Editor: Cheryl Trine
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NUMBER 185, AUGUST 2008
ORGANIZATION NEWS
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEWS FROM THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL
POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
GRANTS AND AWARDS
PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE
MEETINGS
NEWS OF MEMBERS
THE FLOCK: SPECIAL SECTION
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.wilsonsociety.org
BIRDNET - http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/index.html
MEMBERSHIP DUES for the Wilson Ornithological Society have been revised. The new rates, now in effect, are Student $20, Regular $40, Family $50, and Sustaining $100. Life membership will increase to $1000, but those who become life members before the OSNA "early bird" discount date (15 Dec 2008) can do so at the current rate, $500.
CALL FOR SYMPOSIA AND WORKSHOPS–We invite proposals for Symposia and Workshops for the 127th stated meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, which will take place on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, 11-15 Aug 2009. Symposia will comprise five to seven 30-min talks, scheduled concurrently with contributed paper sessions on 13-15 Aug. We encourage proposals for Workshops to be held mainly on Wed., 12 Aug. For consideration by the Scientific Program Committee, please send (by 1 Oct 2008) title, names of organizer(s), potential participants, tentative titles of their presentations, and a brief statement on why such a Symposium or Workshop would be of interest for this meeting to DR. CHRIS WILLIAMS, Chair, Scientific Program Committee (EM: ckwillia AT udel.edu).
THE AOU RESEARCH AWARDS COMMITTEE is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 AOU Research Awards. NICHOLAS A. BARBER, University of Missouri-St. Louis, “Trophic impacts of insectivorous birds: Modification of plant defensive chemistry”; MILES BECKER, University of Nevada-Reno, “Parental condition and resource allocation between siblings: when do parents play favorites?”; ROBERT BOGARDUS, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “Plumage color, immunocompetance, and extra-pair mating in Tree Swallows”; MICHAEL BUTLER, Arizona State University, “The role of early life immune challenges and carotenoid availability on the development of adult immunocompetence and adult ornamentation”; ANDRES M. CUERVO, Louisiana State University, “The evolutionary assembly of a species rich avifauna: Avian speciation and differentiation in the Andean cloud forests”; KARIE DECKER, University of Arizona, “Examining seasonal variation in clutch size through correlative, comparative and experimental tests”; MATTHEW B. DUGAS, University of Oklahoma, “Signals of quality in nestling birds”; JOHN A. EIMES, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “How do population bottlenecks affect MHC genetic variation, reproductive success and health in wild bird populations?”; JACQUELYN GRACE, Wake Forest University, “Androgen effects on cycle of violence in non-parental chick abuse in the Nazca Booby”; KELLY K. HALLINGER, College of William and Mary, “The effect of mercury contamination on memory in food-caching birds”; ELIZABETH A. HOBSON, New Mexico State University, “Proximate determinants and ultimate fitness consequences of social network structure”; FRODE JACOBSEN, University of Maryland Baltimore County, “Utility of nuclear introns to reconstruct species-level phylogenies: testing a well-supported mtDNA phylogeny of New World orioles (genus Icterus) using multiple z-linked introns”; JENNIFER KOOP, University of Utah, “Avian defenses against feather-degrading bacteria”; KATHERINE LANGIN, Colorado State University, “Food limitation along the slow-fast life history continuum in a passerine bird”; RUSSELL LIGON, Auburn University, “Exploring the adaptive significance of color and pattern in juvenile Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis)”; HAW CHUAN LIM, Louisiana State University, “The effects of Pleistocene events on phylogeographic structure of southeast Asian birds: a multi-species approach”; IRENE LIU, Duke University, “Female eavesdropping and male song type matching in a songbird”; SCOTT R. LOSS, University of Minnesota, “Effects of exotic earthworm invasions on bird communities in northern hardwood forests”; BAILEY MCKAY, University of Minnesota, “Genetic consequences of House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) introductions”; EMILY MORRISON, Michigan State University, “The influence of indirect and direct cues of predation risk on the behavior of birds in tropical forest restoration sites”; LUCIANO NICHOLAS NAKA, Louisiana State University, “Diversification processes inferred from avian contact zones in an interfluvium in northwestern Amazonia”; KARAN ODOM, University of Windsor, “The ecology of duetting and communication networks of Barred Owls at three spatial scales”; CHRISTINA RIEHL, Princeton University, “Egg recognition and ejection in a communally breeding neotropical cuckoo”; ANDREA MORALES ROZO, Universidad de Los Andes, “Evaluation of hypotheses explaining the origin and dynamics of hybrid zones in Ramphocelus tanagers (Thraupidae) in Colombia”; ELIZABETH SCORDATO, University of Chicago, “Using an avian ring species to test the role of multi-trait selection in speciation”; STEPHANIE A. STICKLER, University of Oklahoma, “Parent-offspring recognition in Cave Swallows”; CHRISTOPHER TONRA, University of Maine, “Migratory connectivity and breeding readiness in the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)”; JESSICA L. WAITE, University of Utah, “Linking immune response to parasite community dynamics”; MAXINE ZYLBERBERG, University of California-Davis, “Behavior, immune function, and disease prevalence in Darwin's Finches”.
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THE NORTH AMERICAN BLUEBIRD SOCIETY is a non-profit organization that promotes the conservation of bluebirds and other native cavity nesting bird species in North America. Our quarterly journal, Bluebird (formerly Sialia), publishes articles of scientific or general interest. We welcome submissions of original articles that support our mission of education, research, and conservation. To learn more about our organization or to submit materials, visit http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org.
UPDATES ON AVIAN BODY MASSES--Last November I published a revised version of the CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. The new version has more species (over 8700), better data for many of the birds in the first edition, and draws from over 1400 sources. Even more important, the main compilation is also included as a searchable Excel database on a CD packaged with the print copy. Since I stopped adding data for the second edition, I have found new data for over 100 species. Rather than wait 15 years for the third edition, I am placing updates to the database on my webpage (URL: http://www.fnr.purdue.edu/faculty/dunning/index.shtml). To access the update files, click on the link for “Body masses of birds of the world.” The updates appear as both an Excel file with the data, and a Word file with the new references. If you know of data from published or unpublished studies that would add to the compilation, contact JOHN DUNNING, Purdue University (EM: jdunning@purdue.edu).
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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.
U.S. BIRD BANDING LAB PROPOSES CHANGES - In early May, the U.S. Bird Banding Lab circulated to the members of its former Federal Advisory Committee a set of changes it proposed to make to policies and procedures for bird banding, asking for input. Some of the proposed changes could be detrimental to ornithological research. The Ornithological Council submitted extensive comments and hopes that the BBL will change course with regard to some or all of the problematic proposals. However, in the event that they decide to pursue one or more of these proposals, we want to be sure that ornithologists have ample notice and an opportunity to comment. When the formal proposals are announced, we will post that information, together with an analysis of each, on BIRDNET and will announce the availability of that information on Ornith-L and OCNET. If you subscribe to one of these lists, please share the information with your colleagues, students, and friends, and please do take the time to submit comments of your own. You can subscribe to Ornith-L, a forum to discuss ornithology, by sending mail to listserv@silistserv.si.edu with the command "SUBSCRIBE ORNITH-L" (omit the quotation marks). You can subscribe to OCNET, a forum to discuss policy matters of interest to ornithologists, by sending a message to listserv@listserv.umd.edu with the message "subscribe OCNET-L "your name" and inserting your name (without the quotes). Leave the subject line of your message blank.
UPDATE ON THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT - The 2002 Farm Bill included a provision excluding rats, mice, and birds from the Animal Welfare Act (codifying the long-standing policy of the USDA). This change came about because the biomedical industry rightly pointed out that research involving these taxa is already regulated under the Public Health Service Act, which applies the Animal Welfare Act to federally funded research, as implemented and enforced by the National Institutes of Health. The intent was to avoid dual regulation. Unfortunately, a syntax error by the printer (the insertion of two commas) had the effect of including (or failing to exclude) wild birds, whether studied in the field or in the lab. The OC worked with counsel for Senate Agriculture committee to have this error corrected. Despite the agreement of Congressional staffers that the correction should be made, they apparently decided not to pursue a correction, due to last-minute pressures by an animal rights organization. Thus, the newly enacted 2008 Farm Bill does not make the correction. Therefore, the USDA will proceed to write the new regulations pertaining to rats, mice, and birds. The OC has offered to provide information about ornithology in the field and in the lab, so USDA can understand conditions and practices. This research is already regulated in the form of mandatory protocol review and approval and other oversight requirements under the Public Health Service Act, so the main concern is the potential inspection of field sites, which would be extremely costly (they would undoubtedly charge user fees) and logistically problematic. It could also lead to substantial delay as the USDA barely has enough inspectors to cover stationary research sites, and it is difficult to imagine that any of these people would have training appropriate for the evaluation of research under field conditions. For these reasons, it is unlikely that the USDA will require inspection of field sites, but no specifics will be known until the proposed regulations are published. The OC will give careful scrutiny to the proposed regulations, which it will share via the BIRDNET website and the Ornith-L and OCNET listserves.
REPORT OF THE FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE BIRD BANDING LABORATORY has been published by the U.S. Geological Survey and can be found at (URL:http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1320/)
MAJOR CHANGE IN NIH PEER REVIEW PROCESS - Competition for grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is increasingly challenging, with a record number of applications chasing a budget that stopped growing five years ago. The flood of applications also challenges those reviewing grant applications. A shortage of qualified peer-reviewers has caused NIH to adopt a recommendation from two advisory panels to allow reviewers to participate in 12 review sessions over 6 years instead of 4 years and potentially share the duty with a colleague. Some grants recipients - those receiving high-prestige awards from NIH or holding at least three basic research grants - will be obliged to serve if asked. Those who have participated in at least 18 review sessions will be offered a grant extension of as much as $250,000. NIH will also offer a grant extension of up to $250,00 and may even provide compensation for time served on review panels, including time preparing for the review meetings. Those who serve will be reading shorter applications; NIH is cutting the maximum length from 25 pages to 12, and will require more emphasis on anticipated impact instead of methods and literature review. Applicants will receive more detailed feedback in the form of five scored criteria, and all applications will be ranked. The NIH rejected a recommendation to treat re-submissions of rejected applications as new. The advisory panels found an apparent bias favoring researchers who resubmit their grant applications, surmising that the applicant has had a chance to respond to reviewers' comments. At one time, first-time submissions claimed 60% of the total amount awarded but now account for 30% of the total. Scientific societies and others objected to the proposal to treat all proposals as new submissions, and NIH responded by acknowledging the problem, and by directing its various institutes to rebalance funding success rates among new proposals and resubmitted proposals. First-time investigators, however, will get a boost because their proposals will be reviewed separately and NIH will attempt to continue to reach its goal to fund at least 1500 new investigators each year. At the other end of the scale, NIH will look more closely at giving its most successful grantees additional funds. Although NIH rejected the notion of an actual cap, it will require that applicants who already have $1 million or more in NIH funding to explain their need for more funding and the agency will evaluate the ability of the researcher to adequately perform the funded work.
OC ALERTS ALASKAN ORNITHOLOGISTS TO CHANGES IN PERMIT REGULATIONS - While compiling the fifty-state permit guide (soon to be posted on BIRDNET!), the OC learned that the State of Alaska's Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is revising its permit regulations and procedures. We obtained a copy of the draft regulations, circulated them to Alaska ornithologists (all those listed in The Flock), and requested their feedback. We also provided information to Alaska DFG regarding several of the potential changes that could prove problematic.
CHANGE IN THE OC LINEUP - The all-star board of the Ornithological Council has new leadership as of 1 July 2008. We were more than fortunate to have Jeff Spendelow (who, together with Susan Elbin, represents the Waterbird Society to the OC) serve as our Vice Chair. He remains on the Board, but has stepped down from his role as Vice Chair, to be replaced by Bob Curry (who, together with Dan Klemm, represents the Wilson Ornithological Society). Meanwhile, our erstwhile co-founder and chair, David Blockstein, was honored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, which in May awarded him its Outstanding Service Award, presented in recognition of an individual's (or organization's) noteworthy service to the biological sciences. Blockstein is currently a senior scientist with the National Council for Science and the Environment. He is also vice-president of the US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development as well as executive secretary to the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors. His science policy career began in 1987 with a Congressional Science Fellowship sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and the American Society of Zoologists. Blockstein's writing, mentoring, and organizational talents have bolstered environmental science policy, improving the linkage between science and decision-making on environmental issues, and increased the representation of minorities in the sciences.
ACT FOR SONGBIRDS - U.S. Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) have introduced legislation to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). The bill - H.R. 5756 - would fund projects to meet the growing needs of neotropical migrants, many of which are in rapid decline. NMBCA is the only federal U.S. grants program specifically dedicated to the conservation of neotropical migrant birds that is available Americas-wide. It has a proven track-record of success, having supported 225 projects in 44 U.S. states/territories and 34 other countries since its inception in 2002. The reauthorization bill proposes a significant increase in maximum appropriations, increasing from the current $6 million/year to $20 million/year. Currently, many more grant applications are received than can be funded, so many worthwhile projects go unsupported. This increase in the NMBCA is crucial in helping achieve international bird conservation goals. Please ask your representative to co-sponsor this important legislation. You can use a form on the American Bird Conservancy website (URL: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5400/t/2205/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=284) or you can find your representative using the House of Representatives website, then send your own message through his/her webform (URL: http://www.house.gov/).
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The Positions and Opportunities section is available only in the on-line edition. This information can be accessed from the Ornithological Newsletter Home Page <http://www.osnabirds.org/on>, or directly at <http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm>. Submissions can be made any time, and are posted free of charge. Please send submissions to Ornithological Newsletter Editor, Cheryl Trine, (EM: ctrine@andrews.edu).
AN E-LIST SERVICE is available. Subscribers to this list will receive the same new announcements that appear on-line. E-list members often receive these announcements before they are posted on-line. To subscribe, send the following message to: <lyris@cornell.edu>, in the body of the message type: join Birdjobs-L “your name”. The subject line should be blank. Please use the “plain text only” e-mail format option, include your own name in the message, and put quotation marks around your name.Return to Top
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FOR INFORMATION ON CONTINUING GRANTS PROGRAMS relevant to ornithological research, visit: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/Grants/index.html.
E. ALEXANDER BERGSTROM MEMORIAL RESEARCH AWARD--E. Alexander Bergstrom (1919-1973) was Vice-President of the Northeastern Bird-Banding Association (now AFO) and the Editor of Bird-Banding (now JFO) for 21 years. This fund is named to honor his memory and is intended to further research on birds, which he promoted and to which he was so dedicated. Purpose of the Award: To promote field studies of birds, by helping to support a specific research or analysis project. In judging among proposals of equal quality, special consideration will be given to those on avian life history that use data collected all or in part by students or amateurs, or that employ bird banding or other marking techniques. Both Domestic (US & Canada) and Latin American work is eligible for support. Deadline for application submission is 7 January, annually. Further information and instructions for applying may be found at the Association of Filed Ornithologists website at http://www.afonet.org/grants/Bergstrom/Bergstrom.html
DENNIS RAVELING SCHOLARSHIP–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 2008. 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 All entries should be single sided with no staples PLEASE. Mail or email to: California Waterfowl Association ATTN: Nicole Chavez 4630 Northgate Blvd., Suite 150 Sacramento, CA 95834 (EM: Nicole_berset@calwaterfowl.org).
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BIRD SONGS OF MEXICO: YUCATAN PENINSULA VOLUME 1, produced by Antonio Celis-Murillo, Fernando González-García and Danny Meltzer. Available 17 June 2008. This first CD of the BIRD SONGS OF MEXICO series of audio field guides contains stereo recordings of over 90 species of migratory bird species and year-round residents, including endemics, as well as soundscapes from various habitats in the Yucatan Peninsula. All the sounds included on the CD were recorded within the limits of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, representing the unique sounds of the birds in this region. Visit http://www.birdsongsofmexico.com for more information. Available at Amazon.com (URL: http://tinyurl.com/5dvf4k) and direct from http://www.birdsongsofmexico.com.
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FOR SALE--most books 1/2 price. Sibley, Field Guide to the Birds of Western NA, $8; Murie, Alaskan Bird Sketches Olaus Murie, $5; Burleigh, Birds of Idaho, $10; Kastner, Species of Eternity, $10; Peters and Burleigh, Birds of Newfoundland, $20; Sauer, John Gould. The Bird Man, $15; Godfrey, Birds of Canada, $15. Postage extra. DAVID W. JOHNSTON (EM: fordeboids@verizon.net).
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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.i-o-c.org/IOComm/index.htm.
* in this section indicates new or revised entry
2008 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOCIATION, 3-8 Aug 2008, to be at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This conference will be held jointly with the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV) and the Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (CAZWV). The theme this year is “Wildlife Diseases: Northern and Western Frontiers”. For more information, please visit our conference website (URL: http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/parasites/WDA08/).
JOINT MEETING of the AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION, COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, and the SOCIETY OF CANADIAN ORNITHOLOGISTS--will take place 4 - 9 Aug 2008 in Portland, Oregon. This meeting will commemorate the 125th anniversary of the AOU and special events are planned to celebrate this notable event. Among measures being taken to reduce the carbon cost and other environmental impacts of the meeting is the selection of a Green Seal Lodging Property (the Hilton Portland), the Circular of Information can be downloaded from the meeting website, and the hotel and nearly all events associated with the meeting are all accessible via the MAX rail (public transportation; free in the downtown area). Numerous special events for students, including receptions and a special luncheon are planned. Please visit http://www.pdxbirds08.org/ for further information. Abstracts and early registration are due 15 Apr 2008. Meeting organizers include: USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Portland, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Zoo, Portland Audubon Society, and the Audubon Society of Corvallis.
WESTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION 2008 meeting, 5-7 Sep 2008, in Boise, Idaho. Additional details will be posted on WBBA's website (URL: http://www.westernbirdbanding.org/next-meetings.html) as they become available.
ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL GROUSE SYMPOSIUM will be held in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada on 11-16 Sep 2008, hosted by the Centre for Applied Conservation Research, Forestry Faculty, University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). The symposium will focus on all aspects of grouse biology, research and management with sessions on Population Ecology and Genetics, Habitat and Landscape Ecology, Conservation and Management, and Impacts of Global Warming. For information on dates, travel, accommodation, scientific program and field tour, please visit the conference website (URL: http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/alpine/IGS2008) or email or phone (EM: Shelagh.Bucknell@ec.gc.ca, PH: 604-940-4642).
*DISTANCE SAMPLING WORKSHOP / NORTH AMERICA, 14-17 Sep 2008, Marconi Conference Center, Marshall, California. This fall, PRBO Conservation Science will host an Introductory Level Distance Sampling Workshop in scenic coastal California, about an hour north of San Francisco. This will be the first workshop offered by the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling in North America in over 2 years. The workshop instructors will be Drs. Steve Buckland, Len Thomas, and Tiago Marques. Over 3.5 days, we will focus on "conventional" distance sampling methods, as described in the standard reference book Introduction to Distance Sampling (book will be provided). The workshop will be a blend of theory and practice and participants will learn how to use the program Distance. Participants are encouraged to bring their own data sets, and can expect to do some preliminary analyses. The instructors will discuss the application of distance-based analysis to a variety of taxa (terrestrial and marine) and survey methods (point counts and line transects). In order to make this workshop happen we need 25 registered participants by 30 Jun 2008. If you are interested in attending, but cannot make this deadline, please contact MARK HERZOG (EM: mherzog@prbo.org, PH: 707-781-2555 x308) For information on the course and how to register, please visit: http://www.prbo.org/cms/487. The Marconi Conference Center (URL: http://www.marconiconference.org) is located in West Marin, on the shore of Tomales Bay. It is an all inclusive conference center situated in some of the most beautiful country in California.
THE 11th NORTH AMERICAN CRANE WORKSHOP will be held 23-27 Sep 2008 at the Glacier Canyon Lodge Convention Center in the Wisconsin Dells. The workshop is sponsored by the North American Crane Working Group. The workshop will include field trips to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and tour of the International Crane Foundation. For more information about the meeting and abstract submission, contact JANE AUSTIN (EM: jane_austin@usgs.gov, PH: 701-253-5510).
*RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION CONFERENCE on 24-28 Sep 2008. The educational organization, Raptors of the Rockies, will host the annual meeting in Missoula, Montana. The University of Montana, renowned for its research and education programs in ornithology, wildlife, and wilderness management, is the co-host. The venue will be the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park, overlooking the Clark Fork River. Members and non-members are invited to attend. The conference features keynote speakers, paper and poster sessions, a workshop on the 2007 book Raptor Research and Management Techniques, a Birds and Art Show and a special showing of the Craighead film, Life with an Indian Prince. Missoula is located in west-central Montana, in a line between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, and cultural and natural opportunities abound. The 2008 conference pays tribute to Missoulian John J. Craighead and his late brother Frank C. Craighead, pioneers in wildlife biology, conservation, and American falconry. In their honor, the theme for the week is "The Legacy Lives On." For more information and to register online, visit http://www.umt.edu/ce/cps/raptor/. You may also contact KATE DAVIS (Local Committee Chair; EM: raptors@montana.com) or DAN VARLAND (Conference Committee Chair; EM: daniel.varland@rayonier.com) with “RRF Conference” as the subject.
*2nd WORKSHOP on “Understanding and Reversing Population Declines in the Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) will be held at the Powdermill Nature Reserve's Avian Research Center in Rector, PA 9-11 Oct 2008. The workshop theme is: Now that we have captured people’s attention, how do we best move forward to save the species? The program is being developed through the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group and will include oral presentations, posters, and focused discussion regarding how to catalyze further interest and participation within the birding and bird conservation community to help understand and reverse the steep decline in this boreal/bottomland hardwoods species. Specific topics include: How can we efficiently expand population monitoring tools?; Can a rapid assessment be developed for locating blackbird “hotspots” in the winter as a basis for monitoring programs and further investigative research?; Are we gathering the data necessary to appropriately test hypotheses that may explain declines, and that will be a basis for corrective conservation action? What conservation and management strategies can be employed while further monitoring and research studies are being developed? We will also feature a Rusty Blackbird banding mini-workshop on the final day. Please send statements of interest or inquiries or suggested topics and ideas to BOB MULVIHILL (EM: mulvihill@pabirdatlas.org). Visit the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group home page for forthcoming workshop information, materials from previous workshops, and working group background (URL: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Research/Rusty_Blackbird/twg.cfm)
CERULEAN WARBLER SUMMIT 3/GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER SUMMIT (21-25 Oct 2008), Bogotá and San Vicente de Chucurí, Colombia. The members of the Cerulean Warbler Technical Group, El Grupo Cerúleo, and the members of the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group, Alianza Alas Doradas, are pleased to announce a meeting devoted to conservation planning for migratory and resident birds of the northern Andes. Location: To be held at the headquarters of the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 21-22 Oct 2008, and in the town of San Vicente de Chucurí and facilities of the Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve, Colombia, 23-25 Oct 2008. For further information visit the homepage of El Grupo Cerúleo (URL: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/egc/). For information on logistics and costs of the meeting, please see: http://www.ecoturs.org.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND EARLY REGISTRATION for the 32nd Annual Conference of the WATERBIRD SOCIETY. Please go to our conference web page (URL: http://www.bio.txstate.edu/wbs2008/) for instructions on submitting Abstracts and Early Registration for the above meeting. Abstract deadline: 15 Aug 2008. The 32nd Conference will be held 5-8 Nov 2008 on South Padre Island, Texas. This is the first time the meeting has been held in the continental U.S. or Canada in the last three years and we are expecting a large turnout of long-time members and students. Three full days of scientific sessions are planned. Eight symposia have been confirmed. An array of exciting field trips is planned--South Texas is a Mecca for bird watching. There will be both pre- and post- meeting field trip opportunities, so plan on a couple extra days in the area. For more information, please see also our Society web page (URL: http://www.waterbirds.org/).
3RD NORTH AMERICAN SEA DUCK CONFERENCE, to be held in Québec City, Canada, on 10-14 Nov 2008. All information on the conference, including registration and call for papers, is available on the web site (URL: http://www.seaduckconference2008.org). For additional information, please use the following contacts: MICHEL ROBERT, Chair of the Organizing committee (EM: michel.robert@ec.gc.ca, PH: 418-649-8071), JEAN-PIERRE L. SAVARD, Chair of the Scientific committee (EM: jean-pierre.savard@ec.gc.ca, PH: 418-648-3500)
*THE XII CONGRESS OF THE MESOAMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION will take place in San Salvador, El Salvador from 10 – 14 Nov 2008, with the topic “Conservation of Mesoamerican Biodiversity in the context of development and climate change” (URL: http://smbcelsalvador2008.com/). Two major symposia are being organized: Bird Monitoring in Mesoamerica: Results and Conservation Implications: The objective of this symposium is to present the advances and results of bird monitoring efforts in the region. This will be a space to present your results and information about new sexing and aging criteria for Neotropical birds, biometric analysis, short term population behavior, site fidelity, conservation projects originating from the results of bird monitoring, and distribution, range and migration studies. Organized by MARIAMAR GUTIERREZ, (EM: mariamar@salvanatura.org); and Bird Declines in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean: Fact or Myth? The main objective of this symposium is to explore and discuss avian population changes by analyzing data from long term monitoring projects. We will present cases of positive and negative population changes in migratory birds as well as in resident species, and will discuss the factors that cause population declines or growths. Organized by WAYNE ARENDT, (EM: waynearendt@mac.com).
FOURTH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIOGEOGRAPHY SOCIETY, 8-12 Jan 2009, Mérida, México. Invited symposia will feature talks on the biogeography of disease, patterns and processes in biotic transition zones, disjunct distributions in Asia and America, and the biogeography of species extinction. Attendees are invited to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations. The conference will also include workshops, field excursions, and social events. Registration, contact, and additional information may be found at: http://www.biogeography.org
*36th PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP MEETING will be held in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan from 22-25 Feb 2009 at the Hakodate Kokusai Hotel, Hokkaido Hakodate, Japan. Usually held in the U.S. or Canada, this special overseas meeting seeks to bolster our pan-Pacific ties with our Asian colleagues. The meeting includes a symposium titled “Working Beneath the Surface: New Approaches in Examining the Interplay of Biomechanics, Physiology and Behavioural Ecology in Diving Seabirds”. Special paper sessions will include: 1) Status and Conservation of Endangered and Threatened Seabirds in the Western Pacific; 2) Conservation of Albatross Species in the Central and North Pacific; and 3) Seabird Bycatch in Pacific Commercial Fisheries. Limited travel support is available. Travel award applications due 31 Aug 2008. All abstracts due 30 Sep 2008. Registration due 31 Oct 2008. For details, visit the PSG website (URL: http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org/). Additional meeting details will be posted to this website as they become available.
*5th INTERNATIONAL HORNBILL CONFERENCE will be held on 22–25 Mar 2009 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Sponsored by the National Parks Board Singapore, and Hornbill Research Foundation, the theme of the conference is ‘Hornbills and the Challenges of the Future’, with sessions on Behaviour and Ecology; Research Techniques; Local, Regional and Global Threats to Hornbills; In Situ Conservation Strategies and Habitat Restoration; Outreach, Education and Community-based Conservation; and Ex Situ Conservation and the Future of Hornbills. More information is available at http://rafflesmuseum.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/5th-international-hornbill-conference-2009/ Website will soon be operational, but in the meantime contact msnbc@singnet.com.sg for expressions of interest.
*2ND PAN-EUROPEAN DUCK SYMPOSIUM to be held in Arles, Camargue (Southern France), 23-26 Mar 2009. The French National Game and Wildlife Agency (Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage) is pleased to announce the Second Pan-European Duck Symposium. Two full days of scientific communications, plenary talks by leading speakers and an evening poster session are scheduled. All aspects of dabbling-, diving- or seaduck ecology will be considered. Scientists from non-European countries are also welcome. The first call for abstracts is already open. Interested people are welcome to join the mailing list to be kept informed regularly. People willing to take this opportunity to organize workshops are also welcome. The congress will be held in the friendly atmosphere of a holiday resort, providing both the congress facilities and participants’ accommodation. A full day fieldtrip will follow the congress. Arles is easily accessible by train (Arles or Avignon TGV stations) or Plane (Marseille-Marignane or Montpellier airports). To join the mailing list or for any further information please contact us (EM: matthieu.guillemain@oncfs.gouv.fr). A web page dedicated to the congress is available at: http://www.oncfs.gouv.fr/evenements/duckssymposium.php.
SEABIRD GROUP 10TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE will be held in Bruges (Brugge), Belgium, on 27-30 Mar 2009. The venue will be the historic ‘Provinciaal Hof’ in the market square. Papers on all aspects of seabird research and conservation will be welcomed; in addition to keynote presentations, there will be a special session on ‘Seabird Success Stories’. Contributors to the conference are invited to submit a provisional title and a short provisional outline prior to 1 Jun 2008. The Chairpersons of the Organizing Committee are ERIC STIENEN (Research Institute for Nature and Forest: INBO) and JAN SAYS (Flanders Marine Institute: VLIZ). Address general queries, abstracts and registrations to the Conference Secretariat EM: seabirdconf2009@vliz.be). Additional information is on the websites (URL: http://www.seabirdgroup.org.uk and http://www.vliz.be/conferences/seabirdconference2009.be).
THE 2009 ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY and THE ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS will be held jointly 8-12 Apr 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA. The meeting, hosted by the National Aviary and Powdermill Nature Reserve, will be held at the Hilton Pittsburgh and the National Aviary. Abstract submission will open in autumn 2008 and a conference website will be on-line in summer 2008. Ideas for workshops and symposia are currently being accepted. The local host, TODD KATZNER, may be reached at the Department of Conservation and Field Research, National Aviary, 700 Arch St., Allegheny Commons West, Pittsburgh, PA 16212, USA (PH: 412-323-7235 x210; EM: todd.katzner AT aviary.org).
*THE 79TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Tucson, Arizona, 15-18 Apr 2009. Scientific sessions will occur on Friday and Saturday, 17-18 Apr, and the Board of Directors will meet 15-16 Apr. A link to the meeting Web site will be available soon at http://www.cooper.org.
*RRF 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE - SCOTLAND. For the first time in the society's history, the annual conference (2009) will be held outside of the Americas, to reflect the global interests of the membership. This historic six-day event will be held in Pitlochry, Scotland from 29 Sep - 4 Oct 2009, hosted by the Scottish Raptor Study Group. Social events include an exclusive evening party at a magnificent Scottish castle (to include whisky-tasting and a ceildh) and there are 11 fieldtrip options to some of the country's premiere wildlife sites, including the Isle of Mull and Speyside/Cairngorm Mountains. Numbers are limited to 300 delegates so early booking is advisable. Tickets are selling fast and to date, delegates from 23 countries have already registered. Please visit the conference website to find out how you can register.
25TH INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS 2010 Call for Symposia Proposals (22-28 Aug 2010) Campos do Jordão, Brazil. The Scientific Program Committee has been formed and a web page is in place (http://www.i-o-c.org or http://www.ib.usp.br/25ioc). We hope that you will circle these dates on your calendar and plan to attend! For further information, please contact PROF. DR. CRISTINA YUMI MIYAKI, Secretary-General of the 25th IOC (EM: ioc2010@ib.usp.br).
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DR. ÇAGAN SEKERCIOGLU has won the Whitley Gold Award, one of the world’s top awards for nature conservation, for his efforts to safeguard a bird-rich wetland in Turkey. The award, presented by HRH The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) during a ceremony held at the Royal Geographical Society, London, recognized Dr. Sekercioglu’s work around Kuyucuk Lake in the Kars province of north-eastern Turkey. Dr. Sekercioglu began the Kars Biodiversity Project, working with a local NGO to help local people to see how good stewardship will raise their incomes, safeguard the lake and its species, and make the area attractive to bird-watchers and eco-tourists. Progress is already evident and the community is also backing efforts to win greater protection for the region. The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK-based charity which administers the annual international awards program. It offers a range of Awards and grants to outstanding nature conservationists around the world, championing passionate individuals who are committed to precipitating long-lasting conservation benefits on the ground.
KARL W KENYON died 27 Mar 2007 at age 89. He was an AOU member since 1944 (elective members since 1961, and life member), COS since 1934 and WOS since 1948. In 1947 he joined the USF&WS and spent most of his career in the Pacific working on both marine birds and mammals. A subspecies of otter and a cormorant species are named in his honor. He received the Inaugural Lifetime award from the Pacific Seabird Group (1993).
ELEANOR COOLEY ROBBINS died on 16 Feb. 2008. She was a life member of the AOU, having joined in 1939, and regularly attended AOU meetings with her husband of 60 years, Chandler S. Robbins. She was also a life member of WOS (1939).
PROFESSOR XU WEISHU, a Honorary Fellow of the AOU, passed away recently of stomach cancer. Professor Xu was the Secretary‑General of the Beijing International Ornithological Congress, 2002Return to Top
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To correct your address in the membership database please send the new information to the OSNA Business Office, 5400 Bosque Blvd., Suite 680, Waco, TX 76710 (EM: business@osnabirds.org, PH: 254-399-9636, FX: 254-776-3767) or change it yourself online (URL: http://www.osnabirds.org). To alert your colleagues of new address information contact the Ornithological Newsletter Editor, CHERYL L. TRINE (address below).
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THE MOST RECENT NUMBERS of the Society journals and the month of mailing are: Auk, 2008, Vol. 125, #2 (Apr); Condor, 2008, Vol. 110, #1 (Apr); J. Field Ornith., 2008, Vol. 79, #2 (Jun); Raptor Res., 2008, Vol. 42, #2 (Jun); Waterbirds, 2008, Vol. 31, #2 (Jul); Wilson J. Ornith., 2008, Vol. 120, #2 (May). Numbers follow at about 3-month intervals. If you are missing an issue, please contact OSNA. New members receive the first issue of the volume year. Please check your address label to confirm membership information and address.
THE NEXT NEWSLETTER will be issued in October. Items you wish to have included must reach the Editor, CHERYL L. TRINE, 3889 E. Valley View, Berrien Springs, MI 49103 (PH: 269-471-7886; EM: ctrine@andrews.edu), by 1 September 2008. Submittal by email (in the body of the email message--not an attached file) or on diskette (PC format: WordPerfect or ASCII) with hard copy; e-mail preferred. Items sent to the OSNA office may not reach the Editor in time. Items with a deadline date should be submitted at least 4 months in advance of that date to allow time for response.
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The Ornithological Newsletter (ISSN 0274-564X) is published bimonthly by the Ornithological Societies of North America (OSNA) in electronic and paper forms. Membership dues in any OSNA Society include $3.50 for the cost of publication. Separate subscriptions are not available. For application to membership, write the OSNA office, 5400 Bosque Blvd., Suite 680, Waco, TX 76710.
Questions, comments and notices can be sent to Cheryl L. Trine, Ornithological Newsletter Editor at ctrine@andrews.edu
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