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NUMBER 162, OCTOBER 2004
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.waterbirds.org
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
SG (SCHNEIDER GROUP) TO BE NEW MEMBERSHIP SERVICE PROVIDER FOR OSNA SOCIETIES--Members
and subscribers of the OSNA societies will notice a new return address on their Renewal Notices this fall, when SG
(Schneider Group) of Waco, Texas, becomes the membership service provider for OSNA. Renewal Notices will be mailed
in October and members will be able to renew their memberships online or by returning the renewal notice by post. Email
announcements will be sent when the online renewal system is available. Later this fall, additional changes will accompany
the transition to SG--including new contact information for address changes and a new web address for the online
Membership Directory, the Ornithological Newsletter, and Ornithological Jobs. New URLs will be announced in email
announcements and in the Ornithological Newsletter. Until the changes are announced, members can continue to contact
OSNA at the Lawrence, Kansas address.
FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, ALLEN MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT (a division of Allen Press) has provided membership management services for the OSNA societies. On behalf of all the members of the OSNA societies, the Officers and Board of Directors of OSNA extend their sincere thanks for the support AM&M has provided to the societies individually (AFO, AOU, COS, RRF, WOS, and WS) and collectively, through OSNA. We also extend our appreciation to the dedication of the AM&M staff. Bonnie Bowen, Chair, OSNA Board of Directors.
AOU MEMORIALS--With the retirement of Stu Houston as chair of the Memorial Committee, please forward information on the deaths of Fellows (including Honorary and Corresponding Fellows) and Elected Members to either the Associate Editor for Memorials, ALAN H. BRUSH (EM: brushes2@juno.com), 92 High St, Mystic, CT 06355 or the AOU Secretary, M.. ROSS LEIN (EM: mrlein@ucalgary.ca), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 1N4,
THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY held its annual meeting 22 - 25 April 2004 in joint session with the Association of Field Ornithologists. The 2004 Margaret Morse Nice Medal was awarded to DR. STEPHEN EMLEN of Cornell University, who presented the plenary lecture, "Birds 'R' Us: Chronicles of an avian anthropologist." This award was established in 1997 to recognize the lifetime accomplishments of ornithologists and to provide them a venue for describing their scientific inquiry within the context of their careers in ornithology. The scientific program included 60 oral papers and 47 posters. Wilson Ornithological Society student travel awards were presented to JEREMY E. GUINN of North Dakota State University, EMILY MORSE of Penn State Erie, VALERIA OJEDA of Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina, MICHAEL SHEPARD of University of Wyoming, VINODKUMAR SARANATHAN of Ohio Wesleyan University, and AMY SCHNEIDER of Ohio Wesleyan University. The Wilson Prize for the best student oral presentation was awarded to DANA M. HAWLEY of Cornell University for "The price of the pecking order: how dominance status mediates immunity in wintering House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)," and the Lynds Jones Prize for the best student poster was awarded to REBECCA HEISS of Binghamton University for "Mouth color and tail shape as an indicator of age in American Crows." An award for the best undergraduate paper was given to MEGAN M. SZYMANSKI of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, for "High lineage diversity and host sharing of malarial parasites in a local avian assemblage." The Louis Agassiz Fuertes Award was awarded to STIPHANIE M. DOUCET at Auburn University for her study "Female choice and sexual ornamentation in lekking Long tailed Manakins, Chiroxiphia linearis: do females choose good genes." FELICITY NEWELL of Chatham College was awarded the George A Hall/Harold F. Mayfield Award for her project, "Comparison of success and habitat for the Wood Thrush and American Robin in Southwestern Pennsylvania." Paul A. Stewart Awards were awarded to SHANNON N. BOUTON of the University of Michigan, for "The effect of multiple environmental stressors on the physiology, behavior and development of nestling Cliff Swallows," COURTNEY MURDOCK of the University of Michigan for "Resource levels, parasite load, and reproduction in a wild population of Mountain White crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) in Western Colorado," DUSTIN R. RUBENSTEIN of Cornell University for "Sexual conflict and extrapair paternity in the plural cooperatively breeding Superb Starling, Lamprotornis superbus," and LAURA HENDERSON SPINNEY of Princeton University for "Hormonal mediation of alternative phenotypes in the White throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)." The Edwards Prize for the best paper published in volume 115 of The Wilson Bulletin was awarded to JULIE C. HAGELIN for "A field study of ornaments, body size, and mating behavior of the Gambel's Quail" (Wilson Bull. 115 (3): 246.257). The results of the annual election of officers and council members were as follows: President: CHARLES R. BLEM, First Vice President: DORIS J. WATT, Second Vice President: JAMES D. RISING, Secretary: SARA R. MORRIS, Treasurer: MARTHA VAUGHAN, Editor: JAMES A. SEDGWICK, and Members of Council ALBERT R. BUCKELEW (2004 2005), TIMOTHY O'CONNELL (2004- 2006), ROBERT CURRY (2004 - 2007), MARY BOMBERGER BROWN (2004 - 2007), and JAMIE HILL (2004 - 2007).
THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION held its 122nd Stated Meeting at the Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 16 - 21 August, 2004. ANDRÉ DESROCHERS AND GILLES GAUTHIER co chaired the Committee on Local Arrangements, and ANDRÉ DESROCHERS and JEAN PIERRE L. SAVARD co chaired the Committee on Scientific Program. There were 751 registrants, 312 of them students. The program included 4 plenary lectures, 51 papers in 6 symposia, and 450 contributed papers (303 oral papers and 147 posters). AOU Officers elected or re-elected were President: JAMES A. KUSHLAN, President Elect: ERICA H. DUNN, Vice President: ALAN H. BRUSH, Secretary: M. ROSS LEIN, Treasurer: JEFFREY D. BRAWN. Newly elected Councilors were TERRELL D. RICH, THOMAS W. SHERRY, and KIMBERLY A. SULLIVAN. The Fellows elected three new Honorary Fellows: JON FJELDSÅ (Denmark), PAUL GÉROUDET (France), and PILAI POONSWAD (Thailand), and five new Corresponding Fellows: FRANZ BAIRLEIN (Germany), JOHN P. CROXALL (United Kingdom), PATRICIA ESCALANTE PLIEGO (Mexico), LUC HOFFMANN (France), and ULLA M. LINDHE NORBERG (Sweden). Newly elected Fellows are: JOHN M. BATES, MICHAEL J. BRAUN, ROGER B. CLAPP, DAVID S. DOBKIN, SHANNON J. HACKETT, KEITH A. HOBSON, PATRICIA L. KENNEDY, DOUGLAS J. LEVEY, BRADLEY C. LIVEZEY, PETER P. MARRA, A. TOWNSEND PETERSON, THOMAS B. SMITH, and DAVID S. WILCOVE. New Elective Members are: PAUL C. BANKO, REED BOWMAN, WALTER BULMER, MICHAEL DEAN CAREY, THERESE M. DONOVAN, LEO GEORGE JOSEPH, JEFFREY F. KELLY, JOHN T. KLICKA, STEVEN T. KNICK, MIGUEL LENTINO, IRBY J. LOVETTE, SARA ROBERTSON MORRIS, MATTHEW C. PERRY, T. SCOTT SILLETT, BETH SLIKAS, KAREN STEENHOF, ALLAN M. STRONG, JOHN Y. TAKAKAWA, CHERYL L. TRINE, GARY VOELKER, and W. HERBERT WILSON JR. The Council re elected SPENCER G. SEALY as Editor of The Auk, and JOHN R. FAABORG as Editor of Ornithological Monographs. THE WILLIAM BREWSTER MEMORIAL AWARD for 2004 was presented to RUSSELL P. BALDA and ALAN C. KAMIL and the ELLIOTT COUES AWARD for 2004 was presented to JARED VERNER. C. STUART HOUSTON received the MARION JENKINSON AOU SERVICE AWARD for 2004.
THE 123rd STATED MEETING OF THE AOU will be held at the University of California Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA, 23 - 27 Aug 2005.
MARCIA BRADY TUCKER TRAVEL AWARDS were granted to 57 outstanding students to help defray expenses for transportation to the 122nd Stated Meeting at the Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 16-21 August, 2004. The AOU Committee on Student Awards is pleased to announce the winners for 2004: DAN ARDIA, Cornell University, "Factors affecting nestling immune responses: Body condition, spleen size, and parental quality"; CHRISTOPHER BALAKRISHNAN, Boston University, "An experimental test of reproductive isolation between brood parasitic indigo birds associated with different hosts"; TOM BENSON, California State University, "Genetic differentiation among Pygmy Nuthatch populations in southern California"; LORI BLANC, Virginia Tech University, "Cavity nesting bird community interactions: A preliminary study"; LUKE K. BUTLER, University of Washington, "Quantifying body feather structure to address ecological, evolutionary, and life history questions"; USNE JOSIAH BUTT, University of Saskatchewan, "Local environmental effects on egg size in American Coots"; SUZANNE N. CARDINAL, Northern Arizona University, "Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of male southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) in central Arizona"; KATIE CHRISTIE, University of Victoria, "Incorporation of salmon derived nutrients in the feathers of a ground foraging passerine"; DANIEL COULTON, University of Saskatchewan, "Sources of recruitment to local parkland Mallard populations: Identifying natal origin using dD, d13C, and d15N values in feathers"; LISA H. CRAMPTON, University of Nevada Reno, "Reproductive success of Phainopeplas in the northeastern Mojave desert: The roles of food resources, habitat structure and patch size"; ANDREA CRUZ ANGON, Instituto de Ecologia, "Testing habitat selection in a tropical ecosystem: Epiphyte removal induces net emigration in Common Bush Tanagers"; JENNIFER K. DIMICELI, Louisiana State University, "Seed preferences of Henslow's Sparrows wintering in southeastern Louisiana"; STEPHANIE M. DOUCET, Auburn University, "The signal function of multiple sexual ornaments in Long tailed Manakins"; RENEE A. DUCKWORTH , Duke University, "Fitness cost to competitive behavior in Western Bluebirds"; RENATA DURAES, University of Missouri St. Louis, "Are leks located in areas of high female overlap? A preliminary test of the hotspot hypothesis with Lepidothrix coronata manakins"; EMILY H. DUVAL, University of California at Berkeley, "Adaptive significance of cooperative male courtship in the Lance-tailed Manakin"; MUIR D. EATON, University of Minnesota, "Hidden sexual dichromatism: The rarity of sexually monochromatic passerines"; KRISTON ECTON, Northern Arizona University, "Evaluating migratory routes of Neotropical migrants using stable isotopes"; MELISSA EVANS, York University, "Mating tactics in the Wood Thrush (Catharus mustelina): The role of guarding and off territory forays"; PETER FAST, University of Saskatchewan, "Habitat specific weight loss of ground nesting birds: An experimental test"; MARIE FAST, University of Saskatchewan, "The timing of nesting and breeding success of insectivorous birds: Experimental tests with Tree Swallows"; RYAN J. FISHER, University of Saskatchewan, "Opposing selection pressures on nest site choice by Northern Flickers: Effects of predation and eviction"; JILL J. GANNON, University of Georgia, "The importance of flooding on depredation of Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) nests in a bottomland hardwood forest: A proportional hazards model."; VICTORIA GARCIA, University of Arizona, "Ultimate factors affecting natal dispersal age in Burrowing Owls"; JAMES J. GIOCOMO, University of Tennessee, "Breeding bird populations in early successional habitats at Fort Campbell Military Reserve, Kentucky/Tennessee"; SEAN GRIFFING, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, "Mosquito visitation of American Robin nests"; MEGAN E. HUGHES, University of Southern Mississippi, "Effects of local and landscape scale variation on a distribution of three area sensitive forest songbirds in Vermont"; KATHRYN P. HUYVAERT, University of Missouri St. Louis, "The social and genetic dynamics of promiscuity in Waved Albatrosses (Phoebastria irrorata)"; ERIK I. JOHNSON, Louisiana State University, "Winter territory establishment by Henslow's Sparrows in southeastern Louisiana"; ANDREW WAYNE JONES, University of Minnesota, "No title"; DYLAN KESLER, Oregon State University, "Prospecting, forays, and dispersal in cooperative Micronesian kingfishers"; ANN E. KESSEN, University of Minnesota, "A population approach to the Fox Sparrow conundrum"; KARL L. KOSCIUCH, Kansas State University, "Proximate mechanisms account for nest desertion in response to Cowbird parasitism by Bell's Vireo"; ALAN H. KRAKAUER, University of California, Berkeley, "Kin selection and the evolution of cooperation in Wild Turkeys"; MICHAEL JEFFREY KUEHN, University of California, Santa Barbara, "The presence of antiparasite strategies in an unparasitized population of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia)"; KATHERYN M. LANGIN, Queen's University, "Are Neotropical-Neartic migrant songbirds capital or income breeders? Evidence from stable isotopes"; SONYA C. LECLAIR, University of South Florida, "Comparison of hatching failure in a wildland and suburban population of the Florida Scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)"; JENNIFER A. LONG, University of Maine, "Territorial behavior in wintering Hermit Thrushes: Attributes of winners and costs to losers"; LAURA MCGRATH, Northern Arizona University, "Influences of riparian tree phenology on foraging choices of spring migrating insectivorous birds in southwestern Arizona: Evidence of flower cueing"; TONY W. MONG, Kansas State University, "The Upland Sandpiper: not just on the fence post anymore"; TROY MURPHY, Cornell University, "Functional significance of elaborate plumage traits when expressed in both sexes: a case study of the Turquoise-browed Motmot"; CHARLOTTE ROY NIELSON, University of Missouri St. Louis, "Intraspecific nest parasitism of Wood Ducks in natural cavities: a comparison with parasitism in nest boxes"; JOSEPH J. NOCERA, University of New Brunswick, "Public information acquisition through post fledgling prospecting directs habitat selection by social grassland birds"; JACQUELINE K. NOOKER, Kansas State University, "Variation of individual male behavior on Greater Prairie chicken leks: Implications for sexual selection and population monitoring"; D. RYAN NORRIS, Queen's University, "Post breeding molting latitude and reproductive effort in a long distance migratory songbird"; MONICA PAPES, University of Kansas, "Conservation strategies for endangered and threatened birds in central and eastern Europe assessed using ecological niche modeling"; SUSANA INES PELUC, University of California, "Nest site selection plasticity in response to an avian nest predator: A manipulative experiment in Orange-crowned Warblers"; DEBORAH E. PERKINS, University of Maine, "Patterns of hormone secretion reflect shared parental effort in a monogamous arctic-breeding shorebird"; ALEXIS F. L. A. POWELL, University of Kansas, "Effects of prescribed burns on breeding bird abundances in tallgrass prairie"; JAMES W. RIVERS, University of California, Santa Barbara, "The influence of nestmate size on begging behavior in Brown headed Cowbirds"; DINA L. ROBERTS, University of Idaho, "A comparison of over-wintering Wood Thrush survival, movement, and home range size between continuous lowland wet forest versus forest fragments in Costa Rica"; PAULINE K. ROBERTS, Dartmouth College, "The influence of winter to summer carry over effects on reproductive success in the Ovenbird"; BRETT R. SCHEFFERS, The University of the South, "Do ephemeral ponds provide habitat for birds?"; SCOTT SCHLOSSBERG, University of Illinois, "Testing for conspecific attraction in territorial songbirds"; GARTH M. SPELLMAN, Barrick Museum of Natural History, "Genetic consequences of the Late Quaternary: Lessons from phylogenetic and coalescent analyses of the Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)"; KIRK STODOLA, Mississippi State University, "Spatio-temporal variation in prey abundance and its importance for a migratory songbird"; FRANCOIS VEZINA, Simon Fraser University, "Metabolic costs of reproduction in birds: Individuals reallocate energy to cope with the demands of egg formation".
AOU PRESENTATION AWARDS were given to three students for excellence in the rigor and quality of their scientific papers at the 122nd Stated Meeting at the Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada, 16-21 August, 2004. These awards, which are unranked, were presented to the winners at the annual banquet. The NELLIE JOHNSON BAROODY AWARD for 2004 was given to ALAN H. KRAKAUER, University of California, "Kin selection and the evolution of cooperation in Wild Turkeys". Two AOU COUNCIL AWARDS for 2004 were given to KATHERYN M. LANGIN, Queen's University, "Are Neotropical Neartic migrant songbirds capital or income breeders? Evidence from stable isotopes"; and D. RYAN NORRIS, Queen's University, "Post breeding molting latitude and reproductive effort in a long distance migratory songbird".
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THE ORNITHOLOGICAL WORLDWIDE LITERATURE (OWL) database has ~45,000 bibliographic citations to more than 1100 individual journals, periodicals, and similar publications. These citations go back to about 1990. Approximately 5-8,000 additional records are being added every 5-6 weeks, which extends the database back another year or two. By spring of 2005 all citations from the old Recent Ornithological Literature (ROL) supplements to the Auk, Ibis and EMU 83 will be incorporated into this database. These additions are expected to increase the size of the database to nearly 100,000 bibliographic citations. The records are subject coded and spell checked. Avian scientific names have been cross checked for accuracy in both spelling and acceptable combination (e.g., Anser platyrhynchos FAILS, Anas platyrhynchos PASSES). Visit http://www.BIRDLIT.ORG to do your literature searches and for more information on this free service. Results of all searches are downloadable to a spreadsheet. OWL still needs volunteers to abstract many journals. Abstractors can expect to spend approximately one afternoon a year to cover one medium sized journal with many papers of interest to ornithologists. The following is a partial list of North American journals that need volunteer abstractors: Adv. Study Behav., Am. J. Physiol., Am. Mus. Novit., Am. Nat., Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., Arctic, Biol. Behav., BioScience, Bird Conserv. Int., Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., Bull. Kansas Ornithol. Soc., California Fish Game, Contr. Sci. (Los Angeles Co. Mus.), Ecol. Monogr., Illinois Birds & Birding, Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv. Biol. Notes, Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv. Bull., J. Louisiana Ornithol., Alabama Birdlife, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., Evol. Biol., Evol. Ecol., Herpetologica, Int. J. Parasitol., J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., J. Environ. Manage., J. Evol. Biol., J. Helminthol. Soc. Wash., J. Nat. Hist., J. Trop. Ecol., Kingbird, Mem. Nuttall Ornithol. Club, Miscl. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan , Northwest Sci. , Occas. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan , Occas. Pap. West. Found. Vertebr. Zool., Oecologia, Parasitology, Perspect. Ethol., Powdermill Nat. Reserve Rep., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Washington, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., Redstart , S. Dakota Bird Notes, Science (Washington, D.C.) , Smithsonian Contrib. Zool., Syst. Biol., Texas Birds, and Wildl. Monogr. To obtain a complete list of serials currently in need of abstractors and more information on abstracting, contact JAY SHEPPARD (EM: jmsheppar@aol.com).
RAVEN 1.2 SOUND ANALYSIS SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR WINDOWS AND MAC OS--A new version of Raven, an interactive sound recording and analysis program designed specifically for the study of animal sounds, is now available online (URL: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Raven). Raven offers real time spectrograms, the ability to handle arbitrarily large signals, easily exportable measurements, unrivaled flexibility of signal display, a friendly user interface, and comprehensive documentation. This release, version 1.2, adds over twenty features that are new since the release of Raven 1.1, including annotations (named arbitrary text notes that you can add to selections, like "Song Type", "Individual ID", etc.), selection spectrum views (average spectrum of a selection), greatly improved image export features, selection labels in views, and "drag and drop" file opening. A free demonstration version of the program, including the Raven User's Manual and a set of example sound files, is available at the web site, and the fully functional version can also be purchased there
THE ORNITHOLOGICAL WORLDWIDE LITERATURE (OWL) includes in its database PhD dissertations, individual papers published in proceedings from symposia and conferences, and miscellaneous research reports form government agencies. OSNA Newsletter readers are asked to advise JAY SHEPPARD (EM: jmsheppar@aol.com) of any reports and proceedings that may be outside the normal readership of ornithologists, e.g., forestry, entomology, conservation, botany, chemistry, psychology, fisheries or game management. Published proceedings must be of complete papers, not just abstracts, to be considered for inclusion in the OWL database. Copies of the dissertation abstract and its citation can also be forwarded to Jay Sheppard as well.
WORKSHOP: INTRODUCTION TO DISTANCE SAMPLING FOR ONITHOLOGISTS. 11 - 14 Jan 2005, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. The aim of this workshop is to train participants in the latest methods for the design and analysis of distance sampling surveys. Distance sampling is a widely used group of closely related methods for estimating the size and/or density of wildlife populations. The workshop is taught by leading researchers in the field from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and is hosted by the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station and School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University. For more details, please see http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/conferences.php or contact RHONA RODGER, Workshop Organizer, CREEM, University of St Andrews, The Observatory, St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ. (PH: +44 1334 461842, FX: +44 1334 461800, EM: rhona@mcs.st-and.ac.uk).
OWL, HAWK AND EAGLE DIET ANALYSIS: Time to get those boxes of raptor pellets analyzed? Or need some critical advice on how to gain the most from this year's fieldwork on raptor diets? We have over 18 years of experience in analyzing the diets of raptors found throughout Canada and the United States. Services used by both graduate students and professional biologists. In house reference collection. Reasonable rates based on sample size and/or type of analysis needed. RAPTOR SURVEYS AND POPULATION MONITORING: Do you need a raptor survey conducted or to monitor the raptors breeding success? We can provide advice and/or in field expertise in survey methodology and nest monitoring. Experience includes teaching raptor survey and monitoring techniques and working with Endangered Populations. See Web Page for more details (URL: http://www.wildlifedynamics.com) or Contact: FRANK DOYLE, Wildlife Dynamics Consulting (EM: doyle@bulkley.net, PH/FX: 250-846-5100).
THE USDA IS SEEKING COMMENTS on the future of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is the country's largest conservation program on private lands with a current enrollment of 34.8 million acres. CRP protects fragile cropland from erosion and improves the nation's natural resources. By reducing water runoff and sedimentation, the program safeguards surface water and helps improve the condition of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams, many of which are used for drinking water supplies. Acreage enrolled in CRP is devoted to resource-conserving vegetative covers, making the program a major contributor to more abundant wildlife populations in many parts of the country. CRP participants voluntarily remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production by entering into long-term contracts for 10 to 15 years. In exchange, participants receive annual rental payments and a payment of up to 50 percent of the cost of establishing conservation practices. USDA uses the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) to rank the acreage offered. The EBI is based on costs and five other factors: soil erosion, water quality, enduring benefits, air quality and wildlife enhancement. The USDA is seeking comments on the future of the CRP program by 8 Dec 2004. The request for comments is located at (URL: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crpcomments/) Among other issues, FSA is seeking public comment on the following issues: How to manage the large acreage set to expire from CRP; How to manage future CRP sign-ups and acreage; How to evaluate the program's environmental effectiveness; How to better utilize information technology, such as Geographic Information Systems, that evaluate acreage for enrollment; and How to improve CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, through partnerships that better address local environmental issues.
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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.
USDA INVITES OC TO COMPILE FACT SHEET ON IMPORT OF BIRD PRODUCTS- Researchers who import bird specimens and "bird products" a USDA term for feathers, skins, tissues, and blood have long struggled with unwritten and uncertain import policies that shift from place to place and over time. The USDA office of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service responsible for controlling these imports is very small and is kept hopping by the seemingly endless series of threats to the safety of the U.S. poultry and beef supply, such as Exotic Newcastle Disease, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Bovine Spongeiform Encephalopathy. Although they have agreed to revise the import regulations and procedures, they have been precluded from doing so because they are so overburdened with these substantial issues, which seem to be occurring with increasing frequency. The OC, which has been working with this office since 2001, recognized that regulatory reform might be several years away. To try to at least bring some certainty to the existing system, OC offered to draft a fact sheet explaining the current import policies and procedures. The USDA accepted this offer and OC has submitted a draft that will now be reviewed by the USDA. It is hoped that this fact sheet will help scientists understand what is required of them and will help the USDA staff, including the port inspectors (who are now part of the Department of Homeland Security), the facility inspectors, and the permit staff to implement the existing policies in a more uniform way.
OPEN ACCESS DEBATE HEATS UP WITH NIH PROPOSAL, HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL The Fiscal Year 2005 House Labor HHS Appropriations subcommittee bill includes a provision that "recommends" to the Department of Health and Human Services that all NIH funded research be made available to the public, free of charge, six months after publication. A "recommendation" in the language that accompanies a spending bill is a "recommendation" in name only. An agency ignores it at its own peril. The language directs NIH to report to Congress by December how it plans to comply. There is much resistance to this language on the part of scientific societies, commercial journal publishers, and some of the largest and most prominent patient advocacy groups. Opponents will try to convince the Senate appropriators to countermand this language, and will try to be sure that it is removed when the House and Senate appropriations committees meet in conference to reconcile differences in the two bills. Even if this language survives, it applies only to NIH, and little ornithological research is NIH funded. But eventually, it will almost certainly be adopted by other funding agencies. Although it appears that NIH has already committed to a specific proposal that is, in essence, the same as the language in the House report, NIH has held a series of stakeholder meetings to discuss the proposal. At a 28 July stakeholder meeting for publishers and scientific societies, the Ornithological Council was one of only two organizations representing disciplines outside the biomedical realm. At that meeting, and in a follow up letter to NIH, OC asked NIH to recognize that its open access model would likely influence the open access models that other federal agencies would develop, and so it should give great thought to the potential impact on small, nonprofit scientific societies and the journals of these societies. The OC suggested that NIH include a provision that would exempt research published in the journals of small nonprofit scientific societies or at least allow for a longer period of time before free access is required. In addition to the potential impact on society revenues if memberships and subscriptions decline, this proposal shifts the costs of publication to authors, which will not only erode the amount of the grant that is available for actual research, but could also prove very difficult for researchers from developing countries, for young investigators, and for investigators who are not affiliated with research institutions. Subsidizing those authors who are unable to pay the costs of publication will put further strain on the journals. There is also great concern among the scientific community that this proposal will lead to the proliferation of self publication of research that is not peer reviewed, and that this will, in turn, erode the quality and reliability of scientific publications.
OC BRINGS SCIENTISTS, BUILDING INDUSTRY TOGETHER to initiate dialogue on avian mortality resulting from collisions with window glass-On July 28, an OC organized teleconference on avian mortality and window glass took place. Participants included: ornithologist Dan Klem, who has been studying this issue for three decades; Carr Everback, a professor of engineering at Swarthmore College who has been collaborating with Klem on the development of technologies to reduce avian mortality resulting from window glass; numerous representatives of the U.S. Green Building Council; and representatives of the American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society. The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Council members work together to develop a rating system to certify buildings as environmentally sound (or sounder); the system is known as LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The OC organized this teleconference after learning from Klem that he had had little success in focusing the attention of the architectural and building industries on this issue. As it is part of OC's mission to ensure that the best ornithological science is incorporated into management decision-making that affects birds, we decided that connecting the scientists with the relevant industry leaders might start a process that could lead to solutions that would reduce the avian mortality resulting from impacts with window glass. Klem gave an overview of his 3 decades of research, describing the magnitude of the problem, including the extent of mortality; the geographical range ("wherever there is window glass" be it urban, suburban, or rural all over the world); the reason birds hit glass and buildings, both as residents and as migrants; and the various technical solutions that have been shown to work. Unfortunately, these solutions are not likely to be acceptable to people for aesthetic, practical, and financial reasons. Various follow-up activities are being explored, including trying to identify a glass manufacturer to work with Klem to provide glass with UV coatings for field testing.
REMINDER: YOUR INPUT ON ANIMAL WELFARE REGULATIONS IS REQUESTED, the deadline has been extended to 1 Nov -Consistent with the amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has changed the definition of the word "animal" in the regulations that implement the AWA to exclude: birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research. Note the critical qualification: "bred for use in research." Previously, the AWA regulations excluded all birds, rats, and mice. This change means that wild birds held in captivity or studied in the wild (subject to the vaguely defined exemptions for field studies) or other birds bred in captivity but not specifically for the purpose of research are no longer excluded. The Ornithological Council will submit comments in response to the USDA's request for information that will help in the development of appropriate regulations and urges ornithologists to submit individual comments. We also hope to hear from you about your concerns, so we can incorporate those concerns into our comments. Comments must be received by the USDA by 1 Nov and can be submitted in several ways: Webform: The preferred method is to use the webform at http://comments.aphis.usda.gov. This webform is designed to allow commenters to associate each of their comments with the issues identified in the advance notice, and to allow APHIS to more easily analyze the comments received regarding each issue. Postal Mail/ Commercial Delivery: send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 98 106 4, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737 1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 98 106 4. E mail: Address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 98 106 4'' on the subject line. Note: if you submit through the webform, we recommend that you type your comments in a word processing document and then copy and paste into the webform so you can be sure of having a copy of your own comments. Webform submissions often fail to return a copy to the submitter. Also, if you submit comments, please consider sending a copy to the Ornithological Council (by e-mail to ellen.paul@verizon.net).
CLARIFICATION ON FCC RULES ON AVIAN TELEMETRY-In a previous newsletter, OC reported that the FCC had granted the OC's petition to correct an apparent error in the frequency assignments for wildlife telemetry. The frequency assignments (216-220 MHz) for wildlife telemetry (apart from those assigned to federal agencies) actually conflicted with another regulation that prohibited use of those frequencies for airborne use. The FCC agreed to correct the error by eliminating that restriction (note that actual revision of the regulations could take a year or more). We have learned that there is some confusion and concern about the impact of this change. Fred Anderka of Holohil Systems, Inc. reports that researchers who have equipment in the 148-152 MHz thought that this change would bar their use of that frequency. This change has no impact on use the 148-152 MHz frequency range, which was never assigned to wildlife radio telemetry. That range is a shared frequency that is available to states and universities. Many scientists who use wildlife telemetry use these frequencies because the university owns receivers in these frequencies. However, these frequencies are used by a wide variety of users, including some that use high-powered transmitters, even in rural areas, because it also includes forestry uses and highway maintenance. As a result, interference with the signal emitted from the transmitters on birds is a real concern. Given the very low power commonly used in radio telemetry transmitters on birds, interference from bird transmitters is unlikely, but it could occur and could be subject to FCC action.
OC FILES COMMENTS ON PROPOSED DOD EXEMPTION TO MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT-In response to a 2001 court decision saying that the Navy violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by failing to get permits to take migratory birds incident to its military preparedness exercises, the Congress enacted a law exempting the Department of Defense (DOD) from the MBTA. However, the exemption was not without constraints. The law directed the Department of the Interior to draft a regulation that would permit the DOD to take birds of species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act incident to military preparedness exercises. In June 2004, the draft rule was published for comment by the public. The proposed rule, including the preamble and explanatory information, can be found at URL: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/dodmbtarule/MBTATakeProposedRuleFinal.pdf. Representatives of the Ornithological Council, the National Audubon Society, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Defenders of Wildlife met to analyze the rule and identify potential areas of concern. Realizing that we lacked expertise in DOD environmental planning, we also met with representatives of DOD to ask them questions and seek their views. Following these meetings, the OC submitted comments on the proposed rule. The OC comments focused on the fact that the rule expressly states that DOD is not required to collect data before or after the military preparedness exercises, making it impossible to predict the potential impact or measure the actual impact. Without data, the rule's requirement for mitigation or cessation of activities, premised upon a "significant adverse impact on the population" will never be triggered. The OC investigated the extent to which bird population monitoring occurs on military properties and found that: fewer than 1/3 have MAPS stations; only 1 had a BBIRD project; 127 BBS routes actually cross DOD land (e.g. have at least one stop on DOD land) while 103 DOD lands have at least one BBS point count (some DOD properties have more than one route), and that another 118 BBS routes have stops within one mile of BBS lands. Overall, it appears that DOD is lacking much of the data needed to predict potential impact or assess actual impact. In addition, OC commented that, given the extent of variability and uncertainty in natural systems, the "significant adverse impact" threshold was too high, particularly given that no data collection is required of the DOD.
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE seeks input on status and role of foreign graduate students and postdocs in the US-The U.S. National Academy of Science has initiated a broad examination of the current status and role of foreign graduate students and postdocs in the U.S. The committee will develop recommendations to guide the development of national policy regarding international grad students and postdocs. If you've studied in the U.S., have wanted to study in the U.S.,or have had students from outside the U.S., you may want to take the time to send comments to intnlstudents@nas.edu. Specifically, the committee will address the following questions: What factors should be taken into consideration when developing policy regarding foreign students and postdoctoral scholars? For example, what is their impact on the advancement of science, the American and international economy, American undergraduate and graduate education institutions, processes, and students, and national security and international relations? Further, what is the impact of the American academic system on foreign graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on their intellectual development, careers, and perceptions of the United States? How do these impacts differ when they stay in the United States or return to their home country? What information and data is available regarding each of these factors? What findings and conclusions can be drawn from that data? What policy options are available for increasing and reducing the flow of foreign students and postdoctoral scholars? (e.g., visas, immigration rules)? What principles should guide national policy regarding foreign graduate students and postdoctoral scholars? For more info, click here: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/internationalstudents/
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY Many of you contact the OC with questions about your membership or for help in accessing the Flock online or changing your listing in the Flock. While we are happy to help, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Flock is actually produced by the Ornithological Societies of North America (OSNA), which is a joint billing and membership service of the AOU, AFO, COS, RRF, WS, and WOS, and which also produces this newsletter. The Ornithological Council, by contrast, comprises those six societies and five more: the Pacific Seabird Group, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, CIPAMEX, and the Neotropical Ornithological Society. As OC Chair David Blockstein describes it, "we are the policy winglet of the ornithological community." As you can see from the items we publish in this newsletter, courtesy of OSNA, the OC addresses issues of concern to ornithologists, such as permits, animal welfare, government policies affecting research including research misconduct, peer review standards and practices, data sharing requirements, and open access publishing requirements. We also strive to ensure that the best ornithological science is incorporated into legislative, regulatory, and management decision-making that affects birds. The Ornithological Council hosts the OSNA website on BIRDNET, but plans are being made to move the OSNA website to a new server. Meanwhile, you can access the OSNA website which includes a link to The Flock online, at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OSNA/
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CALL FOR STORIES BY WILDERNESS WOMEN--If you're a woman who has worked in wilderness, I welcome you to submit a story to be considered for publication in a new anthology called A Mile in Her Boots: Women Who Work in the Wild. For more information, please contact JENNIFER BOVÉ (EM: fieldstories@aol.com), P.O. Box 402, Naches, WA 98937.
HELP US FIND COLOR BANDED TURNSTONES AND BLACK BELLIED PLOVERS--We color banded Ruddy Turnstones and Black bellied Plovers near Nome, Alaska in June 2004. Each bird wears a USGS silver metal band plus some combination of color bands. It is important to record the exact sequence on each leg. Please send observations along with location, date, your name and background (biologist, birder, etc.) and how to contact you if you are willing to be contacted should we need further information. Report any sightings to: PHIL BRUNER Biology Dept., Brigham Young University Hawaii, 55 220 Kulanui St. Laie HI 96762. (EM: brunerp@byuh.edu, PH: 808-293-3820, FX: 808-293-3825).
REQUEST FOR BIRD NAMES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES. With the encouragement of Edward Dickinson, Editor of the 2003 edition of Howard and Moore's Complete Checklist of Birds of the World, I am compiling a dictionary of vernacular names in 20 languages based on H&M. Non passerine lists for many principal western European languages from official national authorities are complete, but I need help in completing Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish (Apodiformes only), Estonian, and a few in Japanese (transliterated). Also any lists in Romanian, Catalan, Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Indonesian, Hebrew (with vowel points), Korean (transliterated) or Chinese (transliterated) would be appreciated and acknowledged. JOHN BURRIDGE (EM: birder@tricolour.queensu.ca).
AMATEUR RAPTOR PHOTOS WANTED FOR BOOK--We need color photos of several raptor species to complete our book "Raptors of the Northeast", by Drs. Thomas Bosakowski and Dwight G. Smith. We can't pay, but we will print your name under each photograph (byline) and give you two free complimentary copies of the book for your efforts. You will NOT have to relinquish copyrights for any slides that are used in the book, as you will be given one time reproduction rights. We are looking for shots of adults and young in the wild as well as head shots, zoo shots, and hand held shots. Captive shots must not show cage bars, falconry equipment, or people holding raptors. Photos of nest sites are also welcome (all species), but those must be from the Northeast Region. We still need shots of Black Vulture flight, Northern Harrier perched, Sharp-shinned Hawk adult flight & perched, Northern Goshawk juv, adult, flight, perched, Red shouldered Hawk adult flight & perched, Rough-legged Hawk dark & light, flight or perched, Golden Eagle adult & juv flight, juv. perched, American Kestrel juv., adult female, flight or perched, Merlin juv male & female, adult male & female, flight & perched, Gyrfalcon dark and gray, flight or perched, Common Barn Owl perched & flight, young, Eastern Screech Owl adult, young, Great Horned Owl adult, Northern Hawk Owl perched or flight, Barred Owl perched, Great Grey Owl perched, flight, Long eared Owl adult, young, Short-eared Owl adult, flight, Boreal Owl adult & young, Northern Saw-whet Owl young, nest hole. If you wish to contribute, please send Kodak quality duplicate slides or 4x6 photo and include species, sex and age (if known), location, behavior, etc., and your name, on each slide/photo. High resolution digital photos may be acceptable (send only hard copy for now). Only sharp, non fuzzy, non blurry, images will be considered. It is up to the photographer if you wish to submit original slides or negatives, but we can't be held responsible for any loss in the mail. All materials will be returned in a month or two. Before submission of images, please send a quick confirmation of what you intend to send by e mail to: TomBosak@aol.com or snail mail to: DR. DWIGHT G. SMITH, Biology Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515
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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.
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 can be reported here, because of space limitations. For information on continuing grants programs relevant to ornithological research, visit: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/Grants/index.html .
THE 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 2004. Complete package should include: 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
TIOF ENDOWMENT FUND PROPOSAL-The International Osprey Foundation (TIOF) is seeking applications fo its 15th annual grant program to support research activities of a graduate student primarily focusing on osprey. However, work with other raptor species may be considered. The award recipient will be expected to provide a report on his or her research and use of the funds within one year of receiving the grant. To apply, send a project description of no more than two pages, an itemized estimate of expenses, and the name and address of the graduate supervisor. This project description and estimated budget, along with a cover letter giving whatever personal data you wish to furnish, will serve as your grant application. No further documents are required. Applications must be submitted by 31 Jan 2005 to: TIOF Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 250, Sanibel, FL, USA 33957-0250. The grant will be awarded on 31 Mar 2005.
SANDPIPER EQUIPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM--Sandpiper Technologies specializes in electronics for wildlife research and offers free use of its rental equipment to U.S. and Canadian students. Sandpiper implemented the Equipment Grants Program in 1997 and has a variety of pole mounted video systems, burrow probes and time lapse surveillance systems. Sandpiper Technologies must receive the applications via mail or e mail by 1 Dec 2004. Equipment specifications and application requirements can be found at: http://www.Sandpipertech.com Available equipment: * TreeTop Peeper Video System--Monitor and camera on a 16, 35 or 50 foot pole. Color and monochrome cavity cameras and IR cameras are available. * Basic Sentinel Video System--Time lapse VCR, auto color camera (provides color images in daylight and IR at night), 25m cable and camera set up kit. Student must provide deep cycle marine batteries. * Peeper Video Probe--head mounted video display and one of two burrow probe options: 2.3 inch dia., 3 meter gooseneck (Peeper Video Probe) or 1.0 inch dia., 3 meter gooseneck (Peep A Roo). How to apply: Applications are accepted year round, but Sandpiper must receive applications by 1 Dec 2004 for the Spring/ Summer 2005 field season. Applicants must: 1) Provide a title describing the scope of the research. 2) Specify the preferred equipment. 3) Describe your project and how you plan to use the equipment. 4) Describe the size of the critter to be studied and the habitat. 5) Specify the length of the field season, and the preferred equipment schedule. 6) STI requests that you do not request more than one system or request additional components than what is listed on the website at: http://www.Sandpipertech.com. Grants are based on the proposal, field survey schedules, equipment availability. Sandpiper prefers to dispense the grants to a diversity of campuses and regions for the study of a variety of species. Contact: ANN CHRISTENSEN, Sandpiper Technologies, Inc., 535 W. Yosemite Ave., Manteca, CA 95337 (EM: cdesigns@softcom.net).
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FOREST BIRDS OF THE LAST GREEN VALLEY, by Robert J. Craig, Michael Altshul and Kathleen G. Beal (Bird Conservation Research, Inc. Contribution No. 11; ISBN 0 9747973 0 8; $39.95 plus shipping), is available for purchase online at http://www.birdconservationresearch.org. The 196 page volume details summer and winter patterns in the distribution, population density and habitat use of 84 species of forest birds occurring in eastern Connecticut. A CD of Arcview compatible maps from the book ($125) is also available.
DIE VOGELSTIMMEN EUROPAS, NORDAFRIKAS UND VORDERASIENS:
THE BIRDSONGS OF EUROPE, NORTH AFRICA, AND THE NEAR EAST, Andreas Schulze, 819 Birdkinds on 17
Audio CDs * Playing time 19:20 hours. This exceptional edition includes 17 Audio CDs with 2.817 sound recordings of
songs, calls, and other signs of 819 bird species. The birds are systematically arranged by zoology, similar kinds can thus
be compared easily. Each bird species has one to five separate, consecutive titles, enabling one to choose the calls
separately from the songs, for example. The 64 page booklet explains the sound recordings in German, and the starting
time of each recording is noted. In the registry, the German and scientific (Latin) bird names offer a quick and specific
access to over 19 hours of listening experience. You can find the English translation of the book as PDF file at
http://www.birdsongs.de/birdsongs.pdf. Discover the fascinating world of bird voices! The recordings are derived from
the following archives: Jean C. Roché, Claude Chappuis, Karl Heinz Dingler, Andreas Schulze, Alfred Werle, Krister Mild,
Guy Gibbon, Boris Veprintsev, and Pavel Pelz. Order Code: ISBN 3 935329 49 0 Price: EUR 69.30 plus delivery
(payment in advance). To order direct http://www.birdsongs.de
BIRDLIFE OF THE CHURCHILL REGION. Joseph R. Jehl, Jr. 2004. Trafford Publishing, Victoria, BC. 7 X 10 in, 154 p. paper cover. 24 color, 8 black and white photographs, 3 maps, ISBN: 1 4120 4197 9. $28.00 US/$35.50Cd. 3.00 US . Churchill, Manitoba is one of the premier birding spots in North America. Lying at the junction of taiga and tundra, the region has an exceptionally rich avifauna. It also boasts the longest substantial record of birdlife (to 1619) and climate (to 1718) of any subarctic area in the world, making it a natural laboratory for studying long term biotic changes. This book is a full revision and update of Birds of the Churchill Region (1970). In addition to summarizing the birdlife, it describes the considerable scientific research in the area, (in many cases through contributions by the scientists involved), and includes unpublished information on the natural history of many species, derived from the author's long experience. The book will be of interest to naturalists, birders, professional ornithologists, and anyone concerned with climate change. Available in the US for $23.00 + $2.00 postage through J. JEHL, 2752 Poplar Lane, Annapolis, MD 21401 (EM: grebe5k@cs.com) ; in Canada, $24.95 + $3.00 postage through Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Box 68, Churchill, MB R0E0 (EM: cnsc@churchillmb.net). The book was published in collaboration with the Manitoba Special Conservation Fund and Churchill Northern Studies Centre; all proceeds support subarctic research through CNSC.
OKLAHOMA BREEDING BIRD ATLAS by Dan L. Reinking, editor, 2004. University of Oklahoma Press. 532 pp., 8 1/2 x 11, 220 color photos, 230 color maps. ISBN 0806134097, cloth, $59.95; ISBN 0806136146, paper, $34.95. This landmark volume, Oklahoma's first breeding bird atlas, offers both amateurs and ornithologists a wealth of information about Oklahoma bird species and their distributions. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 color photographs and over 200 color maps, the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas is as attractive as it is informative. During the years 1997-2001, more than 100 volunteer birders and professional researchers surveyed nearly 600 locations across all regions of Oklahoma. Their careful records form the basis of the maps in this volume, which show at a glance the breeding distribution of bird species both common and rare in Oklahoma. Detailed species accounts, illustrated with stunning photographs as well as maps, provide information on plumage, habitat, nesting habits, distributional changes, population trends, eggs, and the young. (URL: http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-3409-7).
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CANADIAN ORNITHOLOGY VOL. 1, by Kenneth Walton. ISBN 0 9689389 2 2 (Vol.1). 152 pages. There are 4000 reprints on Canadian Ornithology listed in this first volume. $75.95 U.S. (Make out Post Office Money Order only in U.S. for $85.95 for the book and shipping) to: KENNETH WALTON, 2157 Fillmore Cres., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1J 6A1 (EM: owl1@renc.igs.net)
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN WOOD WARBLERS VOL. 1, by Kenneth Walton. ISBN 0 9689389 1 4 (v.1). 116 pages. There are 2399 reprints on North American Wood Warblers in this first volume. $75.95 U.S. (Make out Post Office Money Order only in U.S. for $85.95 for the book and shipping) to: KENNETH WALTON, 2157 Fillmore Cres., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1J 6A1 (EM: owl1@renc.igs.net)
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG BODY MASS, FAT, WING LENGTH, AGE AND SEX FOR 170 SPECIES OF BIRDS BANDED AT POWDERMILL NATURE RESERVE, a monograph published by The Eastern Bird Banding Association in conjunction with Powdermill Nature Reserve of Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. It is authored by PNR biologists R.S. Mulvihill, R.C. Leberman and A. Leppold. The 184 page, spiral-bound monograph presents 49 pages of descriptive statistics followed by 100 pages of graphs and statistical analyses representing one species per page. This monograph greatly extends data previously published in 1978 on nearly 100,000 records of some 150 species banded at PNR 1961 - 1974, and perhaps represents one of the largest compilations of data of this sort. It is available for $15.00 plus $2.50 shipping in the U.S. (PA residents must add $.90 sales tax). Canadians add $3.50 for shipping. Checks to be payable to E.B.B.A. should accompany the order. Canadians should submit checks in US Funds and drawn on a US Bank. Order from: Eastern Bird Banding Association, ELAINE MEASE, 2366 Springtown Hill Rd., Hellertown, PA 18055 (PH: 610-346-7754, EM: measede@enter.net).
GUIDE TO HAWK WATCHING IN NORTH AMERICA (Globe Pequot Press, 2004) is now back in print and available as a Falcon Guide. The ISBN is 0 7627 2670 9. It is available from the publisher at http://www.GlobePequot.com, book sellers in Canada and the USA, and on line book sellers. This book covers 460 sites in the USA or Canada where raptor migrations, or wintering Bald Eagles, can be visited to see these birds. Sites are described and directions for visiting them are provided. Some of the sites are illustrated with black and white photographs. Included are some experimental sites along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and the marvelous Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia. This is the first update and revision of this book since it was published originally in 1979 by Penn State University Press. The new Globe Pequot Press edition is a paperback and priced modestly.
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FOR SALE: Some relatively uncommon equipment is available. It is now owned by a nonprofit organization which does wildlife research, and we would be happy to see it go to others of similar bent, at a nominal price, since we are not using it at this time. The devices are an Angioscan and an Angioscan II realtime spectrum analyzers in good working condition. We also have a QMC S200 Bat Detector. DON WHITE, EM: Earthtrust.org
TERN AND CORMORANT PAPERS AVAILABLE--Boxes of reprints, reports etc., used for preparing the BNA accounts of ARTE and DCCO & GRCO. You pay packing and shipping. Contact jeremy.hatch@umb.edu
BOOKS FOR SALE: Popular Handbook of the Birds of the U.S. and Canada, Nuttall, 1929, $30; Hornaday's American Natural History, 1927, $25; Warblers of North America, Chapman, 1907, $40; Birds of Prey, Snyder and Snyder, 1991,$20; Hawks and Owls of the U.S. Fisher, 1893, RARE $75; Hawks of North America, John May, 1935, $30. David W. Johnston (EM: fordeboids@verizon.net).
FOR SALE: Complete set of American Naturalist 1977 - 1997. $150 or best offer, shipping included. Will consider donating to an institutional library. Contact HERB WILSON (EM: whwilson@colby.edu, PH: 207-872-3432).
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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
*THE INLAND BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION, 2004 Annual Meeting, 5-7 Nov 2004, will be held at the George M. Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville, OK. The meeting will feature a session of scientific papers, a workshop on trapping roadside raptors, a demonstration of mist netting grassland birds, and a field trip to The Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 16 Oct. For details, see the IBBA website (URL: http://www.aves.net/InlandBBA/ibbamain.htm) or contact DAVID CIMPRICH (EM: dcimprich@tnc.org).
*THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, 2004 annual meeting, 10 - 13 Nov 2004, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, CA, will be held with in conjunction with the California Hawking Club's annual field meet. Details on the meeting are posted at http://biology.boisestate.edu/raptor. The deadline for submission of abstracts has passed (was 31 July), but plenty of hotel space is still available! For general information regarding the meeting, contact DANIEL E. VARLAND, Conference Committee Chair, (PH: 360-538-4582; EM: daniel.varland@rayonier.com). To learn about the California Hawking Club or to register for the meeting online via secure web site, see http://www.calhawkingclub.org.
THE INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS jointly with the CUBAN ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY and other entities involved in the study and preservation of biodiversity, celebrates every four years the SYMPOSIUM OF ZOOLOGY, the most important event on Cuban Zoological Sciences. The next issue, the VI Symposium will take place in Topes de Collantes, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, from 15 - 20 Nov 2004. Please visit our Website to find additional information (URL: http://www.geocities.com/zoologiacubana/simposio and http://www.geocities.com/zoologiacubana/meeting.htm, EM: zoología.ies@ama.cu; and direccion.ies@ama.cu/). MSc. Roberto Alonso Bosch, Announcer, VI Simposio de Zoología. Topes de Collantes. Cuba. Note: U.S. citizens who want information on obtaining a license to travel to Cuba should consult the website of the Office of Foreign Assets Control. One can obtain a license to travel to a scientific meeting. Guidelines and forms can be found at http://www.treasury.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/cuba_tr_app.pdf; see section III (page 24 of the .pdf) for the information on travel to professional meetings.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIRD & ENVIRONMENT, 21-24 Nov 2004, Haridwar, India--An international Conference on Bird & Environment, organized by the Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, under the auspices of Ornithological Society of India. The conference intends to bring together scientists, conservationists, naturalists & managers to discuss the impact of environmental changes factors on bird's life. For details visit: http://www.geocities.com/birdenv or contact : DR. DINESH BHATT, Organizing Secretary, Intl. Conf. on Bird & Environment, Dept. of Zoology & Env. Sci. Gurukula Kangri University. Haridwar, India. (PH: 91-01334-244835/245049. EM: dd_bhatt@yahoo.com).
SECOND BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIOGEOGRAPHY SOCIETY-Our second conference [5-9 Jan 2005 at the U.S. National Conservation Training Center (URL: http://training.fws.gov/) in West Virginia] will again be organized around poster presentations and five symposia: Biogeography of Parasites and Infectious Diseases, Biogeography of Exotic Species, Biogeography of Extinctions, Biogeography of Homo sapiens: from Pre-history to the Future, and Biogeographic Responses to Global Change. Oral/poster presentations will be held 6-8 Jan, with pre-meeting workshops on 5 Jan and an optional (behind the scenes) field trip to the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.) on 9 Jan. Check the IBS website (URL: http://www.biogeography.org) for updates, details and registration information.
THE PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP and the WATERBIRD SOCIETY will host a joint annual meeting 19-23 Jan 2005 at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon. The schedule, field trips, and registration information will be posted at http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org. Contact FRANCIE CUTHBERT (EM: cuthb001@umn.edu) or BOB DAY (EM: bday@abrinc.com) for questions about the scientific program and KATIE O'REILLY (EM: oreilly@up.edu) for local arrangements and registration information.
82ND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EASTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION will be hosted by Braddock Bay Bird Observatory at the Airport Holiday Inn in Rochester, NY on 15-17 Apr 2005. Information, as it becomes available, on the paper session, workshops, poster session, accommodations, field trips, and the bucket raffle will be posted on the EBBA website (URL: http://www.pronetisp.net/~bpbird/) or contact BETSY BROOKS (EM: ebrooks@bbbo.org).
THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY and the ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS will hold joint annual meetings 21-24 Apr 2005 in the Washington, DC, area, at the invitation of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the Maryland Ornithological Society. Housing and meetings will be at the Sheraton-College Park, Beltsville, MD. The Chair of the Scientific Program Committee, JAMES D. RISING, Department of Zoology, Ramsey Wright Zoological Labs, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 3G5 Canada, will be happy to have suggestions for symposia. The Chair of the Committee on Arrangements is RICHARD C. BANKS, USGS-PWRC- MRC 111, National Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012 (PH: 202-357-1970). A full announcement of the meeting will be mailed in January 2005.
ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS, 21-24 Apr 2005-See WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEETINGS at Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, 15 - 18 Jun 2005. The meeting will be held on the campus of Humboldt State University,
THE 123rd STATED MEETING OF THE AOU will be held at the University of California Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA, 23 - 27 Aug 2005.
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL HORNBILL CONFERENCE, Mabula Game Lodge, South Africa, 7-9 Nov 2005. The Ground Hornbill Research and Conservation Project and Three Cities Game Lodges, South Africa, and the Hornbill Research Foundation, Thailand, will host the Fourth International Hornbill Conference at Mabula Game Lodge, South Africa, during the period 7-9 Nov 2005. The scientific program will cover two days, followed by a one-day workshop for the Hornbill Specialist Group of IUCN and Birdlife International. The principal theme of the conference is "The Active Management of Hornbills and their Habitats for Conservation". There will also be a general session to report on other aspects of hornbill biology, and a separate workshop by the IUCN and Birdlife Hornbill Specialist Group to identify conservation priorities.For further details, contact by any of the means below (preferably e-mail): (EM: hornbillconference2005@yahoo.co.uk; FX: +27 14 734 0013). Postal: Hornbill Conference 2005, c/o The Ground Hornbill Project, Mabula Game Lodge, Private Bag X 1655, Bela-Bela, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
*24TH INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS, 13 - 19 August 2006, Hamburg, Germany. Call for contributed orals, posters and round table discussions will be posted on the website in Jan. 2005 (URL: http://www.i-o-c.org).
VIII NEOTROPICAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will be held in Jun 2007 in Maturín (Monagas, Venezuela) together with the Unión Venezolana de Ornitología and our Secretary General will be Carlos Bosque.
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STEPHEN F. BAILEY has taken early retirement from his position as Director of the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, California. He will be leading bird tours and pursuing diverse ornithological projects world wide. New contact information is: 4564 Valley West Blvd., Apt. C, Arcata, CA 95521. PH: 707-822-5180; EM: sfbailey@reninet.com
RICHARD C. BANKS has become Editor of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
JAMES A. HANCOCK of the United Kingdom, elected a Corresponding Fellow of the AOU in 1995, died recently.
JOHN HUNT has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Arkansas Monticello. His new contact information is: School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Arkansas Monticello, 397 University Drive: P.O. Box 3480, Monticello, AR 71656. PH: 870-460-1466, EM: huntj@uamont.edu
ERIC L. WALTERS recently completed his Ph.D. at Florida State University and has taken a position as a postdoctoral research associate with Doug Bolger at Dartmouth College. He continues to moderate CAVNET (a cavity-nesting bird discussion group; CAVNET's web site is: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cavnet/). His new address: Environmental Studies Program, 6182 Steele Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, EM: ewalters@dartmouth.edu.
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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 the Ornithological Newsletter Editor, CHERYL L. TRINE (address below). Additional copies of The Flock can be purchased from the OSNA Business Office.
CHANGES/ADDITIONS:
CAFFREY, CAROLEE. EM: clcaffrey@audubon.org
DOSCH, JERALD. Biology Department, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105. PH: 651-696-6187, EM: dosch@macalester.edu
DUNNING, JOHN B. EM: jdunning@purdue.edu
ROEDEL, MICHAEL D., State Ornithologist, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 (PH: 615-781-6653; EM: michael.roedel@state.tn.us).
STEVENSON, GRANT, 946 Seneca Street, Apt. 11, Fountain Hill, PA 18015 2607. PH: 610-866-6234; FX: 610-841-4300, call first; EM: thunderbirdgs@juno.com (soon to change-will post)
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