The Ornithological Newsletter On-Line

ORGANIZATION NEWS

NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP CLASSES OF Fellow and Elective Member of the AOU are due 5 May 2006 (5 months prior to the Stated Meeting). Fellows and Elective Members are encouraged to submit nominations of deserving colleagues. Following its official charge to supplement nominations, the Committee on Nomination of Fellows and Elective Members will prepare only a few nominations, and thus timely submissions from members are imperative. Nominations and full supporting information are to be supplied by the nominators. Lists of current Fellows and Elective Members are available on the AOU website (URL: http://www.aou.org/membership/special.php3). Nominators seeking to endorse a nominee must first obtain the instructions and forms for 2006, available on the AOU web site (URL: http://www.aou.org/nominations.php3) or from the Secretary, M. ROSS LEIN, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CANADA (PH: 403-220-6549, FX: 403-289-9311, EM: aousecretary@aou.org). For ELECTIVE MEMBER nominations, the Secretary will compile and prepare ballot packets to be sent to current Fellows and Elective Members in July 2006. Ballots must be returned by mail to the Secretariat by three weeks before the Stated Meeting (i.e., by 14 Sep 2006) and the names will be announced at the Business Meeting of Members on 5 Oct 2006 at the World Trade Center in Veracruz, México. For FELLOW nominations, the Secretary will compile and prepare packets to be sent to current Fellows in Sep 2006. Voting will take place at the Fellows Meeting on 3 Oct 2006.

THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY, formerly The Wilson Bulletin, will premiere in March 2006. In addition to the new name—which maintains the tradition of honoring Alexander Wilson and more clearly reflects the journal's theme and content—the front and back covers have been redesigned, the title page is new, and a new feature has been added to The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. The front cover of each of issue will portray a different illustration of one of the species named after Alexander Wilson. The back cover (Contents) has also been redesigned to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to read. A new feature, “Once Upon a Time in American Ornithology,” which puts forward the observations and reflections of naturalists from times past, debuts as well. I sincerely hope that ornithologists, authors, and other readers welcome the new look and the improvements we continue to make to The Wilson Journal of Ornithology—James A. Sedgwick, Editor.

NOMINATIONS FOR AOU OFFICERS AND ELECTIVE COUNCILORS must be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting. Thus, this year nominations are due 5 Jul 2006. Officers to be elected at the 2006 Business Meeting of the Members (5 Oct 2006 at the World Trade Center in Veracruz, México), will be President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Elective Councilors. The Bylaws of the AOU require that the Vice-President be elected annually and serve only one term, and that the Secretary and Treasurer be elected or re-elected annually. At the conclusion of the 124th Stated Meeting, James A. Kushlan will conclude his two-year term as President, and Erica H. Dunn will commence her two-year term as President. The incumbent Treasurer (Frank B. Gill) is willing to stand for re-election, but the incumbent Secretary (M. Ross Lein) will be retiring. Of the total of nine Elective Councilors, three are elected annually to serve terms of approximately three years, beginning at the close of the Stated Meeting. Elective Councilors to be replaced at the conclusion of the 124th Stated Meeting in 2006 are Peter P. Marra, Kathy Martin, and Patricia G. Parker. Continuing to serve in 2006-2007 will be Elective Councilors Terrell D. Rich, Thomas W. Sherry, Kimberly A. Sullivan, Reed Bowman, Robert L. Curry, and Helen F. James. The procedure for nominating AOU officers and Elective Councilors is outlined in the Bylaws (Art IV, Sec 2). "Each Fellow and Elective Member shall be invited in advance of the Stated Meeting at which an election is to be held, to nominate to the Secretary, persons for President-Elect, for Vice-President, for Secretary, for Treasurer, and for Elective Councilors. These nominations shall be received by the Secretary three months before the Stated Meeting and shall be presented at the business session of the Stated Meeting. Nominations for all officers and Elective Councilors must be accompanied by documented consent of the nominee." Nominations may be submitted in writing, or electronically to the Secretary, M. ROSS LEIN, Department of Biology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CANADA (PH: 403-220-6549, FX: 403-289-9311, EM: aousecretary@aou.org).

STUDENTS - FREE MEMBERSHIP! The Cooper Ornithological Society is always interested in getting more graduate students involved and provides free student memberships each year. These student awards cover costs of membership for 2 years and carry full membership benefits including online access to the Condor, providing an important launch into ornithological careers at an early stage. To apply, simply send a CV of the student and a cover letter from the major professor that describes why the student deserves the award. Deadline for receipt of applications is 15 Mar 2006. Send application materials by e-mail or post to: SHELDON J. COOPER, Department of Biology & Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI 54901-8640 (EM: cooper@uwosh.edu).

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NEWS FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL

Provided by DAVID E. BLOCKSTEIN, Chair (EM: oc@cnie.org), and ELLEN PAUL, Executive Director (EM: ellen.paul@verizon.net), The Ornithological Council. Major funding for the Ornithological Council is provided by its eleven member societies: American Ornithologists' Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, CIPAMEX, Cooper Ornithological Society, Neotropical Ornithological Society, Pacific Seabird Group, Raptor Research Foundation, Society of Canadian Ornithologists, Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Waterbird Society, and Wilson Ornithological Society. We also appreciate the support of individual ornithologists.

ORNITHOLOGISTS PETITION TO DELIST CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN IN CALIFORNIA- Ornithologist Craig Harrison (Conservation Chair, Pacific Seabird Group) has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) from the federal list of endangered species. The petition, which was filed on behalf of the Endangered Species Recovery Council, a global, non-profit task force of scientists that actively restores and manages habitat of endangered, threatened, and sensitive species and the ecosystems on which they depend (URL: http://www.islandrestoration.org/). According to the petition, "ESRC provides integrated teams to apply state-of-the-art techniques and expertise to solve many of today's endangered species problems. ESRC members are recognized experts in conservation genetics, restoration ecology, pathology, veterinary medicine, animal behavior, avian propagation, land management, predator and weed control, species reintroduction, environmental law, plant and animal population demography and monitoring, fire ecology, radio and satellite telemetry, recovery planning, botany, ornithology, mammalogy, and tropical forest ecology." An earlier de-listing petition was filed by ornithologists Lloyd Kiff and Joseph Jehl in 1980, but the USFWS failed to respond to the petition. Another petition was filed in 1986 by the Pacific Seabird Group but the USFWS took no action. The current petition alleges that the population has fully recovered from the decline caused by DDT and other factors, and that management and habitat protection in both Mexico and California is adequate to protect these populations.

USFWS SUPPORTS SCIENCE FOR WATERBIRD, SHOREBIRD, AND PARTNERS IN FLIGHT INITIATIVES WITH NEW HIRES–The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has demonstrated its support for the science that underlies the Partners in Flight, U.S. Shorebird, and Waterbird Conservation for the Americas bird conservation plans by dedicating some of its very limited funding to the creation of three new science positions. The three quantitative biologists will significantly increase the Service's capacity to address survey, monitoring and assessment needs of non-game birds. As the Service noted in its announcement, "Within the Service, the Division of Migratory Bird Management is responsible for development and coordination of conservation strategies for migratory shorebirds, waterbirds, landbirds, and raptors working through broad governmental and non-governmental partnerships. The efforts of these coalitions have resulted in several national or international conservation plans such as the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the North American Landbird Conservation Plan. Implementation and evaluation of conservation strategies outlined in these plans are dependent on scientifically credible population and habitat monitoring programs and on sound assessments of monitoring data to address management questions." The Ornithological Council lauds the Service for taking this very important step to improve the scientific basis of the implementation of these bird conservation plans.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TO HOLD BIRD CONFERENCE–On 27 and 28 Apr 2006, the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation will present a conference entitled "Biodiversity Symposium: Conserving Birds in Human-Dominated Landscapes" which features a keynote talk by ornithologist Gordon Orians and will focus on conserving bird diversity in the areas most heavily impacted by human activities. This conference will examine new approaches for managing bird diversity in urban, suburban, agricultural, and industrial areas; and explore possibilities for conservation in the face of an increasingly developed and industrialized world. Conservation decision-making in these landscapes will necessarily involve ecological and evolutionary considerations as well as an open discussion of ethical and aesthetic implications. Call for Posters: Poster abstracts will be considered for inclusion in the symposium's poster session. Abstract submissions will be accepted until 1 Mar. Special Student Pricing and Early-Registration Discounts Available. For detailed information, see http://cbc.amnh.org/symposia/birds/index.html.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SEEKS INPUT ON ITS STRATEGIC PLAN: The National Science Foundation is asking for your input at the start of the process to draft the next NSF Strategic Plan. Feedback from the science and engineering community is very important and views from the community will be incorporated into the new plan. The current plan (URL: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf04201) is meant to guide NSF and stakeholders in a way that is responsive to the science and engineering community that we serve. The Strategic Plan for FY 2006-2011 will continue to do this through communicating NSF's strategic goals, objectives, priorities and strategies over this time period. To meet the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act, the plan will also discuss the relationship of this entire framework to annual performance goals in the NSF budget. The Strategic Plan will be consistent with the priorities and strategies being drafted in the National Science Board 2020 Vision for the National Science Foundation. Your comments are requested by 20 Jan 2006 through the website (URL: http://www.nsf.gov/about/performance/input).cfm. In particular, NSF requests comments on the following questions to assist us in developing the new plan: Does NSF's current Strategic Plan effectively communicate NSF's roles and responsibilities as part of the science and engineering (S&E) community? If not, what is lacking and how can the next plan be improved? What broad characteristics of the near- and long-term environment for S&E research and education should NSF consider and address in its next Strategic Plan? In addition to direct community input, the NSF Advisory Committees will provide guidance throughout the process. There will be another opportunity for direct community input once a draft plan is completed. The final version of the Strategic Plan must be sent to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget by 30 Sep 2006.

USFWS ANNOUNCES FOCAL SPECIES STRATEGY–At the 9 Nov 2005 meeting of the Bird Conservation Alliance (URL: http://www.birdconservationalliance.org/) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unveiled a plan to systematically identify and carry out management tasks necessary to change status of select species. Following from the development of the List of Nongame Migratory Birds of Conservation Concern, the strategic plan entitled "A Blueprint for the Future of Migratory Birds" and a directive from the White House Office of Management and Budget to develop program goals with measurable outcomes, the Service selected a subset of 139 nongame birds as candidates for focused conservation efforts (i.e., Focal Species candidates for focused conservation efforts. Focal species to be the subject of campaigns guided by action- oriented management plans that identify tasks, associated timelines and budgets needed to achieve status objectives. An action plan will be developed for each of the nine species selected for 2006: the Pacific population of Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), the Laysan Albatross (Diomedea immutabilis), Black-footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes), King Rail (Rallus elegans), Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus; excluding the Endangered Pacific coast populations), Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus), American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea), and Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris). For more information, see http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/FocalSpecies/The%20Focal%20Species%20Fact%20Sheet%20and%20Table.pdf

USFWS PUBLISHES FINAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACT STATEMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR RESIDENT CANADA GEESE - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 15 Nov 2005 released a final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that assesses various alternatives to reduce, manage, and control resident Canada goose populations and reduce related damages. The Service's proposed action will allow state wildlife agencies, landowners, and airports more flexibility in controlling resident Canada goose populations. The Service took this action in response to widespread concern about overabundant populations of resident Canada geese, which can damage property, agriculture, and natural resources in parks and other open areas near water. During the last ten years, the resident Canada goose population in the Atlantic flyway has increased an average of 1 percent per year to more than 1 million birds. The Mississippi flyway has seen a growth of 5 percent per year to 1.6 million birds. The preferred alternative in this FEIS consists of three main program components. The first component creates four specific control and depredation orders for airports, landowners, agricultural producers and public health officials. These new orders will allow take of resident Canada geese without a federal permit provided agencies fulfill certain reporting and monitoring requirements. The second component consists of expanded hunting methods and opportunities and would be targeted to increase the sport harvest of resident Canada geese. Under this component, States could choose to expand shooting hours and allow hunters the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns. The third component consists of a new regulation authorizing a resident Canada goose population control program, or Management Take. Under Management Take, the take of resident Canada geese outside the existing sport hunting seasons (1 Sep to 10 Mar) would be authorized and would enable States to authorize a harvest of resident Canada geese during the 1 Aug through 31 Aug period. These dates are important because wild migratory Canada geese have not arrived from the breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada. The agricultural depredation order, the expanded hunting opportunity and the Management Take component of the FEIS will not include Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Utah and parts of Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and New Mexico. Only State wildlife agencies and Tribal entities in the Atlantic, Central, and Mississippi Flyway could implement these components for resident Canada geese. The final Environmental Impact Statement is available at (URL: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/cangeese/finaleis.htm).

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PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE

THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE (4th edition, 1999) is now available free of charge at the Commission's website (URL: http://www.iczn.org). Hard copies are still available from the Commission Secretariat, or from the American Association for Zoological Nomenclature, details on the ICZN website.

BIRDS OF KUWAIT: A PORTRAIT, by Abullah F. Alfadhel. 2005. Abdullah F. Alfadhel. 304 pp. ISBN: 99906-76-77-1, Hardcover | 2005 | £29.95 | approx. $52/_45. This bilingual (Arabic/English) volume contains more than 400 full color photographs of Kuwait birds and nature. A taxonomically-ordered list of all 380 bird species recorded in Kuwait includes English common names and Arabic names alongside the scientific names. An 18-page section in English includes a description of 34 important birding sites, an introduction to the Kuwaiti environment and a brief overview of the conservation efforts being made in Kuwait towards the protection of birds. Many, but not all, photos are identified with English common names and scientific names; the descriptions, however, are only in Arabic. Order from NHBS Environmental Bookstore (URL: http://www.nhbs.com, EM: customer.serices@nhbs.co.uk, PH: +44 0 1803 865913).

BIRDS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALL BRITISH AND EUROPEAN SPECIES by Dominic Couzens. 2005. Harper Collins. 336 pp., 500 color photos, 500 color illustrations, Hardcover, £30.00, approx. $53/_45, ISBN: 0007138210. Birds communicates the secret lives and astonishing beauty of all the species in Britain and Europe. Featuring over 450 species that can be found regularly within Europe, this complete photographic guide provides a comprehensive and authoritative text along with some of the best bird photography in the world. The characteristic appearance and behavior of every species is clearly identified, and there is at-a-glance information on food, song, habitat, migration, breeding and behavior. Each species is illustrated with a color photograph and artwork to show different plumages. Maps accompany each species to show distribution and breeding ranges. Memorable descriptions and often astonishing facts make even the commonest birds worthy of new attention. Organized taxonomically, entries vary in length from longer articles about the more iconic species, to shorter descriptions for similar species within a family. Beautifully illustrated with over 500 color photos and 1000 illustrations, Birds makes an ideal gift for bird-lovers and complete beginners alike.

BIRD-WITCHED! HOW BIRDS CAN CHANGE A LIFE, by Majorie Valentine Adams. 2005. University of Texas Press. 288 pp., 51 halftones, 9 line drawings, 6 x 9 in. ISBN: 0-292-70949-8, $24.95 hardcover with dustjacket. Birding can become an addiction. It starts when you hang a bird feeder in the backyard. Then you buy a bird book to identify the birds you see. Then before you know it, you’re keeping a life list and traveling the region, the country, perhaps even the world to catch glimpses of rare birds. Marjorie Adam’s birding passion progressed through all these stages and continues today in her tenth decade. In this engaging and informative book, she looks back at her evolution into a full-fledged birder and the concurrent growth of the sport of birding, and a teacher and producer of educational wildlife films with her husband and lifelong birding partner, “Red” Adams. As one who was there from the beginning, Marjorie Adams is uniquely qualified to recount the astonishing rise of birding to a major pastime and recreational industry. She descries the founding of the American Birding Association and profiles its founder, James A. Tucker. She vividly recalls many of her and Red’s birding adventures, from southern Canada to Mexico, as well as their encounters with a host of highly regarded birders. She also explains how her and Red’s love for birds led them to become conservation activists and how they produced an award-winning film on the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler. Offering an important chapter in the story of birding in Texas and the United States, this book establishes Marjorie and Red Adams’s rightful place among the leading Texas naturalists of recent decades. University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819 (PH: 800-252-3206, URL: http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/).

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MEETINGS

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

* in this section indicates new or revised entry

THE 11TH ALASKA BIRD CONFERENCE will be held from 7-9 Feb 2006 in Juneau, Alaska. Call for abstracts and details regarding the conference can be found at http://www.abc2006.juneau-audubon-society.org.

THE 10TH NORTH AMERICAN CRANE WORKSHOP will be held 7-10 Feb 2006 in Zacatecas, Mexico. For information about activities, registration, and submission of manuscripts, go to http://www.nacwg.org.

THE PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP will host its annual meeting 15-19 Feb 2006 at the Alyeska Prince Hotel (URL: http://www.alyeskaresort.com/) at the world class ski resort in Girdwood, Alaska. The schedule, field trips, and registration information will be posted at http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org. Papers on all marine subjects welcome but specific sessions will focus on; what chemical analyses can tell us about seabirds, fisheries/seabird interaction, marine birds as indicators of the marine ecosystem, and planktivorous alcids. Field trips include a pelagic voyage in the Gulf of Alaska, a trip to the Alaska SeaLife Center, and dog sledding. Meeting also coincides with Anchorage’s annual winter festival. Contact VERENA GILL (EM: verena_gill@fws.gov) for questions about local arrangements and registration and KATIE O'REILLY (EM: oreilly@up.edu) for information about the scientific program.

THE FIRST SHOREBIRD SCIENCE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE MEETING will be held at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, Colorado, between 27 Feb and 2 Mar 2006. The purpose of the meeting is to: (1) bring together biologists studying breeding, staging and wintering shorebirds throughout the Western Hemisphere in one location, (2) promote information sharing on methodologies and study design among biologists working on different shorebird species, (3) promote range-wide studies of shorebirds by fostering collaborations among biologists interested in particular species, 4) integrate science into the implementation of various shorebird conservation plans, and (5) to generate enthusiasm in the shorebird community to conduct additional studies of shorebirds in the future. Additional details of the meeting, including the venue, abstract and symposium submittal deadlines, science program, etc., are posted on the US Shorebird Conservation Plan website (URL: http://www.fws.gov/shorebirdplan/ScienceMeeting.htm). Please mark your calendars now and plan on attending. Questions about meeting arrangements should be addressed to RICK LANCTOT, overall meeting coordinator (EM: richard_lanctot@fws.gov, PH: 1-907-786-3609); BRAD ANDRES, Boulder Logistics Coordinator (EM: brad_andres@fws.gov, PH: 1-303-275-2324); and STEPHEN BROWN, Science Program Committee Chair (EM: sbrown@manoment.org, PH: 1-508-224-6521).

THE 2006 MIDWEST ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION CONFERENCE will be held 17-19 Mar at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. The MEEC is a migratory meeting, hosted by universities in the Midwest. The meeting is solely organized and supported by graduate student efforts and attended by nearly 250 graduate students each year. Graduate students are encouraged to present their research in a friendly atmosphere. The keynote speaker this year will be Daniel Simberloff. For more information, send an email to meec2006@hotmail.com.

*OWLS ON THE MOVE: WHEN, WHERE, WHY? A SYMPOSIUM ON NORTHERN OWLS. Last winter, over 5,000 owls descended on northern Minnesota, setting records and drawing bird watchers from across the country to this region. This March, 2006, a weekend symposium celebrating the mystique, natural history and ecology of northern owls will be held in Duluth, MN. Featuring owls, art, a poster session and speakers from as far away as Finland, this one of a kind event will appeal to a wide range of owl enthusiasts. Proceeds will be used to further owl research and conservation. When: 17-19 Mar 2006. Where: University of Minnesota Duluth. Sponsored by: Audubon Minnesota; Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth; Duluth Audubon Society; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory; Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Non Game Wildlife Program; Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth. Schedule of Events: Friday, 17 Mar--Family-oriented Owl Fair. Learn and explore about owls in our area in an informal, fun environment. Saturday, 18 Mar--Researchers and historians speaking about owl ecology, natural history and specifically, the spectacular numbers of owls that appeared in Minnesota during the winter of 2004-05; Poster Session and banquet follow presentations. Sunday, 19 Mar--Discussion panels, workshops and interactive programs focused on research and education about owls. A list of local birding guides is available for persons interested in field trips. Call for Posters: Abstracts for posters relating to northern owls are welcome, especially those concerned with biology, management or socio-economics. Contact symposium coordinator for more details. Cost: Symposium: $45 before 20 Feb, 2006; $60 after 20 Feb 2006; Saturday evening banquet: $20 per person. Attendance will be capped at 400 persons. Online registration and mail-in forms available at: http://www.hawkridge.org.

*71ST NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONFERENCE, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, from 21-26 Mar 2006. The theme of the 71st Conference is “Natural Resources Conservation. . .The Other Homeland Security.” Among the special sessions and symposia, is a symposium entitled “Wind Energy Development and Wildlife Management Symposium” scheduled for Tuesday, 21 March. For further information and to register online visit http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/pages/TOC

*THIRD ANNUAL NORTHERN PLAINS BIOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM--The Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association (BSGSA) of North Dakota State University is proud to be one of the many sponsors for the Third Annual Northern Plains Biological Symposium. The symposium is scheduled for 7 Apr 2006 on the NDSU campus. Registration is free and all who plan on coming, both presenters and audience members, are encouraged to register early. Abstracts for the symposium are due by 28 Feb 2006 and may be submitted online or mailed. Both paper (oral presentations) and poster presentations are welcomed and require a brief abstract (~200 words). Online registrations are preferred and can be submitted at http://biology.ndsu.nodak.edu/bsgsa/register.html. For more information please contact HEATH HAGY, North Dakota State University, Stevens Hall, Fargo ND 58105 or visit the website listed above. Email inquiries are welcomed at ndsu.biology.gsa@ndsu.edu.

*BIODIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM: CONSERVING BIRDS IN HUMAN-DOMINATED LANDSCAPES, Thursday and Friday, 27-28 Apr 2006. The American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) will focus its eleventh annual symposium on conserving bird diversity in the areas most heavily impacted by human activities. While there have been many opportunities for scientists and managers to discuss the conservation of rare birds in the wild, this conference will examine new approaches for managing bird diversity in urban, suburban, agricultural, and industrial areas; and explore possibilities for conservation in the face of an increasingly developed and industrialized world. Conservation decision-making in these landscapes will necessarily involve ecological and evolutionary considerations as well as an open discussion of ethical and aesthetic implications. Once we begin to understand potential or desired patterns of diversity, we can proceed to integrate the available science with new and adaptive approaches to land management in these areas. Call for Posters: Poster abstracts will be considered for inclusion in the symposium's poster session. Abstract submissions will be accepted until 1 Mar 2006. Special Student Pricing and Early-Registration Discounts Available. In conjunction with the Symposium, the CBC will host a special lecture by renowned ecologist Gordon Orians on "Biodiversity and the Evolutionary Roots of Beauty." For detailed information about the symposium, poster session, and lecture, please email (EM: biodiversity@amnh.org) or visit the CBC website (URL: http://cbc.amnh.org).

*MARINE CONSERVATION IN EUROPE 2006: Marine conservation policies, conservation science, and the management of human activities in European waters and beyond. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) takes great pride in announcing its upcoming CONFERENCE entitled Marine Conservation in Europe 2006. This conference will take place in the German Oceanographic Museum (DMM) in Stralsund from 8 – 12 May 2006. It will be the second conference on marine conservation in Europe and will deal specifically with marine conservation policies, conservation science, and the management of human activities in European waters and beyond. The conference is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. It will be conducted in English. There will be three days of invited presentations dedicated to marine conservation policies, conservation science, and the management of human activities, respectively, followed by a final day of excursions. This conference seeks to cover a wide range of current topics in marine conservation involving a full range of interested people such as policy makers, scientists and non-governmental organizations. The German Oceanographic Museum is located in the picturesque center of Stralsund, a medieval Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast. It is situated in north-eastern Germany, in the middle of Europe, some 300 km north of Berlin and east of Hamburg. For further information: http://www.habitatmarenatura2000.de, or Email: Stefan.Braeger@bfn-vilm.de

GAMEBIRD 2006 - A Joint Conference - Quail VI and Perdix XII. 31 May - 4 Jun 2006 at The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. The Warnell School of Forest Resources is hosting Gamebird 2006, an international conference on management of gamebirds. This meeting combines the 6th North American Quail Conference and the 12th Perdix Conference to encourage international collaboration and exchange of ideas. The primary focus of this conference will be ecology of gamebirds in managed ecosystems in the previous focus areas of North America and Europe, but also South America, Africa, and Asia. Participation of biologists involved in all aspects of management and research of gamebirds is encouraged. Please see the conference website for details (URL: http://gallus.forestry.uga.edu/QuailVI/) or contact DR. JOHN P. CARROLL (EM: jcarroll@forestry.uga.edu).

*The ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY’s 43rd annual meeting will be held 12-16 Aug 2006 in Snowbird, Utah, USA. Famous for its mountain scenery, wildlife and natural environment, the resort at Snowbird offers a perfect locale for our meeting. We have an exciting schedule planned, including a Keynote Address by Tim Clutton-Brock (Cambridge University), a Distinguished Animal Behaviorist Address by Robert Trivers (Rutgers University), and a Fellow's Address by Carl Gerhardt (University of Missouri). Symposia include “Behavioral Syndromes” (organized by Andy Sih and Alison Bell) and “Sensory Ecology” (Tim Wright, Jenny Boughmann and Paige Warren), and there will be a workshop on Data Collection Software (organized by Sue Margulis). The meeting will follow a similar format to those of previous years, with a welcoming picnic on Saturday and a closing banquet on Wednesday. The Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in the Wasatch mountains of eastern Utah, 45 minutes from Salt Lake City, is perfectly situated to serve as the starting point for a vacation, less than one day’s drive to Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches and Bryce National Parks. Scientific sessions will be held in the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird, the same building where all of the hotel rooms are located. The condos are in the Lodge and the Inn at Snowbird, a moderate 5-minute walk from the meeting rooms. We’ll see you in Snowbird! For further information see http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Meetings/Snowbird06/, or contact the designated host JEFF GALEF (EM: galef@mcmaster.ca). Contact JILL MATEO, Acting Chair of the ABS Public Affairs Committee, for a press pass (EM: jmateo@uchicago.edu).

24TH INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS 2006, 13-19 Aug 2006, Hamburg, Germany. Call for contributions is closed. Website (URL: http://www.i-o-c.org).

4TH NORTH AMERICAN DUCK SYMPOSIUM AND WORKSHOP, Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck, North Dakota, 23-26 Aug 2006. Organized by North Dakota Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society, and Bureau of Reclamation. The theme is "Integrating Waterfowl Science and Management." Contact MIKE JOHNSON (EM: mjohnson@state.nd.us PH: 701-328-6319) for additional information or to be put on the email list for future information and announcements.

NEXT ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY will be held in conjunction with the 4th North American Ornithological Conference 3-7 Oct 2006, in Veracruz City, Mexico.

THE 4TH NORTH AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE 2006, Wings Without Borders, will be held in Veracruz, Mexico, 3-7 Oct 2006, and is being jointly organized by the American Ornithologists Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, CIPAMEX, Cooper Ornithological Society, Raptor Research Foundation, Society of Canadian Ornithologists/Societe des Ornithologistes due Canada, Waterbird Society, and Wilson Ornithological Society. The conference is also endorsed by the Neotropical Ornithological Society, Pacific Seabird Group, and Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds. The Steering Committee is co-chaired by CHARLES M. FRANCIS (EM: charles.francis@ec.gc.ca) and JOSÉ LUIS ALCÁNTARA (EM: jlalcant@colpos.mx). The Scientific Program Committee is co-chaired by JOHN FAABORG (University of Missouri, EM: faaborgj@missouri.edu) and J. FRANCISCO ORNELAS (Instituto de Ecología, EM: ornelasj@ecologia.edu.mx). The full conference program is expected to be assembled in Dec 2005. The mailing of the Circular of Information and call for papers will be made in January 2006. The Local Committee is co-chaired by ERNESTO RUELAS INZUNZA (EM: ruelas01@prodigy.net.mx) and JUAN E. MARTÍNEZ GÓMEZ (EM: endemicos_insulares@yahoo.com.mx). The conference will feature a rich scientific program, symposia, plenary lectures, business meetings of societies, and social activities. Pre-and post-conference activities will include training workshops, and birding, culture, and nature tours. Veracruz is home to a rich avifauna, with over 700 species reported for the state, of which >230 species are Neotropical migrants and >20 species are endemic to Mexico. The conference is scheduled to coincide with the peak of the migration season in the world's largest raptor migration bottleneck. Visit the conference web site for more information: (URL: http://www.naoc2006.org).

10TH AMERICAN WOODCOCK SYMPOSIUM (4-6 Oct 2006), hosted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center near Grayling, MI. For more information visit the symposium website (URL: http://www.michigandnr.com/woodcock-symposium/)

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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