How you can help the declining bird population in your area

A new report out today by the RSPB says there has been a huge decline in our bird population.

But here are some ways you can help the bird population in your very own back garden.

Leave food and water out for the birds.

Plant trees and berry bearing bushes as well as nectar rich trees.

Plant trees and shrubs that will attract insects as this helps the entire eco-system in the garden.

Get involved by carrying out surveys in your area, find out more on the RSPB website.

http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2012-11-19/how-you-can-help-the-declining-bird-population-in-your-area/

Rare snowy owl faces difficult recovery

Seeing a rare bird isn't always a feather in a birdwatcher's cap.

Denise Lewis of Bellevue has seen two snowy owls — an Arctic bird with radiant white plumage — in Nebraska this month. She hopes that they are the last.

Lewis, outreach coordinator for Raptor Recovery Nebraska, retrieved an ailing, female snowy owl from the grounds of the Hilton Omaha downtown at midday Monday. The raptor is believed to be the same bird that perched on the back side of the CenturyLink Center Omaha, thrilling dozens of attendees during a regional dog show Friday.

Lewis said the owl was severely emaciated and dehydrated.

“She's in such bad shape that I can't feed her,” Lewis said. “She's full of parasites, mites and flies.”

Lewis said she would try to nurse the bird back to strength with electrolytes and vitamins for a few days before attempting to offer it solid food. If it survives, Lewis planned to take the owl to Raptor Recovery's center near Lincoln later this week.

Read on:  http://www.omaha.com/article/20121119/NEWS/711199918/1707

Gallery: A tree house modeled after a bird's nest

Jerry Tate Architects designed this woven tree house to look like a bird's nest. The London-based firm aims to "design buildings that bring architecture and nature together." And that's just what this cute getaway spot is all about.

Students worked alongside the architects to complete this project as part of the annual Dartmoor Arts Project. Instead of having to climb a steep ladder, there's a sloping walkway that leads to a pod with circular seating. Jerry Tate explains: "The form was inspired by a weaver bird's nest, which looks dramatic but is safe and secure."

Pictures here:  http://dvice.com/archives/2012/11/tree-house.php

BIRD FOUND DEAD ON BEACH 'SHOT'

A bird found dead on a beach on Kangaroo Island appears to have been shot.

The osprey, a rare species in South Australia, was found by a member of the public on Brownlow Beach, near Kingscote.

Rob Ellis of the South Australian Environment Department said there was a wound consistent with the bird having been fired at.

"It's really distressing because these animals they're rare, so they're declining in South Australia and to actually have a sub-adult killed maliciously is, you know, really quite distressing," he said.

Mr Ellis said osprey numbers were already in decline due to issues such as insecticide use and nest disturbance.

"We're just coming out of the breeding season, so September, October and part of November is the breeding season for these birds. And the sad thing is that if this animal had been involved in a breeding event, the chicks may have been doomed to also perish," he said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15443561/rare-bird-found-dead-on-beach/

Rare Asian citrine wagtail drawing a crowd of bird-watchers to Vancouver Island

Birders are all a-twitter following the sighting of a very rare bird in a farmer's field in Courtenay this month.

The citrine wagtail is a small songbird that breeds in north central Asia and winters in South and Southeast Asia. Until now there have been no confirmed sightings of the bird in Canada and only one other in North America, when it was spotted in Mississippi in 1992.

"We've got lots of people here and lots of people who are excited," said birder and biologist Bryan Gates. "Because if you know anything about birders, they're an excitable bunch."

The rare bird was first spotted on Nov. 14 by Cumberland's David and Adele Routledge but it wasn't until Nov. 17 that it was positively identified.

"It's quite a rarity. You don't actually find them, they find you," said David. "It took a few days to identify but we knew it was rare by the fact that it was moving differently - walking, not hopping - and it was quite beautiful."

The bird has remained in and around a large field next to Comox Road on the Comox side of the 17th Street bridge. The owner of the land has provided permission for the birders to go onto his property as long as they stay on the gravel roadway and don't venture into the farmland.

On Monday morning at least 25 birders braved the heavy rain to get a good look at the little citrine wagtail, so named for its yellow colouring during mating season and its tendency to constantly "wag" its long tail feather. As news of the wagtail's presence spread, birders from the south Island, the Mainland and even the United States have been flocking to the Comox Valley to see it for themselves and add it to their list of viewed birds. If the little bird sticks around, those numbers are only expected to climb.

Continued:  http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Rare+Asian+citrine+wagtail+drawing+crowd+bird+watchers+Vancouver+Island/7596395/story.html

National and international action being launched to protect Amur falcons

Amur falcon massacre - You can help

November 2012. The 100,000+ Amur falcons that are killed every year in India, revealed by Conservation India, (As reported in Wildlife Extra) has caused a stir throughout the conservation community.

Such is the reach of social media that this emotive story went viral within hours and during the next few days, news quickly spread around the world shocking all who read about the Amurs' plight. Conservation India's highly effective campaign has already helped galvanise local, national and international action.

Birdlife has set up a fund to help stop this slaughter, and they invite you to help stop this killing forever by donating to an emergency fund that will help Bombay Natural History Society (BirdLife in India) coordinate the action that is required to ensure this massacre will never happen again. If you are moved by this issue please don't turn aside - donating now will make a huge difference to the future of these birds and every little helps.

Local actions
Vital actions that will be funded this way include establishing field teams to monitor the Amur Falcons at their roost sites, direct intervention to prevent further illegal hunting of all species and the establishment of a sustained education and engagement programme within communities in Nagaland and other north-eastern states of India, where illegal and indiscriminate hunting is sadly still prevalent.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/falcon-india.html

Giant Eocene bird was 'gentle herbivore', study finds

Footprints believed to have been made by the giant bird Diatryma indicate that it was a "gentle herbivore" and not a fierce carnivore, scientists say.

A team of researchers from Washington, US, examined tracks uncovered in a landslide in 2009.

Previous investigations have suggested the giant bird was a carnivorous predator or scavenger.

But the absence of raptor-like claws in the footprints supports the theory that Diatryma was not a meat-eater.

Measuring 7ft (2.13m) tall and with a huge head and beak, the giant flightless bird Diatryma (believed by some experts to belong to the genus Gastornis) is commonly portrayed as a fierce predator in both scientific works and popular media.

The animal is frequently thought as "the bird that replaced dinosaurs as the top predator", said geologist and team member George Mustoe, from Western Washington University in Bellingham, US.

"Let's be honest: scary, fierce meat-eaters attract a lot more attention than gentle herbivores."

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20413665