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NUMBER 147, April 2002
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.osnabirds.org
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
NOMINATIONS FOR AOU OFFICERS AND ELECTIVE COUNCILORS must be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting, i.e. by 26 Jun 2002 Contact Secretary M. ROSS LEIN (EM: mrlein@ucalgary.ca) for more information.
AOU FELLOWS AND ELECTIVE MEMBERS ARE REMINDED that nominations for new members of these classes must reach the Secretary five months before the Stated Meeting, i.e. by 26 Apr 2002 Nominators must first obtain instructions and forms for 2002 from the Chair of the Committee on Nomination of Fellows and Elective Members, KEITH L. BILDSTEIN, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1700 Hawk Mountain Road, Kempton, PA 19529-9449 (PH: 610-756- 6961, FX: 610-756-4468, EM: bildstein@hawkmountain.org), or from the Secretary, M. ROSS LEIN, Department of Biology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CANADA (PH: 403-220-6549, FX: 403-289-9311, EM: mrlein@ucalgary.ca), or from any AOU officer. For additional information, see the Dec 2001 Ornithological Newsletter.
ART EXHIBIT FOR 2002 NAOC in New Orleans. We are planning a show with the theme "The Audubon Legacy: The Ornithologist as Artist." If you are an ornithologist who is also a bird artist or illustrator we would like to include your work. To qualify as an ornithologist, one must have authored as well as illustrated at least one paper, article, or book of a technical or semipopular nature. We want to show a variety of items including field guide plates, technical illustrations, new species portraits, and even purely decorative pieces. We will be able to show several works from each artist, the number depending on number of participants. Artists may offer their works for sale. If you wish to participate, further details are available from H. DOUGLAS PRATT (EM: hpratt@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu) or JOHN P. O'NEILL (EM: PARDUSCO@aol.com).
WATERBIRDS, the journal of the Waterbird Society, is changing from three issues a year to four issues a year.
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THE NORTH AMERICAN WATERBIRD CONSERVATION INITIATIVE is continuing its work facilitating planning and implementation of waterbird conservation in Canada, USA, Mexico, Caribbean and Central America. The second draft of the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan - Colonial Waterbirds is available for review and comment at http://www.nawcp.org. Comments on the plan should be sent by email to WaterbirdComments@usgs.gov., or to the addresses given below. Regional planning is underway across the Plan area. NAWCI sponsored a workshop on Marshbird Conservation in Aug, 2001, which will lead to the development of a marshbird component to the continental plan. Ornithologists and conservationists interested in participating in Regional Waterbird Planning Task Forces or in the development of a continental plan for marshbirds should contact JIM KUSHLAN (EM: Jkushlan@aol.com), MELANIE STEINKAMP (EM:Melanie_Steinkamp@usgs.gov), or JENNIFER WHEELER (EM:Jennifer_A_Wheeler@fws.gov).
THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (BNA) is nearly complete thanks to the support and efforts of the entire OSNA membership. The final three volumes will be published by the end of this year--a decade-long project that many thought could never be done. Thanks and congratulations; your project, your effort. Only 200 copies of the series remain and our goal is to sell all of them this year. We are requesting your help in this final push to place this landmark publication in as many libraries as possible. Does your local public library have a copy? Your local bird club or nature center? Please help us find libraries that will purchase a copy of BNA. Many small libraries have copies in their collection. Late last year, for example, the Ephrata (PA) Public Library, Concord College (WV), Hamilton (Ontario) Naturalists Club, and the Santa Ana Watershed Association (CA) all purchased copies of BNA. With one purchase of BNA, a small library can have a comprehensive collection of reference material on North American birds for their students or visitors. We are glad to work with you to help place this in your library. We can supply you with one or more copies of our Fundraising Kit, which includes a sample species profile, descriptive material, ordering information and more. These sample packets can help demonstrate to librarians the depth and magnitude of the series. Please contact us for your copies of these packets: Bird of North America, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (PH: 888-373-7900; EM: bna@birdsofna.org). Information is also available on our web page, www.birdsofna.org. Remember, this is the last chance for libraries to purchase the series. The remaining 200 copies are selling quickly. Thanks again for your help and congratulations on a great effort.
The 2002 NATURAL SOUND RECORDING WORKSHOP runs from 1-8 Jun at San Francisco State University's Sierra Nevada Field Campus situated in the Tahoe National Forest. Learn state-of-the-art techniques recording the sounds of wildlife with experts from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds. Topics to be covered include the selection and application of audio recorders and microphones; recording theory; metering; recording techniques; and documentation for sound recordings. Unique to this course is an introduction to microcomputer-based sound analysis. There are daily field recording sessions and lecture/discussions. Instructors are GREG BUDNEY, Curator of the Library of Natural Sounds; RANDOLPH S. LITTLE, Laboratory Associate with extensive recording experience; and DAVID S. HERR, another experienced recordist. Accommodations are rustic but comfortable. Workshop fee is $695.00 (includes tuition, class materials, ground transportation, food and lodging). Enrollment is secured with a non-refundable $100 deposit. Enrollment application and deposit deadline is 18 Apr 2002. Balance is due by 8 May. Participation is limited to 20. Participants may register for 2 college credit hours, at $50.00 per unit hour, through the San Francisco State University's Biology Dept. Participants should plan to bring a recording system and tape. A limited number of sound recording systems are available for loan to participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For more details, write or call the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 (PH: 607-254-2404; FX: 607-254-2439; EM: macaulaylibrary@cornell.edu; WEB: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/lns/).
RAPTOR WORKSHOP: A 6-day workshop entitled "Introduction to Raptor Field Techniques" will be held 2-6 Jun 2002 in Stevens Point, WI by Eugene Jacobs of the Linwood Springs Research Station. Field trips to active raptor nests will provide first hand experience with: capturing and handling techniques, nest searching, broadcast call surveys, tree climbing and rappelling, habitat sampling, telemetry equipment and more. Cost is $350 and space is limited. For more information visit http://www.raptorresearch.com or contact EUGENE JACOBS (EM: lsrs@raptorresearch.com).
STUDY ABOUT GRADUATE STUDENTS--What makes an undergraduate student an outstanding candidate for graduate school in ornithology? Please help answer this question by contributing to a study being carried out for the Wilson Ornithological Society. Students in Ph.D. programs or persons who already have the Ph.D., including advisors of graduate students in ornithology, are requested to answer a questionnaire posted on the internet at http://nhm.ku.edu/komar/questionnaire.doc. It should only take a few minutes of your time (most questions are yes/no or multiple choice). The results will be compiled and analyzed, and presented at a symposium on education in ornithology organized by the Wilson Ornithological Society for the North American Ornithological Conference, during 25-28 Sep 2002, in New Orleans.
BINOCULARS WANTED for Kakamega Environmental Education Program (KEEP). The threatened Kakamega Forest is an Important Bird Area, the only remnant in Kenya of the Guineo-Congolian forest, that in the past millennium stretched across the entire expanse of Central Africa. KEEP is a locally based community group offering environmental education to local schools and the community at large. KEEP is looking for the donation of used binoculars and/or bird recording equipment to assist the program. Please consider donating spare but usable binoculars to be sent directly to the program. For more information about KEEP and how you can make a donation, please contact WILLIAM (BUD) WIDDOWSON, PO Box 1114, Woodland, CA, 95776-1114. (PH: 530-661- 0514, EM: widdowson@humboldt1.com).
DUETTING WORKSHOP AT ISBE 2002. Anyone going to the ISBE at Montreal and keen to discuss research on duetting? We will meet on 7 Jul (registration day) between 1:30 and 5:00PM to talk about issues of interest - traditional and trendy hypotheses, recording and analyzing duets, playback and removal, social context of duetting and evolutionary studies on duetters. We aim to consolidate hypotheses for duetting and discuss how best to test them. If you'd like to come and contribute, contact AMY ROGERS (EM: amy_c_rogers@hotmail.com), MICHELLE HALL (EM: Michelle.Hall@anu.edu.au), and DAN MENNILL (EM: mennilld@biology.queensu.ca).
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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.
AOU, OC SUBMIT COMMENTS ON DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR DOUBLE- CRESTED CORMORANTS - The AOU Conservation Committee, chaired by Jeff Walters, has submitted comments on the draft management plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The AOU review was written by J. Michael Reed, Ph.D., Chair, Tufts University, Douglas Causey, Ph.D., Harvard University, Jeremy Hatch, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Boston, Fred Cooke, Ph.D., Simon Fraser University (retired), and Larry Crowder, Ph.D., Duke University. They concluded that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is significantly flawed because: 1) the scientific evidence supporting the proposed action is weak; 2) the analysis of the data is simplistic; 3) the proposed management plan is inadequate and ineffective; 4) the consequences of the proposed action are punitive instead of mitigatory; and 5) the assessment of success is based on public perception, and not on scientific results. Furthermore, the report faulted the findings of the DEIS for treating perceptions and sociology in the same way as scientific findings, confusing economics with natural history, and disregarding geographic scale. The comments submitted by the Ornithological Council focused on the more pragmatic issue of implementation. Based upon our knowledge of the staffing and funding situation at USFWS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS assistance and expertise will almost certainly be needed), OC asserted that these agencies lack the resources to implement a management plan properly. Critical functions for proper implementation include data collection and analysis and monitoring. With the USGS and USFWS already struggling to meet the demands placed upon them for research and management of natural resources, it is hard to fathom how this extensive monitoring and data analysis can be achieved. In addition, OC objected to the allocation of scarce resources for an effort that, according to the AOU report, is poorly justified. Those resources could and should be allocated to the far more pressing need to address the declines in the populations of hundreds of bird species in the United States.
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE LAUNCHES PERMIT ISSUANCE AND TRACKING SYSTEM - The USFWS has been working on a computer tracking system for permits for several years. Known as the "Service Permit Issuance and Tracking System" or "SPITS" the system is finally operational and in service, tracking permits issued by the CITES Office of Management Authority, the Division of Migratory Bird Management, Endangered Species Program, and Law Enforcement. This searchable database allows the USFWS to track permit actions by permit type, species or groups of species covered by the permit, number of individuals covered, permit denials, and location of authorized activities to the state and local level. It also allows the USFWS to track take activities reported annually by permittees by species and year. The USFWS reports that currently, certain species data in SPITS are incomplete, but progress is being made to improve data input and output capability, with priority given to permits that authorize take from the wild. SPITS enhancements are continuously under development; current objectives including developing a mechanism for electronic submission of migratory bird annual report data directly into SPITS, including electronic submission by permittees, and, ultimately, electronic application submission. Of course, none of this will happen until the USFWS is permitted to restore its website to the internet. The Ornithological Council has been closely monitoring the development of SPITS and continues to urge the USFWS to include data on the reason for permit denials. We also encourage the Division of Refuges to join in the use of SPITS.
OC TO PROVIDE FACT SHEET ON RISKS OF WEST NILE VIRUS TO RESEARCHERS - In recent months, the Ornithological Council has become aware of questions concerning the potential risk of WNV to researchers. We would like to provide our members with the most current, accurate information on this subject. Recently, we have fielded several questions, and have come to realize that there is no single source of complete and up-to-date information. It is our hope that by providing this information, researchers and their universities can make informed decisions about what preventive measures, if any, they should be taking. In some cases, universities are requiring field ornithologists to wear protective clothing in the field (which can make it difficult to handle live birds and may also raise unnecessary alarm should a member of the public happen upon the research site). In at least one case, a researcher has elected to stop holding field demonstrations for his classes and may stop conducting field research. We have asked Robert G. McLean, director of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, to compile a fact sheet that we can distribute to ornithologists, addressing:1) the extent of the known risk; 2) the state of the research; 3) the strategies to address IACUC/university concerns with regard to researcher and student safety. Dr. McLean, a leading researcher on WNV, has agreed to write this fact sheet for OC.
MUTE SWANS TO BE PROTECTED UNDER MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT - A federal appeals court (U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit) ruled on 28 Dec 2001 that Mute Swans in Maryland and 12 other states (The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has jurisdiction over federal agencies; the states in question are those with Mute Swan populations) must be protected under federal law. Joyce Hill, a Dorchester County resident, and Kathryn Burton, the Connecticut-based founder and president of Save Our Swans USA, argued that when Congress ordered the federal government (referring to the Migratory Bird Treat Act or MBTA) to protect "wild ducks, geese and swans," that included mute swans. Hill and Burton lost in federal trial court (District Court) a year ago. But the three-judge appeals panel said it was "plain" that mute swans are swans, and therefore must be protected under the federal act. Relying on the language of the treaties that are implemented by the MBTA - two of these expressly refer to anatidae or geese, swans, and ducks - and the lack of a provision in the treaties, the MBTA, or the regulations issued by the USFWS for the exclusion of non-native species, the Court ruled that the USFWS must include Mute Swans on the list. The ruling has halted, at least temporarily, a long-planned state effort to control the swans' exploding population in Chesapeake Bay waters. The panel said the federal government can, within the limits of the migratory bird law, take steps to control the damage done by mute swans, including possibly hunting, capturing or killing them. Those desiring an explanation of the legal decision, which has implications for the validity of the entire list of birds protected under the MBTA, should contact ELLEN PAUL (EM: epaul@concentric.net), 8722 Preston Place, Chevy Chase, MD 20815).
AMENDMENT TO SENATE VERSION OF FARM BILL WOULD EXCLUDE RATS, MICE, AND BIRDS FROM ANIMAL WELFARE ACT - Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) offered an amendment to the Farm Bill to exclude rats, mice, and birds from the Animal Welfare Act about 13 minutes before the deadline for amendments. The amendment was accepted by the Senate on a voice vote. As there is no analogous provision in the House version of the Farm Bill, this provision could be deleted during the conference committee process. This is the latest chapter in the long-running battle by animal welfare activists to force the USDA to extend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to rats, mice, and birds. Since the inception of the AWA, the USDA has taken the position that the AWA does not apply to birds, rats, and mice. In fact, these taxa were expressly exempted by the USDA regulations that implement the AWA. The amendment of the AWA to exclude these taxa may have little or no effect on most researchers and research facilities. The Public Health Service (PHS) Extension Act applies to all research activities involving all vertebrates. The National Science Foundation and other funders have adopted the PHS standards. Furthermore, under the PHS regulations, universities are required to give the National Institutes of Health (which administers those regulations) an "assurance" document that details the institutions' compliance with those regulations. Violation of the assurance can result in ineligibility for federal research funds. Whatever the reason, it has been the case that IACUCs have been reviewing all vertebrate research protocols for many years. In terms of facilities standards, the PHS assurance again pertains to all vertebrates, and further, at least 121 universities voluntarily obtain accreditation under the exacting standards of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International), which covers all vertebrates. However, it is entirely possible that if birds are included under the AWA, facilities holding birds will be required to undergo inspection by APHIS (which entails the payment of a user fee). It is even possible that APHIS inspectors would be required to inspect field research sites - again, at the expense of the researcher.
OC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS - OC has welcomed new board members - Mauricio Cervantes Brego, who is the new president of CIPAMEX and José Manuel Galindo Jaramillo, who is the new secretary of CIPAMEX
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SHOREBIRDERS: Please keep your eyes on Pluvialis plover legs during spring and fall migrations; a marked bird may come your way! We've been banding golden-plovers (Pacific and American) and Black-bellied Plovers for many years at Oahu, HI and/or Nome, AK. More recently, we started marking Pacific Golden-Plovers at Johnston Atoll. Each bird wears a USF&WS metal band plus some combination of color-bands (a few have flags). It is important to record the exact sequence on each leg, and whether there is a color-band above or below the metal band. Send observations with as much information as possible to: WALLY JOHNSON, Dept. of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (EM: owjohnson2105@aol.com; PH: 406-587-7305; FX: 406-994-3190) or PHIL BRUNER, Natural Sciences Div., BYU-Hawaii, Laie, HI 96762 (EM: brunerp@BYUH.edu; PH: 808-293-3820; FX: 808-293-3825).
IMPACTS OF PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ON BIRDS: The Natural Trails and Waters Coalition is interested in learning about research documenting the impacts of motorized personal watercraft (also known by trade names such as Jet Ski and Wave Runner) on bird populations. The Coalition includes conservation, recreation and other groups working to protect public lands and waters from the serious damage caused by dirt bikes, snowmobiles, jet skis and other off-road vehicles. The Coalition is beginning to build a library of scientific studies and articles concerning the impacts of motorized vehicles and roads on wildlife and other natural resources. Completed and on-going research is of equal interest. Please feel free to contact: SCOTT KOVAROVICS, Natural Trails and Waters Coalition (PH: 202-429-2696, EM: ntwc@naturaltrails.org).
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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.
2002 NABS RESEARCH GRANT RECIPIENTS--The following individuals are 2002 recipients of research grants from the North American Bluebird Society. This is the 18th year that NABS has given such awards. John Citta, University of Montana, Missoula, Ph.D. research "Population Dynamics of Mountain Bluebirds;" Scott Schlossberg, University of Illinois, Champaign, Ph.D. research, "Effects of Livestock Grazing on Bird Populations;" Kathryn Aitken, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Ph.D. research, "Untangling the 'Nest Web': Nest-site Selection, Limitations and Reuse in a Community of Cavity-nesting Birds;" Dr. Caren Cooper, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, "How Does Geographic Variation in Nest Box Temperature Influence Incubation Schedules."
A TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT for $10,000 has been awarded to Eve Iverson to do an agricultural education project using homing pigeons. The project will be done at Emery High School in Emeryville (between Oakland and Berkeley)California USA. This is an inner city school which is in the process of setting up an agricultural education program complete with a loft. She has also developed a full curriculum on teaching science using pigeons. This will be tested during 2002-2003 and will then be published for other teachers (or fanciers) to use. The grant was awarded at the TAPESTRY banquet, 27 Mar 2002, at the 50th National Science Teachers Association to be held at San Diego, California. She is also looking for volunteers to help establish the loft and work with the students and teachers. EVE IVERSON, 1953 22nd Street, San Pablo, California 94806 USA (PH: 510-232-2817).
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"NEBRASKA BREEDING BIRD ATLAS, 1984-1989," by Wayne J. Mollhoff. 2001. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Softcover, 233 pp, $29.00 (includes shipping & handling. The first survey of the state's breeding birds to be based on systematic, statewide fieldwork, confirmed 191 breeding species, plus an additional 7 probable breeders. As expected for a state at a geographical and biological crossroads of the continent, numerous species meet their north- south or east-west limits in the state. 125+ field workers spent 6 summers surveying 443 blocks across the state. Copies may be ordered with a check or money order payable to the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union. Address for orders is: Librarian, Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, W436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.
"BIRDS: THEIR HABITS AND SKILLS", Allen & Unwin publishing (distributed by IPG), Apr 2002. Paperback, $15.95, ISBN: 1-8508-376-3. 272 pages, 6 x 9, 26 color photos, 20 b & w photos. This book describes the fascinating behaviors and physiology of birds of all shapes and sizes from the birds in cities to the wild birds in rainforests, deserts, plains, and coastal regions. Topics discussed include bird evolution and why some birds have well-developed senses and memory, the wise diversity of courtship rituals and territorial displays, and the art of nest building. Plus, *Birds* includes discussion of the current risks to the future welfare of birds. In short, *Birds* explains why these creatures do the things they do, so that people can more fully enjoy, understand, and respect the remarkable birds they see every day. Order information: The book will be available in all major bookstores and also available through IPG (PH: 1-800-888-4741, URL: http:// www.ipgbook.com)
"BIRDING ACROSS NORTH AMERICA: A NATURALIST'S OBSERVATIONS" by Philip E. Keenan, 2002. Timber Press. 260 pp., 107 color photos, 2 b/w photos, 1 color map, 6 x 9", hardcover, ISBN: 0-88192-528-4. List price: $29.95 plus shipping and handling. While this book mostly resembles a memoir, the book also contains elements of field guide, travelogue and travel guide, and backyard how-to. We get to know this man with his well-defined philosophies of life and his passionate curiosity toward nature. Keenan explains his admiration for the phenomenon of migration expounds his opinions about domestic cats and the common pigeon, and reveals tips for making your backyard as hospitable as possible for your favorite species. Readers will share his frustrations over persistent squirrels, and take eager not of his favorite locations for spotting one bird or another. His tales traverse North America as he watches birds in their homes or their stopping over points during long migrations, and span decades from his childhood in New Hampshire to Army days in Alabama, to post-retirement visits to the southwest. Available from Timber Press, Inc., 133 SW Second Ave., Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527. (PH: 800-327-5680, 503-227-2878, FX: 503-227-3070, URL: http://www.timberpress.com, EM: publicity@timberpress.com).
"OREGON BREEDING BIRD ATLAS," by Paul R. Adamus, Kit Larsen, Greg Gillson, and Craig R. Miller (2001). This CD-ROM is the sole product from a statewide project involving over 800 volunteers. Bird presence/absence and likely breeding status was surveyed in contiguous units that spanned the state comprehensively. Surveys were at two spatial scales (grid cells of 25 sq. km. and 245 sq. km). Habitats were mapped integrally with distribution of bird species that use those habitats. Habitat-based predictions of species occurrence ("gap analyses") were tested at a statewide scale and broad distribution of each species was also modeled statistically. The CD includes detailed maps and narratives for 275 species, and habitat relationships information and models. Researchers can download the complete 120,000+ project database and ancillary environmental data. Works on either PC or Mac. For examples, see: http://thebirdguide.com/atlas/atlas.htm. Available for $25 from Oregon Field Ornithologists, P.O. Box 10373, Eugene, OR 97440. All proceeds from CD sale help support small grants for research on biogeography of Oregon birds.
"A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF WESTERN AFRICA" by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey, 2002. Princeton University Press. 816 pages, 147 color plates, over 1,100 color maps, 6½ x 9½. ISBN:0-691-09520-5, cloth $75.00. (Not for sale in the Commonwealth (except Canada) and the European Union). This is a major new guide covering the birds of all western African countries, from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Chad and the Central African Republic and south to Congo. No other field guide covers this region exclusively and in such comprehensive depth. The illustrations depict almost all of the 1,285 species described. Detailed species accounts cover all identification criteria, including differences between similar species, voice, habits, habitat, breeding, distribution, and status. The text also features numerous line drawings illustrating particular aspects of behavior and identification.
AAZN PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR SALE: "International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, 4th edition" (1999).-- List price is $65.00, but individual members of any scientific society or students are eligible for a 25% discount, or $48.00, on single copies purchased for personal use. Institutions or agencies ordering 5 or more copies also receive a 25% discount ($48.00 each). Individual members of AAZN receive a 40% discount, or $39.00, for single copies for personal use. DAVID G. SMITH, MRC-159, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20560-0159 (PH: 202-633-9786). Return to Top
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FREE MIST NETS to good and needy home! I am looking to donate mist nets to those in need, especially to people doing work in the tropics. We have 2.6m nets (10), 6m nets (32), and 12m nets (6), to give away. All are 38mm mesh, suitable for catching passerines. Many of these are old Japanese nets that are in decent condition. The others are repairable but do have holes. All are usable assuming a bit of net repair work. Please contact SUZANNE CARDINAL for more information (EM: cactus_wren3@yahoo.com PH: 928-523-7373). A copy of your banding permit will be required before nets can be sent.
FOR SALE: A naturalist's life collection of Natural History pamphlets mostly ornithological. Approximately 2000+ selected subject titles in metal file boxes, with inventory lists. Call or write for price. Shipping at cost. "Naturalist's Bookshelf, 4087 Burgen Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116 (PH: 314-752-6285).
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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
67TH NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONFERENCE, 3-7 Apr 2002, at the Hyatt Regency, Dallas. The theme is "Compassionate, Conservative Conservation through the Lens of T.R.'s Legacy."Among the six special sessions are: "Amending the Endangered Species Act: Is ESA Threatened or Endangered?", "Energy and Conservation: Does Big Oil Mix with Big Game?", and "Conservation and the 2002 Farm Bill: Plowing New Ground." For additional information about the conference contact JAMES WOEHR or RICHARD MCCABE, Wildlife Management Institute, 202-371-1808. For detailed information sessions, go to http://www.wildlifemgt.org/wmi.
THE ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS annual meeting will be held jointly with the Wilson Ornithological Society 11-14 Apr at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, Florida. Opening Reception: Corkscrew Swamp evening of the 11th. Poster Session and Reception: Friday night , Whitaker Hall, FGCU Banquet: Saturday in the Sprint room at Whitaker Hall , FGCU Scientific Paper Sessions: These will be held in Whitaker Hall on the FGCU campus. Field Trips: Field trips scheduled Friday, Saturday & Sunday mornings to some of the premier birding areas in North America including: Corkscrew Swamp Audubon Sanctuary and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve area are within easy driving distance. Lodging: At exit 21 on I-75: Comfort Suites Airport, 13651 Indian Paint Lane, Ft. Myers 33912, (PH: 941-768-0005); Sleep Inn Airport, 13651 Indian Paint Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (PH: 941-561-1117) For more information and updates about registration and call for abstracts visit the AFO web site at http://www.afonet.org/
*THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY will meet jointly with the Association of Field Ornithologists 11-14 Apr in Fort Meyers, Florida (see details in the AFO announcement). The meeting announcement was sent out in Feb as a special AFO Newsletter. There will be a special symposium on Red-cockaded Woodpeckers Saturday afternoon including talks by Richard Conner, Frances James, Jerome Jackson, Craig Rudolph, Jeff Walters, Daniel Saenz, Charles Hess, Reed Bowman, and Todd Engstrom. The local host, JEROME A. JACKSON, can be reached at picus@fgcu.edu
EASTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION annual meeting 19-21 Apr 2002 at the Comfort Inn "The Pointe" at Niagara Falls, New York. For information please contact MARY & JOHN FORNESS, 3086 Haskell Road, Cuba, New York 14727-9432 (PH/FX: 716-968-1978, EM: rlhawk@eznet.net).
The ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY's 39TH ANNUAL MEETING will be held 13-17 Jul 2002 at Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. We have an exciting schedule planned including a keynote address by Felicity Huntingford, a special talk by E.O. Wilson, winner of the ABS Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Award, and ABS Fellows lectures by Michael Beecher and Kay Holekamp. Symposia include 'Animal behavior and multilevel selection', 'New perspectives on mechanisms of evolution in communication systems', 'Applied animal behavior and the integration of behavioral knowledge' and 'The ultimate (and proximate) infant: What we know, what we do not'. For further information see http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Program, or contact the local hosts EM LIA MARTINS (EM: emartins@bio.indiana.edu) and MEREDITH WEST (EM: mewest@indiana.edu).
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. A copy of this brochure can be obtained 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.
CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED RESTORATION CONFERENCE: RIPARIAN AND WETLAND STEWARDSHIP, 24-26 Sep 2002, at the Omni Inner Harbor Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland. You are invited to attend as an attendee or speaker! Vital efforts are underway in the Chesapeake Bay region to work at a watershed level to protect and restore wetland and riparian habitats. This conference will allow people to share critical information regarding watershed conditions, riparian and wetland restoration science, and the tools and techniques used for watershed restoration. Much information applies to wetlands nationwide. Attendees: Attendees are from state and federal agencies, universities, conservation organizations, firms, and citizen groups. Topics focus broadly on: *assessment and characterization of watershed conditions; *riparian and wetland restoration science *approaches, tools and techniques for protection and restoration. Exhibits will feature products, services and assistance in wetland restoration. Poster sessions highlight the latest science. Breakouts will facilitate discussions and solutions. The Chesapeake Bay Conference is sponsored by the Potomac Watershed Partnership (Ducks Unlimited, USDA Forest Service, Maryland DNR Forest Service, Virginia Department of Forestry), in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Stroud Water Research Center. For more info: 1. Visit The Potomac Conservancy website at http://www.potomac.org or 2. send your name, address, phone and email address to hannahk@kiva.net. You will receive information on registration AND how to respond to the call for papers. Deadline for call for papers response is 25 Feb 2002. Registration info will be available May 2002. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conference, c/o HANNAH KIRCHNER, POB 144, Paoli, IN 47454 (PH: 812-723-0088, EM: hannahk@kiva.net).
*3RD NORTH AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE, New Orleans, Louisiana, 24-30 Sep 2002. Hosted by Tulane University and The Audubon Institute, the theme is "Birds on the Bayou: In the footsteps of Audubon". The main venue will be the Intercontinental Hotel, located just 3 blocks from the famous French Quarter. The Conference is being hosted by The American Ornithologists' Union, The Cooper Ornithological Society, The Raptor Research Foundation, the Society for Canadian Ornithologists/ Société des Ornithologistes du Canada, The Society of Caribbean Ornithology, and Sección Mexicana del Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves (CIPAMEX). Other groups wishing to meet in conjunction with the 3rd NAOC should contact the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, PHIL STOUFFER (EM: stouffer@selu.edu) as soon as possible. The Conference will consist of symposia, workshops and roundtables, contributed oral presentations, and poster sessions. The circular and call for papers and posters for the meeting is available on the Conference homepage (see below). Deadline for early registration, paper and poster abstracts, and applications for student travel and presentation awards is 3 May 2002. Plenary addresses will be presented by: Thomas E. Martin, Theo Colborn, John Avise, and Kenneth Able. Meeting Symposia - The ecology of cavity nesters: Keystone processes, Island treasures: Avian research and conservation in the Caribbean, Problems and opportunities in avian deep phylogenetics, Physiological ecology of migration: How to fly, fast, and feed enroute, Satellite telemetry of birds, Natural climate variability and birds: Recent advances in our understanding of worldwide climate systems, and an examination of their effect on avian population dynamics, Celebrating 100 years of bird banding in North America, and Conservation and ecology of disturbance-dependent birds. Other symposia, workshops and roundtables can be found on the Conference homepage. Teacher Workshop - A bird-themed workshop for New Orleans-area public school teachers will be held 21 - 22 Sep. For more information contact DAVID BROWN; (EM: dbrown5@tulane.edu; PH: 985-419-2818). Tuesday night's opening reception will be at the Audubon Institute's Aquarium of the Americas, featuring a variety of Cajun dishes. Thursday night is a "picnic" at the House of Blues, featuring Blues and Zydeco music and traditional New Orleans fare. Saturday night's banquet will be followed by dancing to a traditional Cajun French band, Les Freres Michot. A highlight of the meeting will be an art exhibition featuring the works of artists who also are research ornithologists. A variety of field trips will be designed to highlight both typical and distinctive birds. The dinner for the Fellows and council of the AOU and officers of other societies will be a cajun buffet at Michauls (URL: http://www.michauls.com). As more information becomes available, it will be posted on the Conference homepage at http://www.tulane.edu/~naoc-02/. For more information concerning the Conference, contact the co-organizers: TOM SHERRY (EM: tsherry@tulane.edu) or KIMBERLY SMITH (EM: kgsmith@uark.edu).
*THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY 9TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE (24-28 Sep 2002) "Excellence in Wildife Stewardship through Science and Education; Bismarck, ND. For information, please contact: The Wildlife Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 (EM: tws@wildlife.org, PH: 301-897-9770, FX: 301-530-2471, URL: http://www.wildlife.org).
THE VIITH NEOTROPICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will take place in Puerto Varas (Xth Region), Chile, from Sun, 5 Oct through Sat,11 Oct 2003. Puerto Varas, a friendly town of about 35,000, is 10 km N of Puerto Montt, an easy to reach, economical, and well-known travel destination in the beautiful Lake District of Chile. The Puerto Varas Congress Center, with its meeting rooms and related facilities perched on a hill overlooking Lake Llanquihue and the Volcano Osorno, is only an 800-meters walk from downtown Puerto Varas, where participants will lodge and dine in their selection of hotels, hostels, and eating facilities. A variety of pre- and post- tours throughout Chile, including Easter Island and Patagonia, will be offered. The scientific program will include plenary lectures, concurrent symposia sessions, oral papers, poster sessions, and round-table discussions. In addition, special evening sessions with talks and films are planned. English and Spanish will be the working languages of the congress. Members and non-members of the Neotropical Ornithological Society are encouraged to plan on attending this 2003 quadrennial meeting in Chile. Membership in the NOS is inexpensive and open to all with interests in the study of birds of the Neotropics, both resident as well as wintering migratory birds. See our webpage for more information (URL: http://www.neotropicalornithology.org). Some funds to help defray travel expenses will be available for NOS members needing financial support. Scientific Program details will be announced in future issues of our quarterly journal Ornitología Neotropical, in the NOS webpage, and in the VIIth Congress webpage (URL: http://www.geocities.com/kewawoman/NeoOrnSocChile2003.html). A formal Call for Papers will appear in the Apr OSNA Newsletter. The Proceedings of the VII Neotropical Ornithological Congress will be published after the congress as a special issue or supplement of Ornitología Neotropical. This publication will be peer-reviewed and edited and will include the full texts of the plenary lectures and of the symposia papers, and abstracts of the contributed papers. The VIIth Neotropical Congress Officers are as follows: President: François Vuilleumier (EM: vuill@amnh.org); Secretary General: Luis Espinosa G. (legpvar@entelchile.net), Congress Organizer for North America: M. Victoria McDonald (EM: vickiem@mail.uca.edu); Co-chairs of the Scientific Program Committee: Jaime Jiménez (EM: jjimenez@ulagos.cl), and Cristina Y. Miyaki (EM: cymiyaki@usp.br); Proceedings Committee: Editor: Raymond McNeil (EM: Raymond.McNeil@umontreal.ca); and Assistant Editor: Ivan Lazo (EM: bubo@entelchile.net).
VERTEBRATES IN SALT MARSH SYMPOSIUM, 26-28 Oct 2002 at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel Maryland. The symposium will feature research on the evolution, ecology, and conservation biology of terrestrial vertebrates in tidal marshes. The Symposium is sponsored by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and USGS. The symposium will receive financial support from USFWS. For on-going updates on the symposium please check the SMBC website at: http://natzoo.si.edu/smbc/Notesandnews/Sparrowsymposium/sparrowsymposium.htm
*2002 MEETING OF THE WATERBIRD SOCIETY. The 26th annual meeting will be held 6 - 10 Nov 2002, at the Radisson Hotel, La Crosse, WI. We invite you to share your interests, ideas and knowledge of waterbirds by attending this meeting and presenting an oral or poster paper. The scientific program will include contributed papers, a poster session, special symposia, and workshops. Contributed papers (either oral or as a poster) may be on any subject related to waterbirds. Students are encouraged to attend and present their study results; awards will be given for the best student oral and poster presentations, and some travel awards are available. Abstracts for a paper must be submitted by 15 Aug 2002. Contact SchreiberE@aol.com for scientific program information and christine_custer@usgs.gov for local arrangements information. Meeting information will be available on the Waterbird Society website in Feb. URL: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/CWS/index.html
*NORTH AMERICAN SEA DUCK CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP, Victoria, British Columbia, 6-10 Nov 2002. Sponsored by Sea Duck Joint Venture partners, this meeting will gather researchers, managers, and administrators with an interest in sea duck biology and conservation, with the intent of providing a focal point for initiating and furthering the goals of the Sea Duck Joint Venture. Activities will include science presentations to define where we are in our understanding of sea duck biology and population status, and workshops on specific issues. For more information, or to propose workshop topics or special sessions, please check out the web site (URL: http://www.seaduckjv.org/conference) or contact: DAN ESLER, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada (EM: seaducks@sfu.ca).
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEOTROPICAL RAPTORS AND HARPY EAGLE SYMPOSIUM (24-27 Oct 2002). The Peregrine Fund and Fondo Peregrino Panamá invite you to join scientists, conservationists, resource managers, falconers, representatives of zoos, government and non-governmental organizations, and other persons and institutions with an interest in research and/or conservation of birds of prey in Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in a meeting to share knowledge, interests, and concerns and help develop a network of practitioners in the fields of raptor conservation, research, captive-breeding, and falconry. For further information contact: Neotropical Raptor Conference, The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709 USA (PH: 208-362-3717, FX: 208-362-2376, EM: tpf@peregrinefund.org). Details and registration forms are also available on The Peregrine Fund's Web-site at: http://www.peregrinefund.org/nrconference.html.
NORTH AMERICAN SEA DUCK CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP, Victoria, British Columbia, 6-10 Nov 2002. Sponsored by Sea Duck Joint Venture partners, this meeting will gather researchers, managers, and administrators with an interest in sea duck biology and conservation, with the intent of providing a focal point for initiating and furthering the goals of the Sea Duck Joint Venture. Activities will include science presentations to define where we are in our understanding of sea duck biology and population status, and workshops on specific issues. For more information, or to propose workshop topics or special sessions, please contact: DAN ESLER, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada (EM:desler@sfu.ca). A web site with general information and instructions for contribution of presentations will be online soon.
*3RD INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT CONGRESS (1-5 Dec 2003) "Ki te raki ki te tonga - Ki uta ki tai (From North to South - From Mountains to Sea); Christchurch, New Zealand; hosted by Manaaki Whenua/Landcare Research (New Zealand), the Wildlife Society (USA), Australasian Wildlife Management Society, Ngai Tahu (Maori tribe of New Zealand's South Island), and the New Zealand Department of Conservation/Te Papa Atawhai. For information, please contact: 3rd IWMC, Conference Office, Centre for Continuing Education, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand (EM: wildlife@cont.canterbury.ac.nz, PH: 64 3 364 2915, FX: 64 3 354 2057, URL: http://www.conference.canterbury.ac.nz/wildlife2003).
THE NINTH NORTH AMERICAN CRANE WORKSHOP will be held 21-25 Jan 2003 in Sacramento, California. Scientific sessions and a field trip to the Sacramento River Delta are planned. A proceedings will be published immediately following the meeting. Abstracts are due 1 Dec 2001. For information and updates, including instructions on the CALL FOR PAPERS contact SCOTT G. HEREFORD (EM: Scott_Hereford@fws.gov, PH: 228-497-6322 ext 28).
THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY will hold its 2003 annual meeting at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ on 30 Apr - 3 May, 2003. The meeting is being held at the invitation of the USGS-BRD Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center and NAU. Local contact for the meeting is MARK SOGGE (928-556-7466 x232). Participants with preliminary ideas for symposia or workshops should contact Mark.
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ELSA M. ALVEAR graduated with her M.S. from Florida Atlantic University in May 2001 (co-advisors Dr. Sheila A. Mahoney and John C. Ogden) and accepted a position as an Environmental Protection Specialist with Everglades National Park in Aug 2001.
PAT KENNEDY is now an Associate Professor of Wildlife Biology at Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center which is an Oregon State University Research Center in northeastern Oregon. Her new address is: Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Station, Oregon State University, PO Box E, Union, OR 97883 USA. PH: 541-562-5129, EM: Pat.Kennedy@orst.edu
IRBY LOVETTE has moved to become Director of the new Evolutionary Biology Program at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Assistant Professor in Cornell's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. His address and contact information are: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. PH: 607-254-4220, EM: ijl2@cornell.edu, URL: www.es.cornell.edu/lovette/default.html
KARL E. MILLER has accepted the position of Avian Conservation Coordinator with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. His new contact information is: FFWCC, Bureau of Wildlife Diversity Conservation, 4005 S. Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. PH: 352-955-2230, EM: millerk@fwc.state.fl.us.
STEVEN M. SPEICH recently died. He was a longterm member of the American Ornithological Union, Cooper Ornithological Society, etc.
WAYNE THOGMARTIN has joined the USGS/BRD as a Biological Statistician modeling avian distribution in the upper Midwest. He can be reached at USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 575 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, WI 54650. PH: 608.783.7550 Ext 44. EM: wthogmartin@usgs.gov
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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:
ANDERSON, WALT. EM: geolobo@cableone.net.
JOHNSON, DOUGLAS. EM: Douglas_H_Johnson@usgs.gov
LEVALLEY, RON, Mad River Biologists, 1497 Central Ave., McKinleyville, CA 95519
MCGOWAN, KEVIN J. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850. PH: 607-254-2432, FX: 607-254-2111.
NIVEN, DR. DANIEL K., Director, Important Bird Areas Program, Audubon Science Center, 545 Almshouse Road, Ivyland, PA 18974. PH: 215-355-9588, FX: 215-355-2353, EM: dniven@audubon.org.
PURCELL, KATHRYN. EM: kpurcell@fs.fed.us.
STEVENSON, GRANT. FX: 775-242-2719, EM: thunderbirdgs@juno.com.
TVRDIK, GENEVIEVE. EM: gmtvrdik@dejazzd.com
WILLIAMS, LOVETT E., JR. EM: lew1715@inetw.net.
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