANGELL is named Woodson Art Museum's 2001 Master Wildlife Artist. The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin, has named sculptor Tony Angell as its 2001 Master Wildlife Artist. Angell will receive the award at the opening of Birds in Art on 7 Sep 2001. As the Woodson's 23rd Master Artist, Angell will be represented by a selection of sculptures carved in a variety of stones, including marble, slate, and basalt. The artist will present a free public program at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sep 8, exploring what he describes as "the resistance and the momentum in stone carving." Birds in Art, on view from 8 Sep - 4 Nov 2001, will feature more than 110 original international artworks, creating a perfect blend for art lovers and birds lovers alike, and will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue. For more information, contact the Woodson Art Museum at 715-845-7010 or museum@lywam.org.
PETER CAPAINOLO has accepted a position as Scientific Assistant in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History. His contact information is: Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History,CPW @ 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192. PH:212-313-7781, FX:212-769-5759, EM:pcap@amnh.org.
MICHAEL W. COLLOPY has left the USGS to become Chair of the Department of Environmental and Resource Sciences, University of Nevada, 1000 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512-0013. PH: 775-784-4773, EM: mcollopy@cabnr.unr.edu
MATT JOHNSON has accepted a Habitat Ecologist position in the Department of Wildlife at Humboldt State University. He can now be reached at: Dept. Wildlife, Humboldt State Univ., 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521. PH: 707-826-3218, FX: 707-826-4060, EM: matt.d.johnson@bigfoot.com, URL: http://www.humboldt.edu/~mdj6
W. RUSS MCCLAIN has left his position at the WV Division of Natural Resources, Nongame section, and has taken a position as Conservation Ecologist at the Joint Central Appalachian Office of The Nature Conservancy. His new address is: The Nature Conservancy, Joint Central Appalachian Program, The Wilt Building, 21 Third Street, Suite 4, Elkins, WV 26241. PH: 304-637-0160, FX: 304-637-0584, EM: rmcclain@tnc.org.
S. DILLON RIPLEY, a fellow and elective member of the AOU, and a life member of both the COS and WOS, died 12 Mar 2001 in Washington, DC. at the age of 87. He was renowned for his many ornithological accomplishments, and served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1964 to 1984.
GEORGE B. SAUNDERS, member of the AOU since 1925, Elective Member in 1947, and member of the WOS, died 1 Feb 2001 at his home in Vero Beach, Florida, at the age of 93. He was one of the oldest members.
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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:
BASSETT, C. AUDRA. School of Forestry and Wood Products, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931. EM: cabasset@mtu.edu
SHEPHERD, WILLIAM M., JR. 2805 Linden, Apt. 3, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-5964 PH: 501-455-0698, EM: Stoneax63@hotmail.com.
THILL, RONALD E. PH: 936-569-7981, FX: 936-569-9681, EM: rthill@fs.fed.us.
WOEHLER, DR ERIC J. 37 Parliament St., Sandy Bay, Hobart TAS 7005 AUSTRALIA. PH: 61 3 6223 1980, FX: 61 3 6232 3351, EM: eric.woehler@aad.gov.au.
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All contents copyright © 2001 The Ornithological Societies of North America. All Rights Reserved.