Amateur collectors in Japan discover country's first and oldest fossil diving bird

August 8, 2017

During a walk near a reservoir in a small Japanese town, amateur collectors made the discovery of their lives - the first and oldest fossil bird ever identified in their country.

After sharing their mysterious find with paleontologists at Hokkaido University, brothers Masatoshi and Yasuji Kera later learned the skeletal remains were that of an iconic marine diving bird from the Late Cretaceous Period, one that is often found in the Northern Hemisphere but rarely in Asia. The remarkable specimen - which includes nine skeletal elements from one individual, including the thoracic vertebrae and the femoral bones - is being heralded as the "best preserved hesperornithiform material from Asia" and to be "the first report of the hesperorinthiforms from the eastern margin of the Eurasian Continent."

Identified as a new species, it has been named Chupkaornis keraorum - Chupka is the Ainu word used by indigenous people from Hokkaido for 'eastern,' and keraorum is named after Masatoshi and Yasuji Kera, who discovered the specimen. The bird would have lived during the time when dinosaurs roamed the land.

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Hen harriers at risk of extinction have rallied in Northumberland

Dean Kirby

Monday August 7th 2017 

Hen harriers fighting for survival have rallied despite fears they are on the brink of extinction in England. Ten chicks have hatched in Northumberland, according to conservationists who say three out of five nesting pairs in the county produced young this year. i told in June how hen harrier numbers have fallen by 204 pairs in the last 12 years to just 545 – a decline of more than 27 per cent – with just a handful of territorial pairs now remaining in England. Hen harriers are still facing an uphill battle to re-establish themselves in the uplands of England. Andrew Miller, chairman of the NHHPP The RSPB has warned that the iconic bird is under “severe threat” from extinction, with illegal killing a “significant factor” behind the diminished numbers. 

The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership said the arrival of the chicks was a positive step in efforts to re-establish them. After another very poor season for hen harriers elsewhere in England, with no successful breeding attempts. Andrew Miller, head of programmes and conservation at Northumberland National Park and chairman of the partnership, said: “Hen harriers are still facing an uphill battle to re-establish themselves in the uplands of England. ”However, with the positive support of all our partners including landowners, ten young birds have successfully fledged. Working together and using the latest scientific techniques is also increasing our knowledge of this amazing species.“ Hen harriers were driven to extinction in mainland Britain during the 19th century. Despite making a comeback, the species has remained rare, with a breeding population under 1,000 pairs making it vulnerable.

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200 gulls shot dead this year after city decides on lethal crackdown

By Kirsty Stewart - 

August 4, 2017

ALMOST 200 seagulls – including 30 chicks – have been shot this year after a Scottish city decided to take lethal measures over a plague of aggressive birds.

After trying everything from noise deterrents, plastic owls, anti landing systems and netting, Dundee City Council have taken to using deadly force in a bid to control the birds.

Not only have pest controllers shot down almost 200 gulls in just eight months – they have also removed 401 gull eggs.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to kill, injure or remove any wild birds including seagulls.

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Ibis Revival Helps Town Take Flight

- Midori Aoki

A wild bird once thought to be extinct is making a comeback in inland China. The endangered crested ibis' population is now in the thousands. Its revival is also hatching economic spinoffs in the area.

"The crested ibis is known for its beautiful color. In China, we believe that it brings luck and beauty," says Photographer Li Ping.

For more than 2 decades, Li has dedicated his life to capturing photos of the endangered crested ibis. He wants to raise awareness about the rare species.

"In order to save the crested ibis, more people need to know about it. We need to understand that saving the bird also means protecting the environment," says Li.

The wild bird used to live in East Asia and the Russian Far East. But its population plunged as human development encroached on the bird's habitat. At one point, researchers thought the crested ibis was extinct.

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How do birds get their colors?

The role of melanins in creating complex plumage patterns in 9,000 species

Date: August 5, 2017

Source: University of Chicago Press Journals

Summary:

Birds exhibit an extraordinary diversity of plumage pigmentation patterns. It has been overlooked, however, that complex patterns can be produced only with the contribution of melanins because these are the only pigments under direct cellular control.

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Mystery surrounds disappearance of rare bird of prey

16 August 2017 at 10:32am

A rare bird of prey that breeds in Norfolk has gone missing in mysterious circumstances.

Sally, a Montagu's harrier, is fitted with a satellite tag. However, this stopped transmitting a signal on Sunday 6 August.

The RSPB says this is unusual because satellite tags are highly reliable and will continue transmitting signals even when a bird is dead.

Sally is paired with another Montagu's harrier called Roger. They are the only pair of Montagu’s harriers left in eastern England and one of only four pairs in the UK.

Sally and Roger have successfully bred in Norfolk for the past two seasons. This year they raised three juveniles.

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Protecting the Nest from the Parasitic Pin-tailed Whydah

04 AUG 2017

EMILY HEBER

The Pin-tailed Whydah, a parasitic bird, could put native Antilles and Hawaiian island species at risk.

The word “parasite” often brings to mind an image a small worm, but sometimes, parasitic species are not what you imagine. Such is the case for the Pin-tailed Whydah, which is one of only about 100 parasitic bird species in the world.

The Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) is native to sub-Saharan Africa where it is known for its bright orange beak, black and white body, and the long tail-feathers they grow during mating season. The distinct coloration of this species has led to their introduction throughout the world via the pet trade. Although such proliferation might seem harmless, the Pin-tailed Whydah’s unique parasitism makes it dangerous to native species if it is accidentally or purposefully released into the wild.

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