Name List Update Released for World Birds

By James Ed. Ducey

A list of names used for World Bird Names has just been released after another set of significant revisions.

A committee of the International Ornithological Society developed the list.

“The names are based on a consensus of leading ornithologists worldwide and conform to standard rules of construction,” the World Bird Names website says. "Ten principles guide the choice of recommended English names of birds."

The bird names are within thirty groups, combined among the type of species such as waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, nightjars, bulbuls to Old World warblers, buntings tanagers and allies. A web browser search option can be used to find a particular online entry.

The IOC has specific naming guielines to develop a single accepted name for each taxon of bird. The group promoting the IOC list have worked with other ornithology organisations to rectify bird names. The list has been acepted in Germany and Switzerland. A point of contention with North American taxonomists is the potential for eliminating the hyphen from names, the IOC website says.

The most recent update was November 15th, and now includes revisions from Clements Sixth Edition, released in early October. The website also details any species revisions, corrections made in the list, to revise spelling matters, a few typos.

The names page of the groups' website explains some upcoming changes to the list.

"The next major upgrade, led by Taxonomic Editor David Donsker and scheduled for late December 2007, will include all proposed species splits and taxonomic changes published in peer-reviewed ornithological journals in 2005-2007. Improved alignment of our species taxonomy with that of Birdlife International is one of our goals for that upgrade."

Frank Gill and Minturn Wright were the co-chairs of the IOC Standing Committee on English Names, in April 2007. Participants from around the world have helped with the project, underway since 1991.

The primary goal of the IOC is develop a standard list of names for birds around the world, and allow free use of the resource.

A spreadsheet with the text in spreadsheet format is available for downloading.

Protection of Playa Wetlands Enhance Ogallala Aquifer

James Ed. Ducey

Efforts to conserve and manage playa wetlands of the southern High Plains provides important sites for recharge of the Ogallala aquifer, according to conservation officials.

More than 60,000 shallow, and seasonal playa wetlands spread across the landscape of the southern High Plains, according to officials of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. The wetlands occur in eastern New Mexico, western Texas, the Oklahoma panhandle, southeast Colorado, southwest Kansas, and to a more limited extent, western Nebraska.

“Playas are the primary source of recharge for the Ogallala,” according to group officials, and “contribute between 85 and 95% of the total water returned to the aquifer” in the southern portion of the region, according to researchers. “This amounts to about 1 to 3 inches per year, depending on their location and depth” to groundwater. The wetlands are also “important wetland habitat for wildlife in the region, supporting millions of ducks, shorebirds and other migratory and resident birds and other wildlife year-round.”

“Whether they are wet or dry depends on the local weather,” according to joint venture findings. “Playas can be wet year-round, or stay dry for months and sometimes years on end. This natural, wet/dry cycle of playas that helps them recharge the Ogallala aquifer. Playa basins are lined with clay soils, so when they dry out, deep cracks form in the basin and along the perimeter of the playa. When water comes into the playa from rainfall or other runoff event, it runs through these cracks and edges and into the underlying water table.”

“Once the connection is made that playas recharge the Ogallala, almost any farmer or rancher will express an interest in protecting it,” said Mike Carter, coordinator for the joint venture. “In fact, in a recent survey of playa landowners, we found that more than 70% are willing to conserve their playas.”

One of the most effective means of conserving these wetlands is to “maintain or restore the native prairie grasses around” the basin, the group has determined. “Grass buffers filter out sediments and contaminants before they get into the playa.”

Landowners involved in wetland management projects typically are enthusiastic if the change is also beneficial to their operation and bottomline, Carter said. “Sometimes, producers do it just for habitat or birds but this is a less common case. Frankly, we would rather they do it for their bottomline and for that opportunity to be pervasive in programs.”

“Buffer strips protect the wetland but there are many species such as the Long-billed Curlew, meadowlarks, sparrows that also use the buffer,” Carter said. “Conservation dollars are so limited that we have to look for 2 for 1 opportunities like buffers that protect wetlands and provide habitat.”

The success of a project for wild birds is measured “against the ability of the change to increase carrying capacity of a habitat for the desired species or group of species.”

Examples of current projects include Drummond Flats and the Jamestown Wildlife Area.

“More than 70 percent“ of playa wetlands ”have been altered from their natural state due to pitting, filling, cropping and road construction, among other threats,” according to findings of the PLJV group. “The biggest threat is sedimentation” which occurs “when rain or irrigation water carries loose soils into the playa, gradually filling it. Playas filled with sediment can no longer hold as much water for the same amount of time, significantly reducing their value for recharge and wildlife. Researchers estimate more than half of all playas are filled with sediment and are effectively ‘fossilized’ and have lost most wetland functions.”

The PLJV, which has a pivotal role in protecting the playa wetland resources in the high plains, is comprised of federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, private industry and landowners. Its mission is to “conserve playas, other wetlands and associated landscapes … for the benefit of birds, other wildlife and people.” Its general headquarters are in Lafayette, CO.

Incentive programs that can assist in wetland management include the Wetland Reserve Program and Wetlands Restoration Non Floodplain Initiative provided through the Farm Bill, and administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Also, the Farmable Wetlands Initiative is available through the Conservation Reserve Program. The Fish and Wildlife Service, and state and private agencies can also provide funding to conserve wetlands.

Waterfowl Conservation Group Acquires Platte River Property

By James Ed. Ducey

An important tract of Platte River channel habitat in central Nebraska has been acquired for waterbird management.

"This is Ducks Unlimited’s second largest Nebraska acquisition and DU’s first on the Platte River,” said Steve Donovan, DU’s manager of conservation programs for Nebraska.

Whooping Cranes have already been sighted using riverine habitat at the site, which is also beneficial to waterfowl, including geese and many types of ducks.

The tract was purchased from the Younkin Estate in October, using funds from a grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and other donors. Other grant partners include Prairie Plains Resource Institute, Nebraska Environmental Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several private landowners.

The 400-acre property extends for a mile along the river, just west of Rowe Sanctuary, owned by the National Audubon Society. DU and the Audubon Society are entering into an agreement to allow Audubon to manage this property as an extension of its Rowe Sanctuary.

The Younkin place is also in close proximity to other protected habitats managed by The Nature Conservancy, Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all partners in the grant.

"DU will be working with partners on a restoration plan for the property over the next six months," Mr. Donovan said. "We have already submitted a proposal to the Nebraska Environmental Trust seeking a grant to assist with the cost of proposed restoration work. If we are successful, habitat restoration actitivities will be completed in late 2008."

Platte River on the Younkin property, during a period of extremely low flows on the river. Looking east from the bridge.

Grasslands on the Younkin property. Looking east from the highway. Images courtesy of Steve Donovan, Ducks Unlimited.

The Big Bend Reach of the Platte River NAWCA grant will protect and enhance about 2,600 acres of some of the most important migratory bird habitat in Nebraska, according to a press release issued by Ducks Unlimited. This bend serves the vast majority of waterfowl that travel through the state, including millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes and several endangered species like the Piping Plover and Least Tern.

The Big Bend Reach of the Platte River is one of North America’s most popular birding areas, and the site of an annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration of the Sandhill Cranes and other spring fowl.

NAWCA is a federal grant program that funds wetland habitat conservation projects throughout North America.

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan identifies the Platte River as a waterfowl habitat of major concern due to long-term habitat loss and reduced water flows. In addition, aggressive, non-native plant species are choking the river and reducing the river’s ability to provide critically needed habitat for migratory birds.

Strategy for Asian Waterbird Conservation Released

By James Ed. Ducey

An Asian Waterbird Census Strategy document has just been released by Wetlands International.

“Its target is that by 2015, a high quality, standard waterbird monitoring programme will be carried out in all countries in the Asia-Pacific region which covers most of the international important wetland sites for waterbirds,” said David Li Zuowei, the AWC International Coordinator for Wetlands International. “The AWC strategy is the major output of the AWC Coordinators' Meetings held in 2003 and 2006 for achieving a high standard waterbird monitoring programme in the Asia-Pacific region.”

“The Asian Waterbird Census has rapidly developed to become the largest biodiversity monitoring programme in the Asia-Pacific region, monitoring millions of waterbirds and their key wetland areas in the region,” according to details on the groups website. “The Asian Waterbird Census: Development Strategy 2007-2015 is intended to function as a guide not only for Wetlands International and the organisations that coordinate the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) in the region but also for each individual who participates, supports or expresses interest in the AWC.”

The Asian Waterbird Census covers South, East and Southeast Asia (including eastern Russia) and Australasia. A number of groups are involved in the programme, including the Australasian Wader Studies Group, Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Malaysian Nature Society, and Singapore Nature Society, for example.

Countries which are part of the Asian Waterbird census programme. Participating countries are shown in blue. From the Asian Waterbird Census Strategy.

The “objectives and priority actions to develop the Asian Waterbird Census in 2007–2015” are:

To enhance geographic and site coverage of the AWC.

To ensure the high quality of AWC data collected in order to monitor waterbird populations effectively and support the implementation of conservation actions.

To develop a fundraising strategy for the AWC and seek funding opportunities to support its development.

To build the capacity of national networks to monitor waterbirds and wetlands.

To enhance communication and public awareness of the AWC.

To support improved decision making on waterbird and wetland conservation at national and international levels.

To develop a coordination mechanism for effective operation and targeting of the AWC.

For each objective, the report discusses 25 specific actions to be undertaken, and 83 steps for their implementation.

“The strength of the AWC is that it is a long-term, volunteer-based international network that has been able to continue despite a low input of resources,” the report says. “The Asian Waterbird Census programme was initiated in the Indian subcontinent in 1987 in the framework of the International Waterbird Census, which had successfully been running from the mid Sixties in Europe. Since its inception, the AWC has rapidly developed to become the largest biodiversity monitoring programme in the Asia-Pacific region. To date, more than 6,300 sites from 27 countries have been surveyed, with the active participation of tens of thousands of volunteers.”

During the first year of the programme, there were 345 sites surveyed, and within two years, the number increased to over 1000. Numbers have fluctuated since then, and in 2004, the most recent year given in the strategy report, 1075 sites were surveyed.

“A review of the development of the AWC over the past 20 years clearly reveals that the programme has seen many achievements,” said Mr. Li, in a posting on the Oriental Birding forum. “Its greatest strength has been its ability to mobilise large networks of volunteers to undertake the census work. However, there have also been challenges, typical of the problems in many developing Asian countries. Major issues are the lack of adequate census capacity, equipment and financial support, and changes in levels of volunteer interest, resulting in inconsistent site coverage and data quality. Because, worldwide, financial resources for this work are very limited, it has not been possible to provide support strong enough to make a significant improvement to these constraints.”

The AWC aims to contribute to the conservation of waterbirds and their wetland habitats by:

• “providing the basis for estimates of waterbird levels ranging from local to global by supporting populations;
• “monitoring changes in waterbird numbers and distribution by regular, standardised
• “improving knowledge of little-known waterbird species and wetland sites;
• “identifying and monitoring (networks of) sites that are important for waterbirds in general and, more specifi cally, identifying and monitoring sites that qualify as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands;
• “providing information on the conservation status of waterbird species and wetland sites, for use by international agreements and other nitiatives;
• “increasing awareness of the importance of waterbirds and their wetland habitats at local, national and international levels.”

This programme is part of the International Waterbird Census, which includes the Western Palaearctic and Southwest Asia, and some countries in Africa and South America. These regions are not part of the Asian Waterbird Census strategy.

Asian Waterbird Census Strategy 2007-2015

Oil Spills Devastate Birds on Two Continents

By James Ed. Ducey

On 7 November as the freighter Cosco Busan entered San Francisco Bay, it side-swiped a bridge support, and tore a gash in the ship’s hull, releasing 58,000 gallons of bunker oil.

Seabirds being effected by the oil in the ocean waters include Surf Scoters and Eared Grebes, according to Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science information. “Other species include Common Murres, Western Grebes, Clark's Grebes, Horned Grebes, Ruddy Ducks, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoters and Common Loons.”

The Oil Spill Response Team of PRBO is responsible for the logging and processing of birds at the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in Cordelia, CA. Numerous people were calling to volunteer, the group reported, but the greatest need was for people to report the occurrence of oiled birds.

Oiled species currently reported by the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge include “Rhinoceros Auklets, Western Grebes, Brown Pelicans, and Western Gulls. Most of the oiled birds have been identified as Common Murres.”

The Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is recognized as one of the most extraordinary and environmentally sensitive areas in the world.

As of Monday evening, Golden Gate Audubon reported handling “186 oiled birds, including 9 captured and 17 dead,” according to a report on the California birds forum. “Many of the birds remain frustratingly out of reach. The numbers of birds captured or recovered is expected to increase during the coming week.

As of Tuesday, November 13th, this number had increased to 715 live birds are in care at The San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care Center.

Several birders associated with the Audubon group conducted a survey of oiled birds. They “covered the south shore of Alameda, including Elsie Romer Wildlife Sanctuary, Crown Memorial State Beach, Crab Cove Marine Reserve, and parts of the former Alameda Naval Air Station. About 60 oiled birds were found, “including a few covered nearly from head to toe.”

Pictures documenting the impacted birds, show Western Grebes, Greater Scaup, Surf Scoter, Sanderling, Eared Grebe, Surf Scoter, Ring-billed Gull, and Black-bellied Plover. Other species noted to have been oiled were Horned Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Mew Gull and Western Gulls, they reported on the California Bird forum.

Golden Gate Audubon listed several locales where volunteers were needed to locate and identify impacted birds.

On Saturday, November 10, Audubon's Richardson Bay Sanctuary, the largest marine reserve in San Francisco Bay, was struck by oil from the spill.

Northern Black Sea

The spill fuel oil into the Black Sea at Kerch Strait, occurred on 11 November.

Government estimates provided a figure of 1300 tons, with an estimate of 2000 tons from Greenpeace.

Pictures show birds coated in a black sludge.

“Birds seeking shelter on the shore near the center of the storm were covered in a treacly mixture of oil and seaweed — the first evidence of what one Russian official called an “environmental disaster,” according to news in the St. Petersburg Times.

Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev called the spill an ecological disaster at a meeting of the territorial administration, and as reported by Kommersant. “Thirty thousand birds have died and the number of fish that have died is uncountable,” he noted. “The damage is so great that it is hard to assess. It can be called an ecological catastrophe.” Tkachev said that one of the main causes of the catastrophe in the Strait of Kerch was the foolhardiness of the ships' captains, who “received storm warnings and hoped for luck.”

The main species reported to be affected are Great Cormorant, Common Coot, Great Crested Grebe and Black-necked Grebe,” according to a report by Birdlife International.

The group reports that “two Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nearby, the Kiziltash Bay and the Tamanski and Dinskiy Bays, are under threat. Both are designated primarily for migrating and wintering birds. Up to 50,000 migratory waterfowl and other birds are known to use the sites during migration. Among these are Dalmatian Pelican, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and White-tailed Eagle.”

On Tuesday, “scores of birds, weighed down by thick coatings of the fuel oil, hopped weakly along the shore or sat helplessly in the sand,” according to an Associated Press report in the Moscow Times. “Workers with pitchforks and shovels collected vast clumps of oil mixed with sand, seaweed and dead birds. “ The area is a bird migration route for those species flying from Siberia to the Black Sea, and this is the peak migration for red-throated and black-throated Siberian divers, according to the Irish Times.

So far, 50km of Russian coastline is affected by the oil spills.

There has been $3 million allocated to the cleanup process, according to a Russian news report.

Oil affects birds in several ways, according to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory:

• “hypothermia- oil interferes with the waterproofing of their feathers and allows their skin to come in contact with the cold water.
• “starvation-birds beach themselves to avoid the hypothermia and therefore can't feed at sea; or they preen (clean their feathers) so obsessively to try to remove the oil that they do not spend any time feeding.
• “toxicity from ingesting oil during preening."

Web Sites

International Bird Rescue Research Center

Kill the Spill

Holy Fowl Watching Birdfans‏

James Ed. Ducey

While on an outing at Lincoln on a recent chilly Tuesday, my route went to Oak Lake Park.

Usual autumn fowl present included a bunch of Ring-billed Gulls and more Canada Geese.

The most interesting part of the visit to appreciate was an unexpected ceremony by a group of seven Buddist Monks, from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Tibet.

The men were finishing a ceremony started earlier at the Lentz Center for Asian Culture. For several days the visitors had created a vividly colored mandala for peace, made of a multitude of tiny grains of sand.

Before coming to the lake, the closing ceremony at the center included chants, songs and music to mark the completion of the sand art masterpiece. The sand art was destroyed - in a slow, methodical manner - to convey the message that life is temporary, and how nothing is permanent. Some sand grains of the former mandala were given to people at the building ceremony.

According to the translator for the group, the remainder of the sand was thrown into the lake since water is part of a great cycle of continuity. The water of the lake flows into a stream, down the river and on to the great oceans. The sea-water transpires into the air to then fall to the earth as rain or snow.

At the lakeside, their guttural chants and glorious foreign song had a musical accompaniment using Tibetan horns.

Two-three gulls flew above, winging their way around this little bit of the lake during the brief ceremony.

The serene setting was enjoyed by a small group of solemn, human observors.

Other birds at the holy lake scene were the American Kestrel, Mallard and Northern Shoveler.

It was certainly a blessed place.

Projects Funded by WRDA to Benefit Bird Habitats

James Ed. Ducey

An override of the presidential veto on November 8th, enacted the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.

“In today's historic veto override, Congress has kept its promise to restore America's Everglades and made an historic national commitment to the protection of more of America's most sensitive and valuable ecosystems, including the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes," said April Gromnicki, Audubon's Director of Ecosystem Restoration. "If there is a cause that merits a historic vote such as this, it's fitting that the cause be to restore some of our most special places before they are lost forever." 

The Legislation provides $23 billion funding for navigation, flood protection and ecosystem restoration. There is a plethora of projects from Alaska to Florida, and throughout the United States given in the 180-page plus bill.

Ecosystem restoration is slated for the Everglades, Mississippi River, coastal Louisiana and the Great Lakes, and Río Oeste, along the Salt River in Arizona.

The House legislation - H.R. 1495 - lists provisions for 178 projects, with 43 aquatic ecosystem restoration projects identified.

Examples of restoration projects given include:

• Clam Bayou and Dinkins Bayou, Sanibel Island, Florida
• Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration, Napa, California
• Hudson Raritan Estuary, Liberty State Park, New Jersey
• Hocking River Basin, Monday Creek, Ohio
• Lower Colorado River Basin

The bill has seven small projects for improvement of the quality of the environment.

Mitigation, recovery, and restoration will be funded for the Missouri river and tributaries in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Passage of the legislation has been lauded by other environmental organizations.

“The passage of WRDA represents an important milestone in The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to protect and restore the Upper Mississippi River Basin,” said Michael Reuter, director of the Conservancy’s Great Rivers Partnership. “We applaud all of the senators and congressional representatives who recognized the benefits of this legislation – creating and enhancing habitat for native species, improving water quality, reducing the risk of flooding and increasing recreational opportunities.”

Most of these projects will be administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. Some projects will be carried out with local partners, which may provide additional funding.

Similar legislation was last enacted in 2000.

Water Resources Development Act