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NUMBER 155, AUGUST 2003
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
ALL ISSUES OF WILSON BULLETIN PUBLISHED BEFORE 2000 are now accessible on a University of New
Mexico library web site (URL: http://elibrary.unm.edu/wilson/ ). This is a free site, so back issues of the journal
are readily available to anyone in the world with internet access. The site is a fully searchable, so you can search
for all papers on a particular topic or species, or all publications by a particular author. Full-text reproductions of
all papers (including illustrations) are available as either PDF or DjVu files. The DjVu files work quickly and
smoothly, but you may need to download the DjVu program from Lizardtech and then install it on your hard drive.
You can do this for free from the home page of the Wilson Bulletin site at the University of New Mexico library.
REPORT OF THE SEVENTY-THIRD ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL
SOCIETY--The Cooper Ornithological Society held its 73rd annual meeting at the du Boise, Conference Center on
the Northern Arizona University Campus, Flagstaff, Arizona, 30 Apr - 3 May, 2003. MARK SOGGE chaired the
Local Committee. CHARLES VAN RIPER III chaired the Scientific Program Committee. There were 250
registrants. The program included 112 papers: 15 papers in a symposium on Sagebrush ecosystems, and 10 papers
in a symposium on Yellow-billed Cuckoo Ecology and Management, and 87 contributed papers, plus 26
contributed posters. A workshop on using estimating avian abundance also was offered. The Society's award for
lifetime achievement in ornithological research, the Miller Award, was presented to PETER and ROSEMARY
GRANT . A full citation will be published in The Condor. Terry Rich, the President of the Cooper Ornithological
Society, read the full citation. The Grants graciously accepted the award via an acceptance letter, but were unable
to attend the annual meeting. THERESA BUCHER and JOHN ROTENBERRY were recognized with Honorary
Membership to the Cooper Ornithological Society for their service to the society. Dr. BUCHER served (and is
currently serving) on the board and her expertise has been valuable as chair of the finance committee during trying
times. She also served on the Nominating for Directors, Paper Awards, Centennial Meeting, and Annual Meeting
committees. DR. ROTENBERRY has been the editor of Studies in Avian Biology for the past 10 years, has served
on the Publications and By-Laws committee, and he chaired the local committee for the 2000 annual meeting in
Riverside. Mewaldt-King Student Research Awards were presented to DAVID CERASALE, University of
Montana, "Physiological assessment of avian refueling rates during stopover," and RYAN NORRIS, Queens
University, Ontario, "Linking summer and winter events in a long distance migratory landbird." Dr. Bruce Dugger
chaired the committee and was assisted by Drs. Dan Roby and Tara Robinson. Grinnell Student Research Awards
were presented to MARK HAUSSMANN, Iowa State University, "How do long-lived birds delay
senescence--development of appropriate models and techniques," and JAMES RIVERS, University of California-
Santa Barbara, "An investigation of the proximate factors that influence begging behavior in the Brown-headed
cowbird." Dr. Cameron Galambor chaired the Grinnell Award Committee and was assisted by Drs. Robert Fleisher,
and Joseph Williams. The Cooper Ornithological Society presents four awards for outstanding student papers: the
Brazier Howell Award, the Frances F. Roberts Award, and two Board of Directors awards. KRISTINE L.
PRESTON, University of California, Riverside, received the Brazier Howell Award for her paper "Testing the
relative importance of predator and food-mediated processes controlling fecundity in an arid shrubland songbird."
KRISTIN A. COVER, Northern Arizona University, received the Francis F. Roberts Award for her paper "Winter
foraging behavior of hairy woodpeckers following wildfire" with co-authors Tad C. Theimer and William M.
Block. JAY C. CARLISLE, University of South Dakota, received one of the Board of Directors Awards for his
paper "Use of a tartrate emetic at a fall stopover site in Idaho: efficiency and effects on migrants." JEREMY R.
EGBERT, Boise State University, received one of the Board of Directors Awards for his poster "Wing shape in
house finches differs relative to migratory habit in eastern and western North America," (co-authored with James R.
Belthoff).
Through the annual balloting by all members of the Society, PATRICIA HEGLUND, JOHN MARZLUFF, and
SALLIE HEJL 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: BONNIE S. BOWEN, President; EILEEN M. KIRSCH, Secretary;
CAROL BEARDMORE, Assistant Secretary; KIMBERLY A. SULLIVAN, Treasurer; THOMAS EDWARDS,
Assistant Treasurer, DAVID DOBKIN, editor of The Condor, and JOHN T. ROTENBERRY, editor of Studies in
Avian Biology until 1 Jan 2004, and thereafter CARL MARTI will assume the office of editor of Studies in Avian
Biology. JOHN T. ROTENBERRY has been elected President-elect. The next annual meeting of the Cooper
Ornithological Society will be held at the La Crosse Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 4-9 May, 2004. EILEEN
KIRSCH is chair of the Local Committee, and TODD ARNOLD is chair of the Scientific Program Committee.
Two resolutions were passed by the Board of Directors. One concerned research on wind power electric
generation, and the other concerned National Park Service policy about deposition of biological specimens
collected for research. 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, Ornithological Council.
THE AOU RESEARCH AWARDS COMMITTEE is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2003 AOU Research Awards: ALEXA BONTRAGER, University of California-San Diego - Development and expression of a sexually selected trait: a field study; SHANNON N. BOUTON, University of Michigan - The effect of multiple environmental stressors on the behavior, growth and survival of nestling Cliff Swallows; CARLOS DANIEL CADENA, University of Missouri-St. Louis - Ecology, evolutionary history, and the distribution of Buarremon brush-finches: insights from ecological niche modeling, molecular systematics, and phylogeography; NICOLA LEANNE CHONG, University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum - The role of the MHC in mate choice of the Red-billed Gull; STEPHANIE CORREA, Cornell University - A mechanism for sex ratio manipulation in birds; MARIA JOSE FERNANDEZ, UC-Berkeley - Air density and hovering aerobic cost in the Giant Hummingbird; AARON P. GABBE, University of California-Santa Cruz- The effects of sucrose concentration on hummingbird foraging behavior: implications for the evolution of dilute sucrose concentration in hummingbird-pollinated plants; JULIE C. GARVIN, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - The effects of the immune system on extra-pair mate choice in socially monogamous bird populations; EBEN GOODALE, University of Massachusetts - The adaptive benefits of vocal mimicry in a mixed-species flock participant; MARK F. HAUSSMAN, Iowa State University - An investigation of avian physiological mechanisms of aging; JILL E. JANKOWSKI, Purdue University - Distribution of endemic species in montane rainforest and implications for their persistence; FRANS JUOLA, Bucknell University - Seasonal bias in offspring sex ratios of Great Frigatebirds; JEREMY J. KIRCHMAN, University of Florida - Historical biogeography of rails in Oceania: a molecular and morphological study of Gallirallus; JESSICA L. KOEDERITZ, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - The evolution of avian sexual dichromatism: an unbiased assessment in the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths; ELLEN MARTINSEN, University of Vermont - Diversity and host specificity of avian malaria parasites; JOHN E. McCORMACK, University of California-Los Angeles - A comparison of natural selection and genetic drift in promoting differentiation between populations of the Mexican Jay; KEVIN McGRAW, Cornell University - The physiological costs of being colorful: how nutritional stress affects carotenoid utilization; BORJA MILA, University of California-Los Angeles--Phylogeographic approaches to test the role of Pleistocene climate in the evolution of migration in New World passerines; KRISTEN J. NAVARA, Auburn University - Differential allocation of yolk content in birds: do females play favorites?; CHRISTOPHER OLSON, Iowa State University - Developmental consequences of thermal fluctuations to avian embryos; MARC C. PEDERSEN, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Extraterritorial movements of male and female Common Yellowthroats in relation to a male ornamental trait; SUSHMA REDDY, Columbia University and American Museum of Natural History - Historical biogeography of southern Asia: investigating patterns of biotic assemblages and their relationships using endemic avian taxa; JAMES W. RIVERS, University of California-Santa Barbara--Assessing the factors that influence begging intensity in a generalist brood parasite; KATRINA GOTIA SALVANTE, Simon Fraser University--Physiology underlying the 'cost of reproduction': lipoprotein lipase activity and very-low density lipoprotein particle-size distribution in energy-challenged birds; ANNETTE SAUTER, University of Zurich - The effects of human-provided foods on Florida Scrub-Jay nestling growth and survival; ADAM M. SIEPIELSKI, New Mexico State University - Coevolutionary meanderings in the geographic mosaic of selection for Clark's Nutcrackers, bird-dispersed pines, and red squirrels; NICOLE A. TAYLOR, Boise State University - Sex ratio variation in Burrowing Owls: test of the Trivers and Willard hypothesis; GREGOR YANEGA, University of Connecticut - Consequences of beak morphology for insectivory in North American hummingbirds; BETHANNE ZELANO, University of Washington - Mate choice and the major histocompatibility complex in European Starlings.
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BELATEDLY HATCHING THE ORNITHOLOGY COLLECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND Natural History Museum, Merrion Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. The ornithological collections of the Natural History Division of the National Museum of Ireland (NMI Dublin) date from at least 1860. Holdings show particular strengths in birds from South America and the Indo-Pacific (including Southeast Asian islands and India), as well in local European species. This important collection, thought to contain at least 10,000 skins, has never previously been catalogued. While available to personal callers for over a century it has been much less used than it deserves due to the lack of a full catalogue available to the ornithological community. As part of a new joint program in collections-based biology between the Museum and the Zoology Department of University College Dublin, we have initiated an intensive curatorial effort, including production of material available for general access through the world-wide web. We request the help of the ornithological community to locate published references (notes, citations, enquires, speculations) regarding specimens held in the National Museum of Ireland (formerly the Royal Dublin Society Museum from 1792-1877); anyone with knowledge of citations is asked to please refer this information via our WWW contacts. As a preliminary product, we have made a complete listing of NMI parrot study-skins available at http://www.ucd.ie/zoology/museum/ . Archival copies of collections documentation are available by contacting the museum (EM: naturalhistory@museum.ie )
The BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (BNA), now based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has less than 40 copies of this monumental life history series left for sale. These are full sets -- 18 volumes, 741 species -- covering all of the breeding birds of the US (including Hawaii) and Canada. This is your last chance for a printed copy of BNA, and this first edition set is sure to increase in value over the years. All of BNA's information available at your fingertips. Get these volumes now, while they last! Price = $2995, plus shipping & handling. Contact JENNIFER SMITH, wholesale manager at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: (EM: jls39@cornell.edu ; PH: 607-254-2497).
DECAYED WOOD ADVISOR AND MANAGEMENT AID--Announcing the release of a new snag, down wood, and wood decay management advisory system for forests in Washington and Oregon: the DecAID Advisor. Available at: http://wwwnotes.fs.fed.us:81/pnw/DecAID/DecAID.nsf . This is a product of several years' teamwork to synthesize wildlife data on species' use of decayed wood, inventory data on amounts of snags and down wood, and information on insects and pathogens associated with decayed wood. It presents a new meta-analysis of wildlife and inventory data using tolerance levels to depict proportions of populations that pertain to snag diameters, snag density (n/ha), down wood diameter, down wood percent cover, and other wood decay elements, and detailed management implications. The name "DecAID" refers to decayed wood advisor and management aid ("decay-aid" or "decision-aid"). The DecAID Advisor also can help long-term planning, as over "decades" of time. The Advisor is a collaborative product of USDA Forest Service and USDI Fish and Wildlife Service. References on the DecAID Advisor are available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildecology/decaid/decaid_background/decaid_papers.htm . BRUCE G. MARCOT (EM: bmarcot@fs.fed.us , PH: 503-808-2010), JANET OHMANN (EM: johmann@fs.fed.us , PH: 541-750-7487), USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon .
THE AVIAN ENERGETICS LAB IS MOVING. While currently at the University of Western Ontario, it is relocating at the end of August to Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, Ontario. We invite you to look into our services and book your work in advance. Our services (focused on, but not limited to birds) include: composition of carcass or specific tissue (i.e., breast, leg, liver), custom necropsies, upper digestive tract contents, molt scoring, reproductive tissue analysis, data entry and calculations. For further information, reasonable prices, and references, please contact: KERRIE WILCOX, Head Technician, Avian Energetics Lab, Bird Studies Canada, PO Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario, N0E 1M0. (PH: 519-586-3531, FAX: 519-586-3532, EM: kwilcox@bsc-eoc.org ).
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NEWS FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL
Provided by DAVID E. BLOCKSTEIN, Chair, and ELLEN PAUL, Executive Director, The Ornithological Council, (EM: 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.
CANADIAN GUIDELINES ON USE OF WILDLIFE IN RESEARCH--The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines on the care and use of wildlife have now been published on the CCAC website (URL: http://www.ccac.ca ). These guidelines have been developed by the CCAC Subcommittee on Wildlife. The CCAC is grateful to the many individuals, organizations and associations that provided comments on earlier drafts of this guidelines document. The CCAC thanked the several scientific societies that contributed comments, including the Ornithological Council. These guidelines are necessarily broad and are limited to basic principles that will assist investigators, wildlife managers, and animal care committees (ACCs) in the development and review of protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Additional recommendations for the various species groups of wildlife have been developed in conjunction with these more general guidelines and are published on the CCAC website (URL: http://www.ccac.ca ). Printed copies of the general guidelines (20 per institution) will be distributed free of charge to constituents upon written request, as soon as they are available. Additional copies may be purchased from the CCAC. See (URL: http://www.ccac.ca/english/publicat.htm for ordering information).
FLORIDA FERAL CAT POLICY--At the request of the American Bird Conservancy's Linda Winter, who has toiled for several years on ABC's Cats Indoors! project (URL: http://www.abcbirds.org/cats ), OC sent a letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in support of that agency's proposed feral cat policy. On 30 May 2003, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously passed a policy "to protect native wildlife from predation, disease, and other impacts presented by feral and free-ranging cats." This is the first statewide governmental policy opposing the creation and maintenance of feral cat colonies, taking measures to hold local and state land management agencies responsible to avoid the creation and maintenance of feral cat colonies, and educating the public about the impact of feral and free-roaming domestic cats. The full policy can be found at http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/states/florida_policy.htm . OC congratulates the American Bird Conservancy on this landmark achievement!
PROPOSED LEGISLATION COULD IMPERIL JOURNALS-- Legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress by Martin Sabo (D-MN) could jeopardize journal subscriptions by making all articles reporting publicly-funded research exempt from copyright protection. This bill would allow anyone to copy and post publicly-funded articles on internet sites, or even sell copies of those articles for profit. Sabo's bill apparently comes at the urging of the Public Library of Science, a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians, who seek to make the world's scientific and medical literature a public resource (URL: http://www.plos.org/news/announce_wings.html ). According to PLoS, "Virtually all of the latest scientific and medical research publications are now available online, but full access is restricted to a privileged elite at large universities and research institutions who can afford the often exorbitant subscription fees. Journal publishers often pocket excessive profits, while most American taxpayers, who paid the researchers' salaries and expenses, are denied access." The bill would amend the current copyright law to "exclude from copyright protection" research results that are "substantially funded" by the US government. A wide range of scientific societies oppose the bill - which at this point has little chance of progressing as it does not have a Republican co-sponsor. Even those societies that make all published papers available for free on the internet from the time of publication recognize the potential harm to small societies that are largely dependent on journal subscriptions as a source of revenue. Most societies are moving towards making journal contents available for free a year or two after publication. The Ornithological Council is consulting with its member societies about their views on the issue, and is recommending to its member societies that the OC ask Rep. Sabo to consider adding a provision that would exempt societies below a certain revenue level.
RE-ASSESSING THE DATA ON THE IMPACTS OF WIND TURBINES ON BIRDS - The Ornithological Council, the American Bird Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Wildlife Management Institute, concerned that the impact of wind turbines on bird populations is not fully understood, have joined together in a project to review existing data and studies. Few of those studies are published or publicly available. Those that are published are rarely peer-reviewed. Meanwhile the National Wind Coordinating Committee has issued fact sheets with blanket statements such as "at the wind resource areas where studies have been conducted, an average of one to two bird kills per turbine per year is at the high end of the range of fatalities recorded during studies of operating wind farms." We will also be looking at the "footprint" issue not just in terms of habitat fragmentation, but also with regard to avoidance by nesting birds or lekking species, a concern in the Midwest and with coastal projects. This ad hoc group will review existing data/studies; monitor future studies; discuss and assess the policies issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies; discuss and assess the guidance, fact sheets, and other documents issued by the National Wind Coordinating Committee; take such action, individually or collectively, to further actions that will help reduce avian mortality associated with wind turbines. We will not engage in advocacy regarding the merits of wind energy. Our goals are to be sure that the impact of wind energy on bird populations is understood and to encourage the implementation of practices and policies that will reduce that impact. OC has asked all the OC member societies if they would like to participate in this effort
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR IACUC REQUIRES PROTOCOL APPROVAL FOR FIELD STUDIES - Please contact the OC (write to Ellen Paul at epaul@concentric.net ) if your IACUC is requiring protocol submission and approval for purely observational activities of birds in the wild. OC has asked the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (of the National Institutes of Health) to issue guidance to Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees regarding the interpretation of the Animal Welfare Act with regard to purely observational studies of animals in the wild. It seems that some IACUCs are requiring the submission of protocols for what amounts to class "bird walks" where students are taken into the field to observe wild birds. In Feb 2000, the USDA clarified the definition of the term "field study." That definition now reads as follows: Field study means a study conducted on free-living wild animals in their natural habitat. However, this term excludes any study that involves an invasive procedure, harms, or materially alters the behavior of an animal under study. At the time the change in the definition was published for comment, OC suggested that USDA define these terms, but the USDA declined to do so. OC was particularly concerned about the word "materially," as it could mean virtually anything. We predicted that "the fact remains that an IACUC may decide that this alone [referring to descriptions of behavioral changes of short duration] constitutes the type of activity that requires review and approval. In that case, virtually all field studies, however USDA meant to define the term, will be subject to the IACUC review and approval." And in fact, we have had reports from ornithologists that IACUCs are requiring the submission of protocols for purely observational activities, such as bird walks and various kinds of surveys, censuses, song recording, or other activity that does not require capturing or handling the bird or manipulating the behavior of the bird or the habitat. These reports suggest that our concerns were warranted. The OC letter, dated 11 Jun 2003, asserted that, "exempt means exempt, and that includes exemption from the requirement to submit a protocol. Researchers are as capable of determining whether their research is a field study - given the complete lack of definitions in the regulations - as are the members of the IACUC. In fact, the researcher is usually more qualified to make that determination. The IACUC members are unlikely to have any expertise in the particular field of study or any expertise about the study organism. To have the IACUCs make the determination whether a study is exempt contravenes the purpose of the exemption." Additionally, the OC letter asked OLAW to establish an oversight program for the IACUCs. It seems odd that there is oversight as to administrative functions such as the number of inspections or the paperwork requirements, but not as to the interaction with researchers.
MONITORING CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS--OC has agreed to monitor the Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial environmental public registries, much as we monitor the Federal Register here in the United States, and notify the members of SCO, via the SCO listserv, of pending policy changes or permit decisions that are likely to be of interest. SCO members can join the SCO List, managed by Lesley Evans Ogden, by sending email to maillist@sfu.ca with "subscribe sco-members" in the subject or body of the message. Only SCO members who wish to join will be added to the list.
PROGRESS MADE IN REFORMING USDA/APHIS import/transport regulations - In response to requests from ornithologists who import bird specimens and tissues and who are increasingly confronting a bewildering and inconsistent array of requirements, OC investigated the USDA import regulations pertaining to bird specimens and tissues. OC has now enlisted the aid of the USDA Regulatory Analysis and Development staff in trying to persuade the USDA Import Export Administration (IMEX) to review its policies and procedures with regard to the import of bird specimens and tissues. On 25 Apr 2003, OC Executive Director Ellen Paul met with the staff of the Veterinary Services (VS) office of the Import-Export Administration of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and with the chief of the APHIS office of Regulatory Analysis and Development. The VS staff agreed that the existing regulations are confusing, ambiguous, and incomplete; and many of their policies are outdated and need to be reviewed. They also acknowledged a need to make their policies and decisions more accessible. They agreed to make an effort to post more information on their website. As a result of the meeting, VS is considering developing a new section of bird-related regulations, from scratch, with our extensive involvement. This could ultimately take several years to complete. It is a fairly complex issue, and VS is very understaffed.
USFWS LAUNCHES PERMITS WEBSITE (URL: http://permits.fws.gov ). This new site includes: an overview of all permits issued by the USFWS; a step-by-step guide to decide whether a permit is even needed, and if so, how to apply; FAQs - an alphabetical index to answers to common questions about permits; application forms; import/export information; Federal Register notices pertaining to permits; permit laws, treaties, and regulations; species lists that pertain to various permits; contacts for permit offices; the permits vision document "Leaving a Lasting Legacy." Forms may be completed online, but forms must still be printed and mailed. The USFWS is working on ways to enable on-line filing of permit applications and reports.
EPA RELEASES "DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT FACTORS"-- In accordance with the mandates of a federal law, all federal agencies were required to establish and implement procedures to assure the quality of the data they release to the public. In addition, the agencies were required to establish standards for assessing the quality of "third-party" data, or data generated by others but used by the agency in decision-making. The Environmental Protection Agency on 1 Jul 2003 released its final data quality assessment factors (URL: http://www.epa.gov/oei/qualityguidelines/Assessment_Factors_final.pdf ). The EPA document was shaped in part by the discussions of a workshop convened by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. OC Executive Director Ellen Paul served on the NRC committee that developed this workshop and co-coordinated the workshop panel on monitoring studies.
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PLEASE DONATE YOUR OLD RADIO-TELEMETRY EQUIPMENT to biologists in developing nations. Recent
FCC rulings require that wildlife radio-telemetry equipment be upgraded to transmit on much narrower bands. As a
result of these requirements, some of you will have transmitters and receivers which are now out of use. If you
wish to donate these items for biological studies outside of the United States, please send a list to DAVID ELLIS
(EM: dcellis@theriver.com ). Please indicate if you would like to know the destination for your donation.
INFORMATION NEEDED ON CERULEAN WARBLERS SOUTH OF THE UNITED STATES
BORDER--Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) populations have declined substantially in the past 35 years.
Stimulated in part by consideration of listing the Cerulean Warbler as threatened in the United States under the
Endangered Species Act, a group of ornithologists from South and North America has begun exploring the
possibility that the population size of this species may be partially or largely limited by conditions in its wintering
range or during migration. This consideration will hopefully lead to conservation measures beneficial to the
Cerulean Warbler and the many other species with which it shares habitat in South and Central America.
Convinced that unpublished observations can significantly increase our understanding of the non-breeding
distribution of this bird, and thus opportunities to undertake conservation measures, we request interested people to
send us details on Cerulean Warbler sightings outside of the United States and Canada. Please include the
following information for each observation: observer, date, precise locality (country, province, and as much
detailed information on locality as possible, including lat-long coordinates if known), elevation, time of day,
conditions or quality of observation, number of Cerulean Warblers observed (with age and sex if possible), habitat
description, and any other potentially useful comments (nature of flocks and associated species with which the
Cerulean Warblers co-occur, etc.). Please submit your records to: PAUL HAMEL, Center for Bottomland
Hardwoods Research, P.O. Box 227, 432 Stoneville Road, Stoneville, MS 38776 USA (PH: 662-686-3167; FX:
662-686-3195; EM: phamel@fs.fed.us ).
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POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
NOTE the printed version of the Ornithological Newsletter no longer contains job advertisements. As of the August '97 issue, the Positions and Opportunities section is available only in the on-line edition. This edition can be accessed directly at http://birds.cornell.edu/OSNA/ornjobs.htm . This job list is edited 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 .
ALDO LEOPOLD LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIPS--2004 Fellowships: Deadline: 25 Aug 2003. The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program invites academic environmental scientists to apply for the 2004 fellowships that provide scientific leadership, communications, and outreach training. Through a competitive process, the Leopold Leadership Program selects up to 20 Fellows annually to participate in an intensive 14-day training program designed to build and enhance the skills of environmental scientists to communicate with policy makers, media representatives, businesses and non-profit organizations, and the general public, with the goal of improving the understanding of environmental issues. The program seeks fellowship candidates from a broad range of disciplines including biological, physical, and social sciences (e.g. economics) and technical, medical, or engineering fields related to the environment (e.g. wildlife veterinary medicine, environmental health, hazardous waste management). Applicants must be U.S.-based, ideally in mid-career as a tenured, tenure track, or adjunct professor, and be active in research and teaching. All expenses associated with the training are covered by the program. Full details and application documents are available online (URL: http://www.leopoldleadership.org ).
DENNIS RAVELING SCHOLARSHIP for Waterfowl Research is awarded annually to a student(s) with a desire to pursue a career in waterfowl or wetlands ecology. Awards are based on the candidate's resolve, high academic achievement, and project merit. Candidates must be pursuing an advanced university degree in: Wildlife, Zoology, Botany, Ecology, or other pertinent biological science. Applicants should submit a ONE page proposal summary description on an original research or management project. Applicants should be prepared to submit a detailed project proposal if requested. The Scholarship is intended to provide field experience and training in the tools, methods, and concepts of waterfowl and wetlands research and management. A committee composed of previous students and professional colleagues of Dennis Raveling will select the winning candidates. There will be 2 Awards given this year. 1st Place will be $2000 paid in quarterly installments, 2nd Place will be $1,000 paid in quarterly installments Applicants should submit a resume and a brief (one page) study proposal or statement explaining the course of study for which they need support. This material must be accompanied by a letter from a faculty member indicating willingness to sponsor the candidate and detailing any requirements (e.g. provision for a final report or thesis) for receiving university credit. Names and phone numbers of two references are also required (include at least one University instructor and/or previous employment supervisor). All materials should be submitted by 31 Oct 2003. Complete package should include: a one-page, single-spaced Proposal Summary, Resume, Statement of Interest, Letter of Support from faculty member, Names and phone numbers of two references. Mail to: California Waterfowl Association, 4630 Northgate Blvd., Suite 150, Sacramento, CA 95834, ATTN: Nicole Berset.
The SEA DUCK JOINT VENTURE (SDJV) is a partnership-based conservation program under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan that promotes the conservation of sea ducks by providing greater knowledge for effective management. The SDJV currently has a limited amount of USFWS seed money for projects/studies that advance our understanding of sea duck biology and ecology and is seeking proposals from interested parties. Proposal guidelines and format are available on our web site (URL: http://seaduckjv.org ). Submitters are encouraged to peruse the SDJV web site to learn more about the SDJV, its priorities, and examples of studies it has, or is currently, supporting. Proposals are due 1 Oct 2003.
THE FRANCIS M. PEACOCK SCHOLARSHIP for college seniors and graduate students. The Francis M. Peacock Scholarship for Native Bird Habitat grants financial aid ($4-5,000) to an advanced student to study areas in the United States that provide winter or summer habitat for threatened or endangered native birds. Awarded by the Garden Club of America, in cooperation with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it offers scholars the opportunity to pursue real habitat-related issues that eventually benefit bird species and lend useful information for and management decisions. Application deadline: 15 Jan 2004. For application guidelines, please write or e-mail SCOTT SUTCLIFFE, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 [EM: lh17@cornell.edu (no phone calls, please)].
THE MORLEY NELSON FELLOWSHIP, awarded by the Conservation Research Foundation, is a stipend of up to $600 to support work reflecting the multi-faceted career of Morley Nelson. Priority will be given to applicants in raptor research, management, and conservation, who might use the stipend to supplement or attract other funding. More than one award could be made each year, and Fellowships could extend more than one year. The criteria for this Fellowship are broad and not restricted to raptor research; anything bearing on the conservation of raptors will be considered, such as habitat issues, education, cinematography, etc. Send 3 copies of a brief proposal (4 pages, including a 1-page personal resume) outlining goals, objectives, and expected results/products, names of 3 references, total budget, and other sources of support. Contact: WILLIAM G. MATTOX, Conservation Research Foundation, 8300 Gantz Ave., Boise, ID 83709. For information only: (PH: 208-362-3435, EM: wgmattox@aol.com ). Deadline: 1 Oct 2003
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"BREEDING AVIFAUNAL BASELINE FOR BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS." Roland H. Wauer,
Occasional Publication No. 3, 2001 Texas Ornithological Society.
"THE EARLY HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY IN TEXAS." Stanley D. Casto, Occasional Publication No. 4, 2002
Texas Ornithological Society. For more information contact: JACK CLINTON EITNIEAR, editor, TOS Bulletin
and Occasional Publication Series (EM: JCE@cstbinc.org ).
"A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF YAP ISLAND" by James F. Clements. 64 pages, soft cover, 6 x 9. This guide, illustrated by Dana Gardner, deals with every species known to have occurred on this remote island in the Western Caroline islands in Micronesia. Available from Ibis Publishing Company, 44970 Via Renaissance, Temecula, CA 92590. $20.00 plus $4.00 postage in continental U.S.
"PIPITS AND WAGTAILS," by Per Alstrom and Krister Mild. Illustrated by Per Alstrom and Bill Zetterstrom. 2003. Princeton University Press. 360 pp. 6 x 9. ISBN: 0-691-08834-9, cloth, $49.50. This book is the first comprehensive, one-volume guide to the26 species and all subspecies that occur in the Holarctic. (Europe, Asia and North America). To aid in differentiation of these birds, the world's two leading authorities in this field have gone to exhaustive lengths to ensure that no aspect of identification has been omitted. Aids to identification includes: 26 full-color and some part plates depicting all the species and distinct subspecies in different plumages; almost 250 color photographs; numerous line drawings; color distribution maps for each species; sonograms of the species' unique songs and calls. Detailed species accounts cover all aspects of identification; taxonomy, size and structure, plumage, geographical variation, sexing, voice, behavior, habitat and more. Pipits and Wagtails is the ultimate reference guide for anyone interested in this group of birds. Available from Princeton University Press (URL: http://www.pupress.princeton.edu ).
"AUDUBON ART PRINTS - A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO EVERY EDITION." Steiner, Bill. 2003. University of South Carolina Press. Columbia. 365pp. 16 pages of color plates, 55 halftones. Cloth, ISBN 1-57003-503-2, $59.95t; Paper, ISBN 1-57003-504-0, $29.95t Described at http://www.sc.edu/uscpress . Available from the Press and from the standard internet outlets. Signed copies available at http://minniesland.com. The most comprehensive guide available to the bird and quadruped prints of John James Audubon (1785 -1851), Audubon Art Prints offers buyers, sellers, and collectors an easy-to-use, one-volume source of information for these widely sought-after prints. In an effort to catalog all things Audubon, Bill Steiner unearthed obscure references, surveyed the contemporary marketplace, and consulted specialists from around the world. The results of his labors, gathered here in this lavishly illustrated volume, provide an invaluable and fascinating encyclopedic reference. This book tells about Audubon, those who worked with him to produce his original life-size paintings of American birds and mammals, and about the prints themselves as they have been reproduced in various ways over the past century and a half.
"REVIEW: BIRD PREDATION OF JUVENILE SALMONIDS AND MANAGEMENT OF BIRDS NEAR 14 COLUMBIA BASIN DAMS," by R. D. Bayer. 2003. Most estimates of bird predation were 2% or less of juvenile salmonids passing a dam. Although bird management by Wildlife Services at some dams has occurred since at least 1992, the proportion of juvenile salmonids taken by birds that were already dead or mortally injured from dam passage has not yet been determined, so it is not clear if bird predation is important for salmonids. The cost effectiveness of bird control has not been estimated. This 98 page monograph is available for free at: http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/salmon/gullprd.htm (all lower case letters).
"BIRDS OF OREGON: A GENERAL REFERENCE," edited by David B. Marshall, Matthew G. Hunter, and Alan L. Contreras. The Oregon State University Press has published the mother of all Oregon bird books - a comprehensive, 768-page reference guide to the 486 bird species known to inhabit the state. It offers information on each species of bird, and their habitats and life histories. More than a hundred contributing authors volunteered their work and expertise to create "Birds of Oregon," which includes line drawings by wildlife artist Elva Hamerstrom Paulson and data from the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas Project. This is the first comprehensive reference to Oregon's birds published since Ira N. Gabrielson and Stanley G. Jewett's landmark book of the same name, "Birds of Oregon," published in 1940-also by OSU. This new book should prove to be an invaluable reference guide for birders of all levels, as well as biologists, students and wildlife enthusiasts in general. Since Gabrielson and Jewett's work, another 150 species have been added to the official list of state birds, maintained by the Oregon Birds Records Committee. Most of those species comprise "vagrants" found at various times by the increasing number of birders, but other species have expanded their territory into Oregon either as migrants, breeders or a combination of both. "Birds of Oregon" sells for $65 and is available at bookstores or by calling 1-800-426-3797.
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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
LIMNOLOGY AND WATERBIRDS CONFERENCE The 4th Conference of the Working Group on Aquatic Birds of the International Society of Limnology (SIL) "Limnology and Waterbirds 2003" will be held in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, 4-9 Aug 2003. Website: http://www.links.umoncton.ca/lw/ . You may find the web page of the Diver/Loon Specialist Group of Wetlands International at: http://www.briloon.org/diver.htm . For additional information, please contact: DR. AL HANSON, Wetlands and Waterfowl Ecologist, Canadian Wildlife Service, 17 Waterfowl Lane, Sackville, N.B. E4L 1G6 (PH: 506-364-5061, EM: al.hanson@ec.gc.ca ).
AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 121st Stated Meeting will be held at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 5-9 Aug 2003. For Information on local arrangements: ELAINE WOLFE, Conferences and Institutes, 202 Presidential Tower, 302 E. John St., Champaign, IL 61820; (PH: 217-333-2880; FX: 217-333-9561; EM: aoumeeting@ad.uiuc.edu ). For information on the Scientific Program: PETER E. LOWTHER, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, (PH: 312-665-7953; EM: lowther@mail.fmnh.org ). Webpage for meeting is: http://www.conted.uiuc.edu/aou .
INLAND BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION 2003 ANNUAL MEETING in Southern Illinois-- The Inland Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting will take place 15-17 Aug 2003 at the Touch of Nature Environmental Center on the campus of Southern Illinois University, in the midst of the Shawnee National Forest. Conference activities will include banding sessions of both passerines and hummingbirds, afternoon paper sessions, evening programs, and a banquet. Housing and meals for the conference will be provided at Touch of Nature, which has both hotel and dormitory accommodations. Motels are available in Carbondale, camping is available at Giant City State Park, and several bed and breakfast facilities are nearby. Please check for registration information on the IBBA web site (URL: http://aves.net/inlandbba/ibbamain.htm ).
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ANTHROZOOLOGY ANNUAL MEETING--The 12th annual meeting of ISAZ will take place at the new conference center of the Kent State University Stark Campus, Canton OH, 15-16 Aug 2003. ISAZ is a multi-disciplinary scholarly society focusing on the study of the human/nonhuman animal bond. The theme will be "The Social Lives of Animals: Human/Nonhuman Cognition, Interactions, Relationships". Details about the conference, registration forms, and information about the area can be found at the Society website (URL: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/ISAZ.htm ). Nature in Legend and Story will be meeting just prior to ISAZ, at the same facility, on 13-14 Aug. Information about that conference can be found at (URL: http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~nilas/ ). For further information about either conference, please contact PENNY BERNSTEIN, Kent State University Stark, 6000 Frank Avenue, Canton, OH 44720 (EM: pbernstein@stark.kent.edu ), or visit the website.
The SOCIETY OF CANADIAN ORNITHOLOGISTS/SOCIÉTÉ DES ORNITHOLOGISTES DU CANADA 2003 ANNUAL MEETING will be held 16-19 Oct 2003 at the Delta Bessborough Hotel, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The meeting theme is 'Conservation and Ecology of Canadian Birds'. Planned symposia include 'conservation and ecology of prairie birds', 'conservation and ecology of boreal forest birds', and 'current topics in bird conservation' (including hemispheric bird conservation, West Nile Disease, climate change, and pesticides). The meeting is timed to coincide with Whooping Crane migration, as well as migration of Sandhill Cranes and waterfowl. The registration form and further information can be found in the latest issue of Picoides, and the SCO/SOC website: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/SocCanOrn/index.html or contact CHERI GRATTO-TREVOR, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4 Canada (EM: cheri.gratto-trevor@ec.gc.ca ).
RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION 2003. Come North to Alaska as the raptors head south! The Raptor Research Foundation 2003 annual meeting will be held 3-7 Sep 2003 at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. Watch the conference web site for updates (URL: http://www.alaskabird.org/ABORaptorResearchHome.html ). For information regarding the conference, contact NANCY DEWITT, Alaska Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 80505, Fairbanks, AK 99708 (PH: 907-451-7159; EM: birds@alaskabird.org ).
AN ALL-DAY INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM on the Ecology and Management of Northern Goshawks will be held in conjunction with The Raptor Research Foundation 2003 annual meeting. The goal of the symposium is to assemble researchers and managers from around the world for an exchange of information with which to assess the current state of knowledge on northern goshawks. For information regarding the goshawk symposium, contact DR. CLINT BOAL, Texas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2120 (EM: clint.boal@ttu.edu ).
WORKSHOP--The Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) is hosting Introductory and Advanced Distance workshops (10-17 Sep 2003). The aim of these workshops is to train participants in the latest methods for design and analysis of distance sampling surveys, including line and point transects, automated survey designs, adaptive sampling, incorporating covariates into the detection function, methods for where g(0) <1, and spatial modeling of density. Participants will also learn to use the Distance software program. Information and forms available at http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/workshop2002/workshoppage.php or contact CATHERINE BROWN, CREEM, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9LZ, Scotland (PH: +44 1334 461829, FX: +44 1334 461800, EM: cathy@mcs.st-and.ac.uk).
2003 MEETING OF THE WATERBIRD SOCIETY will be held 24-27 Sep in Cuiabá, Brazil, the capital of the state of Mato Grosso. This is in the area of the famous Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetland in the world, home to over 700 species of birds. The scientific program will consist of symposia, contributed papers and posters. If you would like to sponsor a symposium please contact BETTY ANNE SCHREIBER (EM: SchreiberE@aol.com). Further details on submitting contributed papers and posters will be on the society web site, accessible through BIRDNET on the web. For travel: direct flights are available to Cuiabá from S o Paulo or Rio de Janeiro International Airports and costs US$100 - 120. Flights to Cuiabá from most major cities in the USA average between US$650-US$1000. The Hotel Fazenda Mato Grosso offers inexpensive, comfortable rooms right next to the meeting conference center (US$23/ person, double occupancy). More luxurious, accommodations are available at the Best Western Hotel (US$26/person, double occupancy) which is located in the center of Cuiabá, approximately 6 km from the Conference Center. Transport between the two hotels will be provided. Field trips will be offered before and after the meeting. For further information on the location see the website. Registration information will be posted on the web after 1 Mar 2003.
*RAPTOR WORKSHOP: "Introduction to Raptor Field Techniques" will be held 5-9 Oct 2003 in Stevens Point, WI by Eugene Jacobs of the Linwood Springs Research Station, and Loren Ayers of the Wis. Dept. Natural Resources. Receive first hand experience working on live raptors: capturing and handling techniques, broadcast call surveys, tree climbing and rappelling, habitat sampling techniques, telemetry equipment and more. Cost: $395; space is limited. For more information visit http://www.raptorresearch.com for reservations contact EUGENE JACOBS (EM: lsrs@raptorresearch.com ).
THE VIITH NEOTROPICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will take place in Chile's Puyehue National Park,5-11 Oct 2003. The Congress is sponsored jointly by the Neotropical Ornithological Society (NOS) and the Unión de Ornitólogos de Chile (UNORCH). The scientific program will include plenary lectures, concurrent symposia sessions, oral papers, poster sessions, and round-table discussions. English and Spanish will be the working languages of the Congress. Members as well as non-members of the NOS and UNORCH are encouraged to plan on attending this 2003 quadrennial meeting in Chile. The site and the accommodations are beautiful, comfortable, and only steps away from excellent nature trails through the park. An exciting scientific program is planned. Visit the Puyehue National Park web site (URL: http://www.gochile.cl/eng/Guide/ChileNationalParks/Puyehue/Puyehue-1.asp ) for information on the region, but do not attempt to use this site for reserving accommodation. The Congress web page (URL: http://www.nocchile.cl ) should be used for registration, accommodation, student travel awards, travel, and tour information. Membership in the NOS is inexpensive and open to all with interests in the study of Neotropical resident and wintering migratory birds. See the NOS web page for more information (URL: http://www.neotropicalornithology.org ).
EURING 2003 CONFERENCE will be held 6-11 Oct 2003, at the Radolfzell Ornithological Institute (Germany). Details on EURING 2003 can be found at http://www.phidot.org/euring/main_ie.html .
THIRD NORTH AMERICAN DUCK SYMPOSIUM, Sacramento, CA (5-9 Nov 2003). The conference program will include invited plenary papers by internationally recognized speakers, contributed oral and poster paper session and evening workshops. Our goal is to provide a forum for managers, researchers, students and other concerned individuals to share their concerns, ideas and solutions to the issues facing North American ducks in the new century. Plan on visiting one of North America's premier wintering waterfowl areas and enjoying our pleasant fall weather! More information can be found at our website (URL: http://www.ducksymp3.com ).Special hotel rates: 5 Oct 2003.
*A CALIFORNIA BURROWING OWL SYMPOSIUM will be held 11-12 Nov 2003, at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento, California. The Western Section of The Wildlife Society and Albion Environmental, Inc., invite you to join researchers, conservationists, resource managers, representatives of resource agencies and others interested in burrowing owl conservation in California to a 2-day symposium to share information about owl research, management, status and policy. This 2-day symposium will comprise invited papers, submitted papers and panel discussions by invited speakers in topical sessions on California burrowing owl research, management, status, regulation and policy. Anyone wishing to present a paper in the research, management, or regulatory sessions is invited to submit an abstract before 1 Sep 2003, to JACK BARCLAY, Technical Program Chair, Albion Environmental, Inc., 1414 Soquel Avenue, No.205, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (PH: 831-466-1786, FX: 831-469-9137, EM: jbarclay@albionenvironmental.com ). Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and can be submitted as an electronic file prepared using word processing software as an attachment to an email. Registration and general symposium information is available on the Western Section's website (URL: http://www.tws-west.org ) or by contacting BARBARA ROCCO, Executive Director of the Western Section of The Wildlife Society (EM: lobolady23@aol.com ).
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 ).
*69TH NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONFERENCE (17-21 Mar 2004), Spokane, WA. Resource Stewardship in the 21st Century: A Voyage of Rediscovery. Those interested in presenting a paper at a Special Sessions should contact the appropriate Session chair promptly to discuss the concept of the proposed presentation, requirements (format and schedule) for an abstract and guidelines for a paper in the Conference Transactions. Proposals and abstracts for presentations and papers must be submitted before 15 Sep. Sessions of potential interest for ornithologists include: Wildlife on Wheels, the Marketing of Today's Outdoor Experience; Chair: ROBERT CLEVENSTINE (EM: robert_clevenstine@fws.go v, PH: 309-793-5800 x521); Our Water Resources: A Candidate for Listing?; Chair: JACK KAPP (EM: jcapp@fs.fed.us , PH: 202-273-4725); Energy and Wildlife; Chair: ROB MANES (EM: wmimanes@prattuse.com , PH: 620-672-5419); Fire Management: Burning Issues; Chair: DEBORAH PRESSMAN, (EM: dpressman@fs.fed.us , PH: 202-295-1281).
*THE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY and the ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS will be held 22 - 24 Apr 2004 at the Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Councils will meet in the afternoon on Thursday, 22 April. The Margaret Morse Nice Medal Lecture will open the joint meeting on Friday, 23 Apr, and will be followed by paper sessions. Saturday morning field trips will explore local favorite birding areas. The local host is SCOTT SUTCLIFFE.
*2004 COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEETING--The Cooper Ornithological Society will hold its 76th annual meeting 4-9 May 2004, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Symposia topics will include avian diseases, hierarchical models, and migration stopover ecology. A website for the meeting will be up in Dec 2003 and registration can be accomplished via the web site. A meeting brochure will be mailed to all Cooper Ornithological Society members in Dec 2003 or Jan 2004. Conference materials can be sent to those without internet access upon request after Dec 2003. La Crosse is a beautiful small city (pop 51,000) nestled in the amid the bluffs along on the shores of the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin. Birding opportunities abound in the area and in town as early May is peak time for spring warbler and sparrow migration. For more information please contact Local Committee Chair: EILEEN M. KIRSCH, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd, La Crosse, WI, 54603, (PH: 608-781-6226, FX: 608-783-6066, EM: eileen_kirsch@usgs.gov ), or Scientific Committee Chair: TODD ARNOLD, Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA (PH: 612-624-2220, EM: tarnold@fw.umn.edu ).
THE XIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ZOOLOGY, 23-27 Aug 2004, Beijing, China. Sponsored by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, and The State Forestry Administration. Student prizes: The scientific committee will award 10 students with "Best Oral" or "Best Poster" presentations. The official language: during the congress will be English. The scientific program will include plenary sessions, symposia, workshops, special-interest group meetings, as well as contributed papers and poster sessions. The program will probably be divided into the following sections: (A) Palaeontology; (B) Systematics and Evolution; (C) Zoogeography; (D) Morphology and Anatomy; (E) Animal Behaviour; (F) Animal Ecology; (G) Conservation Biology; (H) Physiology; (I) Health and Diseases; (J) Comparative Immunology; (K) Reproduction, Development and Genetics; (L) Environmental Impact Assessment; (M) Bioethics (N) Laboratory Animal; (O) Zoological Teaching and Education; (P) The Fate of National Zoos; (Q) Philosophy of Zoology; (R) Veterinary Medicine. A proceedings volume of mini-papers (2 A4 pages for each paper briefly covering introduction, method, result and discussion) is planned. The Acta Zoologica Sinica will publish some selective full papers. For further information and to register on-line visit the home page (URL: http://www.icz.ioz.ac.cn ). For additional assistance, email icz2004@panda.ioz.ac.cn .
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WALTER JOHN BRECKENRIDGE, a member of the AOU (joined 1926; Elective Member. 1935; Fellow, 1950), and member of WOS (joined 1929; President, 1952-53), died at Colonial Acres in Golden Valley, MN on 22 May 2003 at the age of 100. He was the Director of the Bell Museum of Natural History from 1946-1969. He received many awards in recognition of his research, lecturing, photography, painting, writing, and teaching, including the Arthur A. Allen Award in 1975.
ETHAN D. CLOTFELTER has accepted a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Amherst College. His new address: Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst MA 01002. EM: edclotfelter@amherst.edu.
NED K. JOHNSON, a Life Member of the AOU (joined 1951; Elective Member, 1964; Fellow, 1971; President, 1996-1998), member of the COS (joined 1950; Honorary Member, 1987; President, 1981-1983), member of the WOS (1962), and member of the AFO (1983), died peacefully at his home in Orinda, CA, on 11 Jun 2003 at the age of 70. He had been battling cancer courageously for 15 years, and was actively teaching and doing research until a few weeks before his death. Johnson received the William Brewster Memorial Medal in 1992 and, in 2001, received the Marion Jenkinson AOU Service Award in recognition of his 69 committee years of service to the AOU, including a 36-year term as a member of the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature. A memorial for Dr. Johnson is posted on the UC Berkeley web site (URL: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/06/18_johnson.shtml).
OLIVER P. PEARSON, a member of the Cooper Ornithological Society (joined 1948; honorary member, 1979; a Director of the COS, 1969-1971;an Investing Trustee, 1972-1987), died in Contra Costa County, California on 4 Mar 2003 at the age of 87. He was active in his research with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley until his death, with more than 80 papers published, including 9 on birds.
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THE FLOCK, the 2001 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 (PH: 913-843-1221; FX: 913-843-1274; EM: osna@allenpress.com ). To alert your colleagues of your new address information contact theOrnithological Newsletter Editor, CHERYL L. TRINE (address below). Additional copies ofThe Flock can be purchased from the OSNA Business Office.
CHANGES/ADDITIONS:
COHEN, ROBERT R. EM: bobcohenTS@aol.com
MILLER, KARL. EM: karl.miller@fwc.state.fl.us
PAULSEN, IAN. EM: birdbooker@zipcon.net
STYER, DAVID. PO Box 444, Moss Landing, CA 95039. PH: 831-633-2590; EM: david.styer@fuse.net
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