'Ding' Darling's role in NWF's 75th anniversary

Perhaps you've heard about -- or had the pleasure of birding -- Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Sanibel Island. I had the pleasure of staying on the island and visiting the refuge with three of WildBird's Birders of the Year, and I hope to return for more fantastic views of Roseate Spoonbills and other specialties.


While WildBird celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, National Wildlife Federation -- an organization that Jay N. "Ding" Darling helped to create -- is celebrating its 75th anniversary. On Feb. 3, 1936, he gathered close to 1,500 participants for the first North American Wildlife Conference in Washington, D.C.

From that conference sprang the General Wildlife Federation, renamed National Wildlife Federation, in 1938. Darling served as the organization's first president. You also might recognize his name in connection with the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, also known as Duck Stamps, which generate thousands of dollars every year for wetland and grassland purchase and restoration.

During its 75th anniversary, NWF rightfully has much to tout. Its Conservation Hall of Fame includes an incredible roster of 28 individuals -- including Hugh Bennett, John Burroughs, Rachel Carson and Anna Botsford Comstock -- and offers an excellent jumping-off point for hours of reading and further research about conservation in the United States. In addition to the Conservation Hall of Fame, NWF holds the annual National Conservation Achievement Awards. This year's event will take place on April 13 in Washington, D.C. (with tickets priced at $750) and will feature awards in 13 categories, including youth, communications, and corporate leadership. Previous honorees include Lindblad Expeditions and Arnold Schwarzenegger among many others.

A timeline highlights some of NWF's achievements, such as its role in the Pittman-Robertson Act (Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act) in 1937, Roger Tory Peterson's role as NWF art director in 1952, its campaign to ban the pesticide DDT in 1971 and the creation of its Raptor Information Center in 1976 (later disbanded in the 1990s).

The federation will hold its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 14 to 16. Early-bird registration between Feb. 8 and 28 offers a $25 discount. The schedule includes exhibits, a silent auction, committee meetings, regional roundtables and a restoration project at Patuxent National Wildlife Research Refuge.

$19 million for coastal wetlands conservation

From U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of more than $19 million to support 24 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 5,900 acres of coastal habitats in twelve states in the U.S. through the 2011 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $18.7 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.

The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include: Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Alaska, and California. (Photo: Willapa Bay/Courtesy of USFWS & Washington State Department of Ecology)

“Our Nation’s coastal wetlands encompass large areas of vital habitat for countless species of wildlife while providing important economic resources and recreational opportunities for the American people,” Secretary Ken Salazar said. “These grants will offer additional protection, restoration, and enhancement of these precious habitats.”

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

Once again, another group of enthusiasts -- anglers -- have generated funds that will benefit birds and birders. Thank you.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support the majority of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species.

Did you know that 75 percent of migratory birds rely on coastal habitat?

To see if the funds will benefit habitat near you, check this list. It provides good details about each grant.

Hawaiian company agrees to help seabirds more

From U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service press release:

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative entered a plea agreement today in federal court in Honolulu to resolve violations of the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today. KIUC pleaded guilty to count one and count 16 of a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May 2010.

Count one charged a violation of the ESA by knowingly “taking” at least 14 Newell’s shearwaters, a federally protected threatened species, at or near Keālia Beach. [Newell's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli) is a subspecies of Townsend's Shearwater. --WB] Count 16 charged a violation of the MBTA by the “taking” of at least 18 Newell’s shearwaters, also protected as a migratory species, at KIUC’s Port Allen facility.

Under the ESA, “take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.

“The Department of Justice sought a criminal prosecution of KIUC only after a long history of attempts to resolve ongoing violations,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The resolution of this case will set an example for others and help in the successful recovery of the Newell’s shearwaters, a threatened native species that is part of Hawai‘i’s cultural and natural heritage.” ...

KIUC admitted in its plea agreement that since June 2005, at least 14 Newell’s shearwaters were found dead near KIUC power lines near Keālia Beach and Donkey Beach. At least ten more shearwaters were found since 2005 near other KIUC power lines, including lines in and near the Wailua River Valley, Waimea River Valley, Eleele, and Kapaa. Necropsies of some birds concluded that they died from blunt force trauma consistent with a collision with a power line or other solid object. Eyewitnesses have observed such collisions with KIUC power lines.

The utility cooperative's press release about its responsibilities appears here.

5 Southeastern forests safer from logging

A recent collaboration between industry and environmental groups resulted in Georgia-Pacific announcing that it would not buy wood fiber from areas recognized as environmentally sensitive or where slow-growing hardwood forests have been cleared in order to plant quick-growing pine.

In a press release, American Bird Conservancy lauded Georgia-Pacific's new policy, which affects 11 sites, and pointed out that five sites are globally Important Bird Areas. When a site receives the IBA title, it's recognized as significantly important habitat for one or more bird species.

The five IBA sites are
* Francis Marion National Forest (8,000 acres) in South Carolina, known for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches and Prairie Warblers;
* Congaree Swamp (26,000 acres) in South Carolina, known for Barred Owls, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Prothonotary Warblers and Swainson’s Warblers;
* Alligator River region (213,000 acres) in North Carolina, known for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers as well as several thousand wintering ducks and swans;
* Great Dismal Swamp (180,000 acres) in Virginia, known for Swainson’s Warblers, Chuck-will’s-widows, Wood Thrush, and Kentucky, Prairie and Worm-eating Warblers;
* Croatan National Forest (40,000 acres) in North Carolina, known for carnivorous plants as well as Peregrine Falcons, Bachman’s Sparrows, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (62 clusters) and Swallow-tailed Kites.

To learn more about IBAs, click here for an incredible 15-page PDF that includes maps, graphs, pictures and details.

Almost 200 countries agree on biodiversity goals

In Nagoya, Japan, delegates from almost 200 nations attending the 10th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed today to goals focused on ensuring species' survival. After two weeks of intense discussion, attendees eventually "came to a concensus to a 20-point strategic plan to protect fish stocks, fight the loss and degradation of natural habitats and to conserve larger land and marine areas."

They also agreed to protect 17 percent of land and inland waters and 10 percent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Right now, 13 percent of land and 1 percent of oceans receive protection.

"Governments have sent a strong message that protecting the health of the planet has a place in international politics," said Jim Leape, director-general of conservation group WWF International.

Rowe removes invasive plants in the Everglades

It's a dirty job, and Mike Rowe's giving the rest of America a peek into the work that goes into removing invasive plants from our ecosystems. That glimpse into habitat restoration will air on Oct. 26 on “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe” on Discovery Channel.

In "Wetland Warrior," Rowe visits Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge near Boynton Beach, Fla., to remove melaleuca, a non-native plant that negatively affects native plants. See a Flickr set from Rowe's April visit to the Everglades.


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Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $1.25 million contract in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds – popularly known as stimulus funds – to a private company, Aquatic Vegetation Control Inc., to remove melaleuca from about 90,000 acres at the refuge.

AVC employees pull some of the melaleuca out by hand and chop some of it down with machetes. They “girdle” larger plants by chopping around the stalk, then spray it with pesticides. When the plants are dead, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service firefighters set fire to them using prescribed burn techniques.

Rowe got to do a little of everything on his day in the swamp. “We have poisons, we have knives, we have flames!” he joyfully proclaimed to the cameras.

For the cutting portion of the job, Rowe joined a crew of four AVC workers: Bobby Bishop, Jovany Garces, Carlos Rodriguez and Luis Sanchez. For the prescribed burn portion, he worked closely with Jon Wallace, prescribed fire specialist for Loxahatchee and Keys refuges.

“When a new guy comes in, the first problem they have is walking,” said Geovany Esteban, an AVC crew supervisor. “You don’t know the terrain, and you think everything is solid. You’ll just fall right in a hole.”

Sure enough, when Rowe got off his airboat and waded into an island of melaleuca, he had trouble getting his footing. But as always on the show, he persevered: “I could have spent a couple more hours in there, to tell you the truth.”

Minnesota artist wins Duck Stamp contest for the fourth time

James Hautman of Chaska, Minn., earned top honors again in the annual Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with his painting of two Greater White-fronted Geese. The judging and announcement took place Saturday at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, Calif.

Hautman's work bested more than 230 entries and will appear as the 2011-12 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. He previously won the contest in 1989, 1994 and 1998.

Greater White-fronted Geese by James Hautman

The Duck Stamp sells for $15 and raises close to $25 million each year to provide funds that purchase wetlands and grasslands providing habitat for waterfowl and many species enjoyed by birders and other outdoor enthusiasts. Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Greater White-fronted Goose by Robert Hautman

Hautman's brother Robert of Delano, Minn., earned second place in the contest with his painting of a Greater White-fronted Goose. Robert Hautman won first place in two previous Duck Stamp art contests.

An acrylic painting of two Brant earned third-place honors for Kip Richmond of Apex, N.C. Eligible species for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were Brant, Canada Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Shoveler and Ruddy Duck.

Brant by Kip Richmond

The judges included former California Secretary of Natural Resources Mike Chrisman; waterfowl biologist and professor John Eadie; wildlife artist Joe Garcia; retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Jerry Serie; and wildlife biologist and duck stamp expert Carlo Vecchiarelli. The alternate judge was Gary Kramer, an outdoor writer and photographer -- and WildBird contributor.

Duck Stamp art contest begins in Berkeley

Today marks the first time that the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest will take place on the Pacific Coast. That Bay Area bastion of liberalism, Berkeley, serves as the site for the two-day public event that focuses on a stamp that hunters must purchase each year to shoot legally.

During its 61-year history, sales of the federal Duck Stamp have generated more than $700 million to purchase at least 5 million acres of habitat throughout the United States. From the $15 purchase, 98 percent of the proceeds go to Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase acreage for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The protected wetlands and grasslands benefit waterfowl and many other groups of birds enjoyed by birders around the country.

At the David Brower Center on Friday and Saturday, visitors can see the artwork submitted by 235 wildlife artists throughout the nation. The winning art will appear as the 2011-2012 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. Visitors to the center also can participate in a "Pick the Winner" contest and children's activities while observing a wood carving demonstration. With the center as a starting point on Friday, participants can join a bird walk on the U.C. Berkeley campus with Golden Gate Audubon Society or a two-hour bus tour of three restoration projects with Ducks Unlimited. (Seating is limited for the latter, so RSVP to rspenst@ducks.org)


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Saturday's agenda includes more art viewing and judging, with a panel of art, waterfowl and philatelic experts serving as judges. The winner will be announced close to noon.

Before the announcement, visitors can join a bird walk at the Albany Mudflats and the Albany Bulb with Golden Gate Audubon Society or participate in a duck drawing workshop at Don Edwards NWR's Newark Slough Learning Center in Fremont.

Later events on Saturday will "Amazing Refuge Race II" at Don Edwards NWR Visitor Center in Fremont, where teams of five will use a GPS unit to reach sites with specific coordinates and perform certain tasks. Prior registration is required on Friday: 510-792-0222 ext. 363.

As part of National Wildlife Refuge Week, the schedule even offers a Sunday event: a birding picnic between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Sacramento NWR with Altacal Audubon Society. The 2010 Duck Stamp gives you free entry; otherwise, you get to pay $3 per car. More details are available from Mike at 530-624-4777.

Restoration work resumes at Florida state park

Birds and other creatures visiting or living within Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin, Fla., will benefit soon from better water flow, thanks to the resumption of a restoration project interrupted by response efforts to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, the state park features more than 13 miles of shoreline and inland trails for birdwatching, and noted bird species include Snowy Plovers, Piping Plovers, Red-shouldered Hawks and Osprey.

Acting Fish and Wildlife Service Director Rowan Gould said the project's continuation creates not just environmental but economic benefits for Florida’s Gulf Coast. “This Recovery Act project is part of a long-range plan to restore Topsail Hill Preserve State Park to its natural state, restore the proper flow of water, and encourage plants and animals to return and flourish,” he said.

Located east of Pensacola and in Santa Rosa Beach, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park includes 14 communities such as wet prairie, scrub, beach dune and coastal dune lake habitats. The restoration work, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aims to re-establish the flow of surface and subsurface water.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Secretary Bob Ballard said the state park "provides a direct economic impact of more than $7 million to the local community. This project will further enhance the valuable natural resources at Topsail Hill that attract Florida residents and visitors to the Santa Rosa Beach area.”

No doubt he meant the avian residents and visitors, too.

Coastal Cleanup Day

Traditionally held on the third Saturday of September, International Coastal Cleanup Day included Filipino youth at Manila Bay as well as schoolchildren near Tampa, Fla. Many more groups plan to collect litter and debris from waterways and shores on Sat., Sept. 25.

Ocean Conservancy spearheads the annual event, with this being the 25th year. You can find an event near you by searching via this map.

In California, the event has earned honors from the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Last year, fourth-graders in New York City gathered debris, catalogued it and shared their thoughts; as Oliver said, "Birds are lovely, and die from us. When they see a lot of trash, they don't think once, they just eat. Then are poisoned."

Scouts are Flying Wild

A program aimed at schoolchildren and created by Council for Environmental Education, Flying Wild partners recently worked with Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America to integrate the environmental education activities with current scout badges and Try-It Activities.

This document shows the correlations between Flying Wild items and the Girl Scout projects for Brownies and Juniors, while this file covers the Boy Scout projects, ranging from Cub Scouts, Tigers, Wolfs, Bears and Webelos to Boy Scouts.

Restore America's Estuaries announces sched for Nov. conference

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Restore America's Estuaries recently released the program schedule for its fifth conference, scheduled for Nov. 13-17 in Galveston, Texas. Focusing on the restoration of coastal and estuarine habitats, the group will look closely at "Preparing for Climate Change: Science, Practice, and Policy" through panel discussions and presentations.

The organization says:

The National Conference and Expo has taken on a new level of importance due to the tragic events continuing to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico. Stopping the leak and preventing oil from reaching the coast are only the first steps in a process that will take years-and likely decades-to resolve. RAE has responded to this environmental, economic, and human disaster by adding high-level sessions and roundtables to the Conference program devoted to the science, policy, and technologies dealing with oil remediation and coastal restoration.

Details about the conference appear here, while the program schedule is available here.

Boreal birds now at risk in the Gulf

Because the Gulf of Mexico provides wintering habitat for millions of Canada's migratory birds, concern has increased about the boreal species' return this fall.

“The world’s largest migration occurs every year when billions of birds fly from Canada to areas south, including the Gulf Coast,” said Dr. Jeff Wells, senior scientist at the Boreal Songbird Initiative. “We’re not sure what these birds will face when they return to areas hit by the oil spill, but certainly a large number of birds could be vulnerable to illness or even death.” [Click on the image to see a larger version.]

The migratory birds of Canada’s Boreal Forest represent a significant percentage of the birds that winter in the Gulf Coast region or stop during their travels farther south. As the world’s largest intact forest, Canada’s Boreal Forest is home to more than 300 bird species, including 80 percent of North American waterfowl species, 63 percent of finches and 53 percent of warblers.

“There’s been a lot of attention to oil spill effects on local resident species,” Wells said, “but there’s a lurking time bomb for many waterfowl and shorebirds that breed in Canada’s Boreal Forest and winter or stop in the Gulf.”

Wells and other experts are concerned that the birds could face long- and short-term negative effects to shoreline habitat, necessary food sources and health.

Currently, nesting birds such as terns, gulls and pelicans are hit hardest by the oil spill. Louisiana’s coast supports an estimated 77 percent of the U.S. breeding population of Sandwich Tern, 52 percent of Forster’s Tern and 44 percent of Black Skimmer. Many of North America’s most at-risk species also live in the region during a portion of the year, including Yellow Rail, Black Rail, Snowy Plover, Piping Plover and Short-billed Dowitcher. The oil spill could pose long-term implications for the health of their total populations.

“We’ve really only seen the tip of the iceberg so far,” Wells said. “Species from the Boreal and other areas may encounter habitats and food sources contaminated with oil on their journey south that may cause illness or even mortality. These birds, and the generations to come after them, are endangered by the oil spill’s impact to critical marsh and beach habitat.”

Presidential Citizens Medal recipient advocates conservation

President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 13 Americans this month, including Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam of Shaftsbury, Vt. The White House said the 40-year-old honor spotlights Americans who perform "exemplary deeds of service for their country or fellow citizens." The medal stands among the highest honors that a civilian can receive, and Putnam is the first conservationist to receive the medal.

Devoted to preserving our nation’s public lands, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam has inspired thousands of America’s youth to protect our natural bounty. Her vision to offer land restoration and maintenance service opportunities became a reality with the birth of the Student Conservation Association. Putnam receives the Citizens Medal for helping ensure that our nation’s treasured public lands are enjoyed by future generations.

On the association's website, it describes its purpose this way:

SCA provides college and high school-aged members with hands-on conservation service opportunities in virtually every field imaginable, from tracking grizzlies through the Tetons to restoring desert ecosystems and teaching environmental education at Washington, D.C.’s Urban Tree House. We are truly building the next generation of conservation leaders.

Based in Charlestown, N.H., the association's menu includes national crews, community programs, conservation internships and conservation corps. Ornithology ranks among the most popular sub-categories in the expense-paid conservation internships.

Thank you very much, Ms. Putnam.

When we guard birds, do we harm birding?

A good essay about the next great birders recently made the rounds via Facebook and other sites. Laura Kammermeier's blog post touched on the challenges that many beginning birders might encounter, including this part:

Beginners soon sense what really goes on in birding circles: the catty judgment about who knows what more than who. Some segments of birding operate like an exclusive country club where the cost of entry is not piles of cash, but loads of birding cachet. But whom does that leave behind — and what is the cost?

Regrettably, we’ve all seen the enthusiasm of novice birders stamped out by the corrective whoop-di-doo of birding hotshots. We’ve seen dialogue on listserves squelched by those who assert that feeder sightings, backyard raptor kills, and birding trivia has “no place on this list.” We’ve seen legions of birders too afraid to ask questions for fear of being wrong, stupid, clearly “not a REAL birder.”

That resonated with me, given the magazine's focus on expanding the community. In each issue, on page 2, you'll see WildBird's mission statement, which says "WildBird urges readers to share their appreciation for birds and to consider beginners' education... as means of ensuring avian species' survival."

In one discussion of Laura's blog post, a New Jersey birder mentioned a recent Long-eared Owl roost at which some birders stood guard all day, pretending to watch something in the field across the street. My friend (whom I'll call DL) said the sentry birders told him that's what they were actually doing -- trying to misdirect others.

Like DL said, owls are sensitive and need to be protected, but why would the birders want to keep the roost's location secret from naturalists who might become more interested in avian conservation or birders who've long wanted to see LEOWs? That seems counterproductive to building support for bird conservation. To quote DL: "That really left a sour taste in my mouth."

Do you know birders who've guarded a species' site? What did you think of their decision?

Long-eared Owl courtesy of Terry Sohl

Special-edition Duck Stamp envelope to help Gulf of Mexico

Last month, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar revealed a special-edition Duck Stamp envelope available for $25. The "cachet" costs $10 more than the annual Duck Stamp because the proceeds will go toward conservation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, fouled by BP's oil gusher, and specifically toward purchasing land that will become part of national wildlife refuges along the Gulf.

The cachet features a silk rendering of an award-winning photograph of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Florida [not shown -akh] by David Moynahan and the 2010-2011 Federal Duck Stamp [below], which depicts an American Wigeon painted by artist Robert Bealle of Waldorf, MD.

All migratory bird hunters must buy a $15 Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, each year in addition to state licenses, stamps and permits. The design of the stamp is determined by an annual art competition, and the stamps have become popular with stamp collectors and wildlife art enthusiasts as well as those who simply want to contribute to wetland conservation. [bold mine]

Since 1934, Federal Duck Stamp sales have raised more than $750 million to acquire and protect more than 5.3 million acres of wetlands, including habitat on hundreds of the 552 national wildlife refuges spread across all 50 states and U.S. territories.

You might see the envelope called "Gulf of Mexico Wetland Commemorative," "FDS Commemorative Silk Cachet" or FDS11NWR. The website says it currently is out of stock, but you can download a form to pre-order the envelope. Note: Shipping is $5.95 for one stamp, $7.95 for two.

The oil gusher appears to have stopped. The need to help that tainted environment -- and the birds who need healthy habitats -- continues.

Buy beer for the birds?

If you drink Toxic Sludge, your money will go to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, one of the wildlife rehabilitation centers helping oiled birds in the Gulf of Mexico. Blue Point Brewing Co. on Long Island, New York, plans to donate 100 percent of net proceeds from sales of the Black IPA to fund Tri-State's "Spreading Our Wings" capital campaign and long-term efforts to build a wildlife response annex.


"Our poor little beaked brethren think they are vacationing in the sunny Gulf but they are really flying straight into a disaster zone," said Pete Cotter, president of Blue Point Brewing. "While others are focused on cleaning up the beaches and water, our efforts are purely for the birds."

Blue Point beers are sold in 12 states including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as well as the District of Columbia.

Blue Point also began selling "Save the Buffleheads" T-shirts for $25, with all proceeds going to Tri-State. The brewery picked the smallest diving duck in North America because it breeds in Canada and winters off the Gulf Coast. Scroll to the bottom of the page to order a T-shirt.

Birds vs. wild horses

What do you do when wild horses degrade habitat that's shrinking and necessary for Greater Sage-Grouse and migratory birds? That's the challenge faced by Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Nevada.

Contrary to popular belief, wild horses are not in danger of extinction: Herds increase at the rate of about 20 percent a year. Roughly 33,700 wild horses occupy 31.9 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management. BLM also cares for another 35,000 wild horses in short-term corrals and long-term pastures at a cost of tens of millions of dollars per year.

See how the refuge staff propose to solve the problem.

Photo courtesy of Gail Collins/USFWS

Endangered Species Act protects 2 more birds

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said today the Endangered Species Act covers two birds from Ecuador: Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis) and Medium Tree-Finch (Camarhynchus pauper). The puffleg, a hummingbird, is native to Volcán Pichincha, and the tree-finch is endemic to the island of Floreana in the Galapagos Islands.

The Black-breasted Puffleg population has declined between 50 and 79 percent in the past 12 years, due to habitat destruction, alteration, conversion and fragmentation. The species’ already small and declining population makes the Black-breasted Puffleg particularly vulnerable to extinction.

The Medium Tree-Finch is at risk primarily due to the introduced parasitic fly, Philornis downsi. The effects of P. downsi parasitism in finches is severe, accompanied by high incidences of nestling mortality as well as lower fledgling success, reduced nestling growth and reduced hemoglobin levels in nestlings. In addition, the clearing of native vegetation for agriculture and ranching; the destruction and degradation of habitat caused by introduced animals and plants; predation; and inadequate existing regulatory mechanisms are threatening the continued existence of the species.


Granting foreign species protection under the Endangered Species Act means import or export of any of the species, or their parts or products, as well as sale in interstate or foreign commerce, is prohibited. The only exceptions are for scientific purposes and to assist in efforts aimed at enhancing the propagation or survival of these species.

The final rule appeared in the Federal Register on July 27, 2010. For more information, visit the Service’s website at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

Black-breasted Puffleg courtesy of Steve Blain/The Internet Bird Collection
Medium Tree-Finch courtesy of Arkive.org

More winged things to count

Do you live where fireflies light up your sky? If so, I'm jealous of you. (Southern California lacks lightning bugs.)

If you are fortunate enough to see those beetles with tails that flash, you can contribute to Firefly Watch, organized by Museum of Science Boston. The museum is working with researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College to track fireflies, but they need citizen scientists to help them learn about the beetles' geographic distribution and activity during summer. The museum's website says fireflies might be affected by human-made light and pesticides in lawns, so the data can investigate those effects.

This is the event's third year. It began in mid-April and will continue through October. You can join the citizen science project now!

Photo courtesy of Nature