JULY 2003

BIRD CALLS Vol. 7, No. 2Contents p. 2

On May 30, 2003, the Florida Fish &Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) unanimously passed a policy,to: “protect native wildlife frompredation, disease, and other impactspresented by feral and free-rangingcats.” Domestic cats in Florida preyon migratory songbirds and shorebirdsas well as rare, endemic species suchas Florida Scrub-Jay. ABC spearheaded public support forthe policy, along with several otherconservation groups, federal and stateagencies, and wildlife rehabilitators,including the American BirdingAssociation, Defenders of Wildlife,National Audubon Society, theOrnithological Council, The WildlifeSociety, FWS, Florida Department ofHealth, and USDA Wildlife Services. At the Commission’s hearing inKissimmee, Linda Winter, Director ofABC’s Cats Indoors! Campaign, andDr. Christine Storts, DVM, of BrevardCounty Veterinary Association, led thetestimony in support of the policy.Opposition to the proposal came fromcat colony advocates, who expressedtheir fear that all of the state’s strayand feral cats would be killed.However, the Commissioners pledgedthat cats would be removed from FWClands in the most humane way possibleand expressed a willingness to workwith all stakeholders. University of Florida law student,Pamela Jo Hatley, shared with theCommissioners her review of wildlifeprotection and animal cruelty laws.Her report, “Feral Cat Colonies in

Landmark FeralCat Policy Passesin Florida

Florida: The Fur and Feathers AreFlying (http://conservation.law.ufl.edu/spotlight.html), commissionedby FWS, presents a convincingargument that TNR violates theMigratory Bird Treaty Act, theEndangered Species Act, and Floridastate law prohibiting abandonment andrelease of non-native animals. ABCencourages federal, state and localgovernments to enforce applicablewildlife protection and animal crueltylaws against the release of domesticcats where they impact native wildlife. Florida was the first state to adoptABC’s Cats Indoors! Campaign,hiring a part-time coordinator whodistributes educational materials toveterinarians, conservation groups,animal control agencies, schools, andthe public. Florida has now set anexample for other state wildlifeagencies to follow. To view the policyvisit: www.abcbirds.org/cats/states/florida_policy.htm. Contact: LindaWinter, ABC, <lwinter@abcbirds.org>.

Following the eradication of black ratsfrom Anacapa Island in ChannelIslands National Park, California (BirdCalls Vol. 6, No. 2), the population ofXantus’s Murrelet is showingimmediate signs of recovery. Radarstudies show that nesting activity hasincreased markedly, and two nestshave been found in locations wheremurrelets have not bred since the1920s. Both nests have hatchlings. ABC, Pacific Seabird Group, theEndangered Species RecoveryCouncil, and others intervened onbehalf of the National Park Service,whose plans to eradicate black ratsfrom Anacapa Island were blocked bya law suit brought by the Fund forAnimals. The Judge ruled in favor ofthe Park Service, enabling IslandConservation and Ecology Group tobegin the successful rat eradication. Besides rapid improvement for themurrelet, other species such as AshyStorm-Petrel have also benefitted fromthe rat removal, and the overall islandecology appears greatly enhanced. Thenumber of birds visiting nestingcolonies has more than doubled insome cases, and other Channel Islandendemics such as deer mice, side-blotched lizards, and slendersalamanders have also begun torebound. For more information on the ratremoval project visit: www.nps.gov/chis/naturalresources/airp.html .Contact: Gerald Winegrad, ABC,<gww@abcbirds.org>.

Anacapa Island -Rats out,Murrelets Back

Florida Scrub-Jay is among the many species thatwill benefit from the new FWC policy. Photo: FWS

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CONTENTS

JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

Landmark Cat Policy in FloridaAnacapa Island - Birds ReturnHorseshoe Crab SuccessOpposition of Cormorant KillsOregon Cascades Birding TrailFWS Reviews ESA Listings Mute Swan Removal BlockedBird Budget Facts & FiguresBoreal Forest Critical for U.S. BirdsPatagonian Toothfish DevelopmentsThick-billed Parrot SightingFlightless Grebe PlummetsRed Siskin Population DiscoveredNWR Management ControversyABC Opposes CarbofuranCritical Habitat Debate HeightensWest Nile Migrates SouthMystery Indian Vulture DeathsSaving Playa LakesAVM DecliningReprieve for Cerulean WarblersU.S. Navy Leaves ViequesNJ Cats Indoors! CampaignBayer Withdraws FenthionPeregrine Chicks to FalconersBirds in Brief Swan Hunt to Go AheadAlliance for Zero ExtinctionIBA Book to be Published

11233445566778899

101011111212131314151516

Bird Calls is the Newsletter ofAmerican Bird Conservancyand the ABC Policy Council.

Bird Calls is partially funded by a grant from theInternational Affairs Division of the

U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Editorial Committee:George FenwickMerrie Morrison

Mike ParrGavin Shire

George WallaceGerald Winegrad

1834 Jefferson Place, NWWashington, DC 20036

202-452-1535/fax 202-452-1534E-mail: abc@abcbirds.org

Web: http://www.abcbirds.org

ABC Policy Council Officers:Chair: Jim Kushlan

<jkushlan@earthlink.net>Vice Chair: Perry Plumart

<pplumart@audubon.org>

ABC: American Bird Conservancy

FWS: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

NMFS: National Marine Fisheries Service

EPA: Environmental Protection Agency

USGS: U.S. Geological Survey

IUCN - World Conservation Union

Abbreviations

The Horseshoe Crab ManagementBoard of the Atlantic States MarineFisheries Commission voted in June2003, to dramatically reducehorseshoe crab landings in New Jersey,Delaware, and Maryland. The votewas a result of concern over decliningDelaware Bay crab populations andassociated declines in populations ofshorebirds that rely on the crab eggsto fuel their northerly migration (BirdCalls Vol. 6, No. 3). New Jersey andDelaware agreed to cap landings at150,000 crabs each (a drop of about50 percent), and Maryland agreed to a170,000-crab cap. Equally significantwas a ban on all harvesting from May1 through June 7, the most critical timefor crab spawning and shorebirdfeeding. This is being hailed as animportant victory for shorebirds suchas Red Knot and SemipalmatedSandpipers, which congregate in theDelaware Bay in vast numbers eachspring. New Jersey has adopted theirnew quotas, but implementation ofDelaware’s regulations was delayed bylegal action brought by crab fishermen,and will now attempt to adopt theirnew rules in July. Delaware crabbershave been sweeping beaches clean ofcrabs and have already landed morethan 266,000. A similar gold rushmentality caused Maine to close itscrab harvest and legislation has beenintroduced to the New York StateAssembly to cap that state’s take at100,000 crabs. Most crabs are caught for use as baitin conch pots. In addition to reducedharvest quotas, the new regulationsalso require the use of devices such as

Horseshoe CrabConservationSuccess BenefitsShorebirds

bait-bags that cut bait use in half (BirdCalls Vol. 5, No. 3). Virginia alreadymandates the use of such bags. ABC, National Audubon Society,New Jersey Audubon Society, andother partners have been pressing theHorseshoe Crab Management Boardfor stricter measures governing crabharvesting. Years of effort by thesegroups led to significant cuts in crablandings from 1998 to 2002, but asconcerns over the decline in shorebirdsincreased, reported harvests went upin 2002 by 25% to 1.25 million crabs.The Shorebird Technical CommitteeReport to the Horseshoe CrabManagement Board confirmeddeclines in Red Knots andSemipalmated Sandpipers, andrecommended reductions in baitlandings for New Jersey, Delaware andMaryland. The report noted that a 75%reduction in landings would berequired to insure some crabpopulation growth. Contact: GeraldWinegrad at <gww@abcbirds.org>.

Shorebirds such as Dunlin will benefit from improvedhorseshoe crab harvesting regulations. Photo: FWS

The next meetingof the ABC

Policy Council isat 10am on

November 13, inWashington, D.C.

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

Double-crested Cormorant. Photo: Clipart.com

More than 10,000 citizens filedcomments on the proposed FWS planto allow the boundless slaughter ofDouble-crested Cormorants. Morethan 90 percent of the comments wereopposed to the FWS proposal thatwould let 24 states begin killingunlimited numbers of cormorantswithout permits or prior review if thebirds are “injurious to a publicresource.” The proposal would alsoallow USDA’s Wildlife Services to killunlimited numbers of cormorants atwinter roosts in 12 fish-farming states,without permits, and without requiringnon-lethal methods to be tried first.More than 47,000 Double-crestedCormorants are killed annually undercurrent FWS permits, but this figurecould rise dramatically if the proposalis adopted. FWS justified their plan to relinquishcontrol of cormorant take saying: “theService trusts [Wildlife Services]

Opposition Growsto CormorantSlaughter

personnel to decide which damagemanagement techniques are mostappropriate in a given situation.”Ornithologists do not share that trustand have resoundingly condemned theFWS proposal, citing a lack of soundscience. ABC spearheaded a letter ofcomment against the order, co-signedby 21 national and regionalorganizations. ABC also used itsaction alert system, BirdWire , togenerate many of the 10,000 commentsfrom the general public. Some of the strongest criticism camefrom scientists with the AmericanOrnithologists’ Union who stated intheir official letter of opposition:

“Every study for about a century hasshown that cormorants do not impactsignificantly the demography ofdesirable fish, except at very smallscales . . . The results of peer-reviewedstudies show no significant impact bycormorant predation on desirable fish. . . The evidence does not supportcontrol at winter roosts as beingeffective or having the desiredconsequences, and we believe that itshould not be allowed.” They went onto accuse FWS of treating perceptionsand sociology in the same way asscientific findings, confusingeconomics with natural history, anddisregarding geographic scale. ABC and its partners have supporteda science-based approach to thecormorant issue. Conservationists arehopeful that the final FWS ruling meetstheir concerns, and that cormorants arenot made scapegoats for fisherydeclines caused by other factors. Sucha depredation order and roost controls,without direct approval and permittingby FWS, would set a dangerousprecedent for all fish-eating birds.Contact: Gerald Winegrad<gww@abcbirds.org>.

The Oregon Cascades Birding Trailwas officially launched onInternational Migratory Bird Day,2003, with a ribbon-cutting ceremonyat the Songbird Celebration inPortland, OR. The trail, a self-guidedtour featuring 184 sites along morethan 1,000 miles of scenic roadways,is designed to showcase the birds andthe beauty of the Cascade Mountains.Site descriptions in the newlypublished trail guide provideinformation for the casual or dedicatedbirder to see species, such as HermitWarbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,

On the Trail ofBirds in Oregon

Barrow’s Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck,Great Gray Owl, and White-headedWoodpecker. In an effort uncommon amongbirding trails, corporate, local business,and tourism sponsorship has played asignificant role in funding the project.Leupold & Stevens Inc., a fourth-generation, family-owned, Oregon

sports optics company, became a titlesponsor along with the NationalForest Foundation and ABC.Additionally, several county tourismentities and local small businesseshave contributed funding Birding trails are important tools toenhance the public’s awareness andappreciation of nature and birds.Public enjoyment of these trails cantranslate into support for birdconservation, while also providingimportant local economic benefits andeducational, and recreationalopportunities. To download the trail guide andaccess more information on the trail,visit: www.oregonbirdingtrails.org.Contact: Bob Altman, ABC,<alt8bird@aol.com>.

White-headed Woodpecker can be seen on theOregon Cascades Birding Trail. Photo: FWS

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

FWS has begun five-year reviews oftwo threatened birds, the NorthernSpotted Owl and the Marbled Murrelet.The reviews will assess whether newinformation warrants a change in theEndangered Species Listing status ofeither. The Northern Spotted Owl waslisted in 1990 and quickly became thefocus of forest intense debates in theNorthwest, with some 6.9 million acresof National Forest land designated asCritical Habitat for the species. TheMarbled Murrelet was listed in 1992. “The purpose of the reviews is toensure that the species have theappropriate level of protection underthe Endangered Species Act,” saidDave Wesley, Acting RegionalDirector of the Service’s PacificRegion. “Reviewing the latestinformation will also lead to bettermanagement and improvedconservation of the species.”However, support for the reviews by

Timber IndustryPrompts Reviewof Spotted Owl,Marbled Murrelet

the timber industry, combined withtheir stated goal of reducing CriticalHabitat designations for both species,has raised suspicions in theconservation community. Indeed,while required by the EndangeredSpecies Act, five-year reviews of themore than 1,200 plants and animalslisted by the federal government arerarely completed. The owl andmurrelet reviews are only beingundertaken as a result of timberindustry pressure that culminated inlegal action. A coalition of tenenvironmental groups, includingPortland Audubon Society, SeattleAudubon Society, Sierra Club, and theWilderness Society, represented byEarthjustice, tried to challenge the suit,

but the government swiftly settled outof court and agreed to the reviews. Most Spotted Owl populations in theU.S. are declining rapidly. Murreletpopulations are less well documentedbut are also thought to be decliningrange-wide. Part of the FWS reviewon the Marbled Murrelet will focus onwhether the Pacific Northwestpopulation qualifies as a “DistinctPopulation Segment.” Timberproponents are advocating that theAlaska/Canada population isgenetically indistinct from the morenumerous population in Washington/Oregon and that the species shouldtherefore not qualify for listing.However, a prior court ruling clearlystated that population segments wereirrelevant in the murrelet’s casebecause the species is decliningthroughout a significant portion of itsrange. An announcement is expected fromFWS in December, which wouldtrigger a formal rule-making process,including public review and comment.Earthjustice has pledged tochallenge any change in listing statusof either species. Contact: JoanJewett, FWS, (503) 231-6121, orKristen Boyles, Earthjus tice,<kboyles@earthjustice.org>.

Animal rights groups have temporarilyblocked efforts by the MarylandDepartment of Natural Resources(DNR) to remove up to 1,500introduced Mute Swans from theChesapeake Bay. ABC, NationalAudubon Society, MarylandOrnithological Society, and otherssupported the removal because of theecological damage caused by theexploding Mute Swan population.More than 100 birds had been taken

Mute SwanRemoval Blocked

under a FWS permit when the Fundfor Animals filed a suit in federalcourt. DNR subsequently halted itscontrol efforts until completion of anEnvironmental Assessment.Subsequently, another group has fileda federal suit contesting the efforts ofother states to control populations ofthe swan by lethal methods. Eggaddling/oiling has been shown to beineffective in decreasing populations. From five escaped swans in 1962,the Chesapeake Bay population hasgrown to more than 4,000 birds today.This large, aggressive swan is blamedfor the disappearance of the lastbreeding colonies of Black Skimmer

and Least Tern in Maryland. MuteSwans are also believed to pose asignificant threat to the well-being ofthe wintering Chesapeake Bay TundraSwan population and may affect otherwaterfowl. The swan has a voraciousappetite for submerged aquaticvegetation. Using past studies, theMaryland Mute Swan Task ForceReport and Recommendationsconcluded that the current swanpopulation has the potential toconsume more than 12 million poundsof Bay vegetation annually. Localizeddepletion of vegetation has alreadybeen documented. Contact: GeraldWinegrad <gww@abcbirds.org>.

The Northern Spotted Owl is to receive anEndangered Species Listing review along with theMarbled Murrelet. Photo: Clipart.com

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

A new report, based on anunprecedented compilation of birdcensus data from across Canada and theU.S., has revealed that one in threebirds across North America owes itsexistence to Canada’s boreal forest.The report, The Importance ofCanada’s Boreal Forest to Landbirdsby Dr. Peter Blancher of Bird StudiesCanada, was commissioned by theBoreal Songbird Initiative (BSI) inconjunction with the Canadian BorealInitiative. It concludes that as manyas five billion of North America’swarblers, thrushes, sparrows, hawks,woodpeckers, and other birds migrateeach year from the Boreal Forest. From the report, it is clear that the

Canada’s BorealForest Criticalfor U.S. Birds

fate of much of the continent’s birdlifedepends on the future of this vastnorthern landscape, which stretchesacross the top of the continent fromAlaska to Newfoundland. It covers 2.3million square miles and offers someof the best opportunity left in the worldfor large-scale forest ecosystemconservation. Yet the boreal forest isunder increasing pressure fromdevelopment, much of it driven by U.S.consumption. The U.S. is the largestuser of Canada’s oil and gas, and the

U.S. purchased $20 billion worth ofCanadian forest products in 2001,much of it ending up in junk mail andcatalogs. More than 30% of theCanadian boreal forest has alreadybeen allocated for resourcedevelopment for logging, agriculturalconversion, oil and gas exploration andproduction, mining, and hydropower. Over the last year, several newgroups and initiatives have beencreated to ensure boreal ecosystemconservation. BSI is a new projectdedicated to educating birdwatchersand conservationists throughout theU.S. about the importance of the borealforest to migratory birds, and how theycan help conserve it. BSI is part of anemerging network of organizationsincluding ABC, Ducks Unlimited, theNational Wildlife Federation, and theNatural Resources Defense Council.To obtain a copy of the report, andfor more information visit :w w w . b o r e a l b i r d s . o r gor www.borealcanada.ca.

The House Interior AppropriationsSubcommittee marked up the FiscalYear ‘04 Interior Appropriations billon June 18, 2003, including someimportant funding for birdconservation. Neotropical Migratory BirdConservation Act grants (used to fundmigratory bird conservation in the U.S.Latin America, and the Caribbean)were increased to the fully authorizedlevel of $5 million, $2 million abovethe FY ‘03 enacted level and thePresident’s request for ‘04. The Senatemark-up is imminent, andconservationists are pressing for thefull $5 million. Funding for the Division ofMigratory Bird Management, the

Birds & BudgetsFacts & Figures

division of FWS charged withconserving migratory birds in the U.S.,was also increased $2.424 millionabove last year’s enacted level, thesame as the President’s request.However, the subcommittee onlyprovided $24.56 million for the NorthAmerican Wetlands ConservationFund (which provides funds forwetland conservation in the U.S.),almost $14 million below last year’slevel and $25 million below thePresident’s request - a major blow forwetland conservation. State Wildlife Grants (CARA-Lite)were increased to $75 million, $10.4million more than last year and $15million more than the President’srequest. The Teaming with WildlifeCoalition and other conservationgroups have been seeking $125 millionand will continue to press for thatamount on the Senate side. U.S.Geological Survey Cooperative

research units (partnerships betweenthe USGS, state natural resourceagencies, host universities, and theWildlife Management Institute toconduct research on environmentalissues) were funded at $250,000 morethan the President’s request, at $14.4million, but still down $500,000 fromlast year. USGS Biological ResourcesDivision was funded at $134.56million, $2.43 million above last yearand $527,000 above the President’srequest. Contact: Gerald Winegrad,ABC, <gww@abcbirds.org>.

Typical boreal forest. Photo: NASA

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

New developments in the fight tocontrol pirate fishing for Patagoniantoothfish (marketed in the U.S. as“Chilean Sea Bass”) may help toreduce the number of seabirds hookedand killed on longlines in the southernoceans. Over the past six years, at least700,000 seabirds, including 144,000albatrosses and 378,000 White-chinned Petrels, have been killed in thepirate toothfish fishery. Few if anypirate vessels use seabird avoidancemeasures. Many of these species arenow considered threatened withextinction as a result of this and otherlongline mortality (Bird Calls Vol. 5,No. 3). The Antarctica Project estimates thatnearly 40,000 tons of illegal toothfishwere caught in the southern oceans in2002, seriously jeopardizing thefishery and the toothfish itself. In2001, the National EnvironmentalTrust and The Antarctica Project(TAP) launched a campaign: “Take a

ToothfishAdvance MayHelp Seabirds

Pass on Chilean Sea Bass,” aimed atconvincing chefs from top restaurantsto remove the fish from their menus,thus helping to reduce demand. Therestaurant industry accounts for 70percent of all toothfish sold in the U.S.,and U.S. consumption accounts forapproximately 33 percent of the globalmarket. The “Pass on the Bass”campaign has enlisted more than 1,000restaurants in major U.S. cities to date. This May, NMFS introduced newregulations aimed at curbing the illegalfishery by banning the import oftoothfish caught in known piratefishing hotspots in the Southern Ocean.The new regulations also include arequirement that NMFS approve allshipments of more than 4,400 pounds

On May 7, 2003, a guest at TedTurner’s Armendaris Ranch in NewMexico found a Thick-billed Parrot ina small grove of pine trees next to theranch buildings. If this is a wild bird,it is the first definitive, documentedrecord of this species in the U.S. indecades. The species nests only in theSierra Madre Occidental of westernMexico, and is listed as Endangeredunder IUCN-World ConservationUnion criteria. The last large influxof Thick-bills was in 1918-19, andsince that time, the species’ population

Ted Turner HostsRare Parrot

has declined rapidly range-wide due tologging practices in Mexico. The Armendaris Ranch bird, thoughfully feathered and behaving normally,has sparked speculation as to its origin.The area where the bird was found liesat 4,800 feet in the Chihuahuan desert,some 200 miles from the nearestregularly occurring, wild Thick-bills innorthern Mexico. Although it ispossible that the bird escaped fromcaptivity, there is no evidence of this.It is more likely to be a wild bird, orpotentially a survivor of the ArizonaGame and Fish Departmentreintroduction program that took placein Arizona between 1986 and 1993. Agroup of reintroduced birds was seen

flying in the direction of New Mexicoearly in the program, and sporadicreports from the Arizona-Mexicoborder area since 1993 are thought tohave been of birds from this group.Ted Turner has given permission forbirdwatchers to visit the area to see theparrot, which is still present at presstime (though it was absent for a periodof three days at one point). To date,birders from 30 states and 5 countrieshave made the pilgrimage. The ranchmanager has requested that visitors donot arrive prior to 8:00 a.m. and checkin with the ranch office beforesearching for the bird. Contact: TomWaddell, Armendaris Ranch, (505)894-6782 for visitation details.

of toothfish before landing at port, andthat foreign importers designate a U.S.agent. These measures supplement thecurrent “Catch DocumentationScheme” that has been widelycriticized as unenforceable due to thelack of monitoring and ease offalsification. Environmental groupsstill consider these new regulationsinsufficient however, and continue topress forward with their consumer-based campaign. An alliance of legal toothfish fishingvessels has also recently offered a$100,000 reward for informationleading to the capture of toothfishpirates, and an international telephonehotline has been set up that can beaccessed from 15 countries and cantake toll-free calls in five languages.The “Coalition of Legal ToothfishOperators” described the pirate fisheryas “syndicated crime on a globalscale.” Australia is in the process ofsinking a confiscated, illegal toothfishvessel, the South Tomi , and theRepublic of Seychelles has recentlyrevoked toothfish licenses to threenationally flagged vessels over piratefishing concerns. Contact: AndreaKavanagh, NET, (202) 251-2802, orBeth Clark, TAP, (202) 234-2480.

Patagonian toothfish on sale as Chilean seabass in aWashington D.C. market. Photo: ABC

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

The last of the world’s truly flightlessgrebes is undergoing a severepopulation crash. The species is likelyheaded for extinction unless action istaken to control gill-net fishing onLake Titicaca and surrounding lakesin southern Peru and northern Bolivia.Lake Titicaca is the world’s largesthigh mountain lake, with a surface areaof 3,200 square miles. It straddles thePeru-Bolivia border at an altitude of12,500 feet. Survey results along thePeruvian side of the lake have showna recent decline of 75 percent in thegrebe population there. Populationdeclines have also been noted on lakesApapa and Umayo, but the Bolivianlakes Uru-uru and Poopó remainwithout a complete recent census. Thepopulation has crashed from amaximum of around 10,000 birds inthe 1970s and 1980s, to a currentmaximum population assessment of750 birds. Until recently, the TiticacaGrebe was not even consideredVulnerable, but has now been listed asEndangered, and may yet be upgradedto Critically Endangered unless someimprovement in its conservation isseen. Two other species of grebe, notstrictly flightless but extremely poorfliers, are both listed as CriticallyEndangered, and also confined to highaltitude lakes in the Neotropics. TheAtitlan Grebe (or Giant Pied-billedGrebe) is now widely considered to beextinct, and the Junín Flightless Grebeis confined to Lake Junín, also in Peru.ABC is providing support toFundación Armonia to survey theTiticaca Grebe’s remaining habitat inthe hope that a population that is notsubject to fishing pressure can belocated and subsequently protected.Contact: George Wallace, ABC,<gwallace@abcbirds.org>.

Flightless GrebePlummets

A paper published in the April 2003issue of The Auk , the journal of theAmerican Ornithologists’ Union, hasunveiled one of the best-kept secretsin international bird conservation. OnApril 12, 2000, a team of researchersled by Mark B. Robbins of theUniversity of Kansas and Michael J.Braun of the Smithsonian Institutionmade a stunning discovery: a RedSiskin population in southwesternGuyana, approximately 600 milesfrom the nearest known population. The siskin once occurred widelyfrom eastern Colombia throughnorthern Venezuela, but its numbershave been greatly reduced by intense,illegal trapping and it now persists insmall, isolated populations consistingof no more than a few hundredindividuals each. As a result, the birdis listed as Endangered on the IUCNRed List and by FWS. It is also listedin Appendix I by CITES (Conventionon International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora),which recognizes that the species isthreatened with extinction, andprohibits international trade. The report details that the newpopulation appears to be larger -perhaps as many as a few thousandindividuals - than any known extantpopulation, offering new hope for thespecies’ survival in the wild. Thediscovery remained undisclosed forthree years to enable the Guyanesegovernment to officially protect thebird. A petition to list the siskin as anendangered species in Guyana wassubmitted to the Office of the Presidentby the Guyana EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), with follow

Red SiskinDiscovered andProtected inGuyana

up by the Wildlife Division through theWildlife Management and ScientificAuthorities. Thanks to Guyana’s EPAand Wildlife Division actions and thecombined support of an internationalcoalition of concerned groups,including ABC, ConservationInternational, the SmithsonianInstitution, Bushnell Sports Optics,American Federation of Aviculture,the National Aviary, RupununiConservation Society, RupununiDevelopment Corporation, theUniversity of Guyana, and theUniversity of Kansas. In May 2003, the Guyanesegovernment added the Red Siskin toSchedule III of its Species ProtectionRegulations. Schedule III containsnative Guyanese plants and animalsthat are considered threatened withextinction. Under these regulations,trade in the siskin is now prohibitedexcept for zoos and scientific purposes.The exact location of the newpopulation is being kept secret toprevent trapping, and several groups,including ABC, are working to securethe future of the bird through on-the-ground conservation efforts thatcombine strict controls on trapping andprotected area designation.Contact: George Wallace, ABC,<gwallace@abcbirds.org>.

Red Siskin. Photo: Mike Braun.

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

ABC and others are attempting toblock plans to turn over managementfunctions at the National Bison Range(NBR) and related National WildlifeRefuges to private interests. The U.S.Department of Interior is negotiatingan agreement to contract managementfunctions on 20,000 acres of land thatincludes NBR and its affiliatedNinepipe and Pablo Refuges, and otherlands to the Confederated Salish &Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in Montana.Several groups, including ABC, havewritten letters to key Interior officialsand Congressional members detailingconcerns over such a turnover.

PrivatizationPlan: Precedentfor Refuges?

Because of the national implications,ABC suggested that a public hearingbe held in Washington, D.C. A large portion of the NBR consistsof native Palouse Prairie. Elk, deer,pronghorn, black bear, and coyoteshare the range with 350 to 450 bison.Ninepipe Refuge was established byCongress to function “as a refuge andbreeding ground for native birds.”More than 200 species of birds arefound in the region including FWS-designated Species of ConservationConcern, such as Northern Harrier,Peregrine Falcon, Long-billed Curlew,Wilson’s Phalarope, Short-eared Owl,Black Swift, Lewis’s Woodpecker,Red-naped Sapsucker, GrasshopperSparrow, and Brewer’s Sparrow. ABCis demanding that FWS, with the inputof all stakeholders, including the tribe,first complete a comprehensive

Conservation Plan for the lands beforeany consideration is given of amanagement change. Compatibilityissues still unresolved include thetribe’s grazing and farming practices,expansion of a stock car racetrack ontorefuge lands, gravel pits, andplacement of overhead power lines. Conservationists are concernedabout the precedent of takingmanagement away from wildlifeprofessionals and passing it to privateentities. The Department of Interiorhas listed all National Wildlife Refugesin Alaska and 18 other refugesnationally, plus 34 National Parks aspotential management takeover targetsfor Native American tribes.2003 is the centennial year forthe National Wildlife Refuge system.Contact: GeraldWinegrad , ABC,<gww@abcbirds.org>.

ABC and members of the NationalPesticide Coalition recently submitteda letter to EPA, signed by 61organizations from around the country,urging EPA to deny requests fromTexas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, andArkansas for emergency exemptions touse the liquid (“flowable”) form of thehighly toxic pesticide carbofuran on upto 3.4 million acres of cotton. In the 1990s almost all uses of thegranular form of carbofuran werewithdrawn from the market due to itshigh toxicity to wildlife. FWS wrotemultiple letters to EPA urgingcancellation of all formulations ofcarbofuran, including flowable. Theystated, “There are no knowncircumstances under which carbofurancan be used without killing birds.”Birds documented as having been

ABC PressuresEPA OverCarbofuran

killed by carbofuran include manyspecies that are protected under theEndangered Species Act and theMigratory Bird Treaty Act, yet EPAhas not consulted with the USFWSregarding these exemptions. EPA has been granting similar“emergency” exemptions to thesestates for more than five years eventhough safer, equally effective,chemical and non-chemicalalternatives are available. “Carbofuranhas not been deemed safe for use oncotton because of its extreme risk towildlife. The states are using the

emergency exemption process as aloophole for obtaining this extremelyhazardous pesticide for routine use,”said Dr. Patti Bright, Director ofABC’s Pesticide and Birds Campaign.“This is a particularly important issuebecause EPA is reviewing allformulations of carbofuran to decideif the substance should continue to beregistered in the U.S.” If these emergency exemptions aregranted, the impact on wildlife couldbe devastating because of 1) the vastamount of acreage involved, 2)carbofuran’s persistence in theenvironment (up to 120 days), and 3)the timing and location of theapplications, which could potentiallyimpact millions of birds migratingsouth during late summer and early fallalong the central flyway. Earlier thisyear, ABC and other conservationgroups successfully blocked an attemptto grant an emergency exemptionrequest from Louisiana to use thegranular form of carbofuran on rice.Contact: Dr. Patti Bright, ABC,<pbright@abcbirds.org>.

ABC is fighting the application by four southernstates to use flowable carbofuran on cotton fields.Photo: National Institute of Health.

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

According to a FWS press release, “theEndangered Species Act is broken.”The phrase is being used with regardto the controversial system of CriticalHabitat (CH) designation for speciesprotected under the Act, which requiresthe Service to allocate areas essentialto the survival of Endangered orThreatened species. According toFWS, Critical Habitat is only of“marginal value” in a few cases - thosewhere it covers “unoccupied,”federally-owned land. Rather thanautomatically protecting land (in thesame way a refuge would), designationof CH triggers a consultation process,which, argues FWS, usually occursanyway because a species is listed asEndangered or Threatened. It costs thesame amount ($400,000 on average)to define CH for one species alreadyincluded under the Act as it does to addtwo entirely new species to the Act. However, following multiple lawsuits over the past six years, by suchgroups as the Center for BiologicalDiversity, FWS has been forced topursue CH designations for speciessuch as Spectacled and Steller’s Eiders,

Critical Habitat inCritical Situation

Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, andCalifornia Gnatcatcher. In the process,it has used up a substantial portion ofits available budget for the endangeredspecies program. “We are simplyunable to run a scientifically prioritizedsystem that addresses the most urgentneeds first,” said FWS spokesperson,Megan Durham, of the lawsuits. FWS says that rather than relying onmandated CH regulations to protectessential habitat, it favors cooperativemeasures such as Safe HarborAgreements, Private StewardshipGrants, and Habitat Conservation

Plans. Safe Harbor has been used toaid in Hawaiian Goose reintroductionon the Hawaiian island of Molokai,and 113 Private Stewardship Grantshave been awarded this year totalingmore than $9.4 million to individualsand groups undertaking conservationprojects on private lands in 43 states. FWS is due to run out of money inits FY ‘03 budget for CH designationsin July, and has asked Congress to shiftfunds from other endangered speciesprograms to cover the shortfall. TheService is now advocating a CHsystem whereby no deadlines areimposed, thereby eliminating lawsuits.This has set off alarm bells in theconservation community as beingtantamount to eradicating CHdesignations altogether. CHproponents believe that a systemwithout mandated deadlines will be asystem where designations are nevercompleted. There are currently 280 speciesproposed for listing under theEndangered Species Act and 13 CHlawsuits on 31 species pending. Inaddition, several lawsuits have beenfiled on behalf of industry, farming,or other private groups against CHdesignations already enacted by FWS.Contact: Megan Durham, FWS, (202)208-5634.

The first cases of West Nile virus wereconfirmed in the Caribbean this spring,with the discovery of pathogen-specific antibodies in birds in theDominican Republic. This wouldseem to indicate that migratory birdshave carried the virus from the easternU.S., where incidents of West Nilehave been steadily accelerating for thepast four years.

West NileMigrates South

Testing positive were HispaniolaLizard Cuckoo, Red-legged Thrush,and Ruddy Quail Dove, but ofparticular concern to biologists is theCritically Endangered and decliningRidgway’s Hawk. This species is nowconfined to a small corner of the island,the same area where West Nile viruswas discovered. In the U.S., hawkshave been some of the hardest hit birdsafter the corvids. As yet, no Ridgway’sHawks have been trapped and tested. Despite the presence of West Nile-specific antibodies in the DominicanRepublic, however, no sick or dyingbirds have yet been found, leading

some scientists to speculate that theremay be cross immunity in birds withother flaviviruses, or that West Nilehas been on the island long enough topromote West Nile-specific immunityin native species. The discovery of West Nile in theDominican Republic coincides withthe first reports of the disease inMexico. Alerts have been issued bythe municipalities of Lampazos, SanPedro, Pesqueria, and Los Aldamas,where dead birds have been discoveredthat yielded positive results for WestNile. Contact: Dr. Patti Bright, ABC,<pbright@abcbirds.org>.

The debate continues over CH Designations forendangered species. Birds recently apportioned CHinclude the California Gnatcatcher. Photo: USGS.

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

The Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV),a cooperative public-privatepartnership in the western prairies, hasrecently launched a campaign aimedat saving the Ogallala Aquifer. Theaquifer underlies approximately174,000 square miles of the GreatPlains region, primarily in Texas, NewMexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado,and Nebraska, and has been a majorwater source for agricultural,municipal, and industrial use since theturn of the century. The conservation community is wellaware of the value of playa lakes -shallow depressions that collect

To Save theOgallala Aquifer,Save Playa Lakes

rainfall and runoff to briefly becomewetlands - to birds and other wildlifein the western Great Plains. About 200species of birds and 40 species ofmammals have been documented onplayas. Millions of waterfowl,waterbirds, shorebirds, and land birdsuse playas during portions of their lifecycle each year. What is less wellknown is that playa lakes play a criticalrole in replenishing and protecting the

Ogallala Aquifer. Educating the publicand regulators about the importance ofplayas for the aquifer may helpconserve the lakes for the mutualbenefit of birds and people. PLJV is sharing this information withnatural resource managers, landownersand policy-makers. In May 2003,PLJV Coordinator Mike Carter metwith top Kansas government officialsto discuss the role of playa lakes andaquifer recharge. “This is a new andemerging issue for the PLJV,” Cartersaid. “If we can tie aquifer rechargeprotection to playa protection, then wecan directly benefit landowners andwildlife with the same programs.” The full text of the press release sentto the local media is available atw w w . p l j v . o r g / n e w s a r c h i v e /release061603.html. Contact DebbieF. Slobe, PLJV, (303) 926-0777,<Debbie.slobe@pljv.org>.

Over the past 10 years, India has lostmore than 95 percent of its vulturepopulation to a mystery cause. Threespecies of vulture, Indian, White-rumped, and Slender-billed are all nowconsidered Critically Endangered, andpopulation models predict that theycould all be extinct in as little as fiveyears. This dramatic vulture die-off hasenormous implications for theecosystem. Vultures perform a vitalfunction as scavengers, acting asefficient waste disposal systemsparticularly for livestock carcasses,which are typically left in fields withthe expectation that the vultures willdispose of them. Without vultures, thecarcasses can accumulate leading toincreased risk of disease transmission

Cause of MysteryDeaths in VulturesIdentified?

in both people and animals. Researchers have been working hardto determine the cause of the vulturedeaths, and, after ruling out severalpossibilities, many believed a newstrain of virus was likely to blame.This gave rise to concerns thatmigrating birds might spread such adisease to Central Asia and Africa. In a recent presentation at the SixthWorld Conference on Birds of Preyand Owls, held in Budapest, Hungary,Dr. Lindsay Oaks, a veterinarian andmicrobiologist at the Washington StateUniversity College of VeterinaryMedicine, presented the results ofwork in Pakistan that may indicate analternative cause: an over-the-counterdrug. Dr. Oaks and others discoveredmany of the symptoms exhibited by thevultures, including gout, mirroredsymptoms found in birds poisoned bya certain class of drug. Furtherresearch led them to a cheap andwidely available painkiller calleddiclofenac sodium (DS). In the U.S.,DS is used to treat people with

rheumatoid arthritis, but in Pakistanand India it is widely used to treat avariety of ailments in livestock. Itappears that the vultures are beingpoisoned when they eat the tissues ofdead animals that had been treated withDS. If DS is indeed the cause, the realchallenge will be how to remedy thesituation. Preventing the sale of DSfor use in livestock could prove to beextremely difficult. It would be theequivalent of trying to stop the sale ofa widely available drug like aspirin inthe U.S., requiring governmentintervention. The drug manufacturerswould almost certainly oppose such amove. Educating the public, especiallyfarmers, about the impact of using DSon livestock will be a challenging task,but perhaps the most likely to succeed.Further research will also be requiredto determine if other similar drugs thatfarmers could use to replace DS wouldhave the same effect. Contact: Dr.Lindsay Oaks, (509) 335-6044,<loaks@vetmed.wsu.edu>.

Playa Lakes are valuable for a vast array of bird spe-cies such as Blue-winged Teal. Photo: Clipart.com

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

Responding to pressure from ABC andother partners, the Tennessee ValleyAuthority (TVA) has put on hold itsproposal to mine coal from BradenMountain in the Koppers CoalReserve, pending the completion of anEnvironmental Impact Statement. Thegroups are concerned with the effectthe mining would have on CeruleanWarbler habitat (Bird Calls Vol. 7 No.1), as well as the overall ecologicaleffects on biodiversity of permanentlyaltering large landforms. Royal BlueWildlife Management Area, of whichBraden Mountain is a part, wasdesignated by ABC as a Globally

Reprieve forMountain TopWarblers

Important Bird Area, in large partbecause of the high densities ofCerulean Warblers that breed there.TVA estimates a potential loss ofmore than 100 breeding pairs ofCerulean Warblers if the BradenMountain project were to proceed. An official letter of comment,submitted by TennesseeOrnithological Society, ABC,Tennessee Environmental Council,and the Southern Alliance for CleanEnergy, called for comprehensivesurveys for all federal and state listedplant and animal species, and speciesof conservation concern in Tennessee.This includes four species of statelisted birds (Golden-winged Warbler,Cerulean Warbler, Sharp-shinnedHawk, and Swainson’s Warbler) andseveral other species of conservationconcern occurring or potentiallyoccurring within the boundaries of

Royal Blue WMA. The lettersuggested that high quality warblernesting areas on Royal Blue WMA bedesignated as “Lands Unsuitable forMining.” Breeding Bird Survey dataindicates that Cerulean Warblerpopulations have declined by 50percent or more in recent years and thespecies has been petitioned forprotection under the EndangeredSpecies Act. Contact: MelindaWelton, Conservation Director,Tennessee Ornithological Society,<weltonmj@earthlink.net>.

During the migratory and winteringseason of 2002-2003, two Bald Eaglessubmitted to the SoutheasternCooperative Wildlife Disease Study inAthens, Georgia, were diagnosed withAvian Vacuolar Myelinopathy(AVM). A third Bald Eagle issuspected to have died from thedisease. This is a considerablereduction from fall and winter 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, when 16 andseven Bald Eagles respectively wereconfirmed or suspected to have AVM.A further positive sign was that during2002-2003, the disease was notdetected in other avian species as it wasduring previously. AVM was first detected in 1994,when 29 Bald Eagles were found deadduring the fall and winter insouthwestern Arkansas. Since then,

AVM Decliningbut Still Killing

the disease has claimed the lives of atleast 93 Bald Eagles, a large numberof American Coots, several species ofduck, Great Horned Owls, Killdeer,and Canada Geese in four southernstates. Affected birds often appearintoxicated, frequently flyingerratically or unable to fly at all.According to the USGS NationalWildlife Health Center (NWHC)eagles have been observed flying intorock walls, and water birds have beenseen trailing a wing or leg whileswimming, or lying on their backs in

the water. The most consistent finding inaffected birds is microscopic lesionsin the brains and spinal cords.Examinations of fresh brain tissuerevealed open spaces in the whitematter of the central nervous system.The spaces are caused by separationof the myelin layers that surround andprotect the nerves. Researchers havebeen able to reproduce thesemicroscopic lesions in ducks andchickens by feeding them tissue frombirds that died of AVM. Both the cause of the disease and theroute of exposure are still unknown.Wildlife experts believe that a man-made or naturally occurring toxin is themost likely cause. Tissue samplesfrom the birds have been tested for awide range of toxins, including thosepreviously associated with vacuolarmyelinopathy in other species, but sofar no cause has been identified.Contact: Dr. Patti Bright, ABC,<pbright@abcbirds.org>.Adult Bald Eagle with chicks. Photo: Clipart.com

VISIT ABC ON THEWEB AT

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12

JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

On May 1, 2003, the U.S. Navyofficially handed over its formerbombing range on the small PuertoRican island of Vieques to theDepartment of the Interior, to bemanaged by FWS as a NationalWildlife Refuge. The island is hometo more than 120 bird species, manyrare, such as White-cheeked Pintail,West Indian Whistling-Duck, BrownPelican, and Caribbean Coot. In 1978,a lawsuit was brought to have the rangeshut down because of the damagecaused to the environment by thebombing, but a federal judge ruled thatthe Navy was actually protectingendangered species by keeping peopleout. Now, with the Navy finally gone,

Battle for ViequesBegins as NavyLeaves

the threat of human encroachment isbeing renewed. Incidents of localsshooting Brown Pelicans from boats,using scuba equipment and spear gunsto harvest marine life, and collectingeggs have already been reported. Wildlife is being further threatenedby citizen protest groups, gaining

momentum in their efforts to have theland turned over to private interests.The groups claim that the cleanup ofthe island’s polluted areas andunexploded ordinances will not beeffectively or efficiently carried out bythe federal government, but manybelieve that the groups’ real motive isto gain access to prime beach realestate for development. Now encompassing some 15,500acres, the island is one of the largestrefuges in the Caribbean, and includesbeaches used by threatened andendangered sea turtles for nesting,subtropical dry forest, mangrovelagoons, salt flats, and bays noted fortheir bioluminescence. The Navy’sformer 900-acre Live Impact Area, onthe tip of the eastern end of the island,was designated as a Wilderness Areaand closed to public access by an actof Congress. Contact: Brian & SueRobertson, Vieques, (787) 741-0865,<briansue@coqui.net>.

Thanks to a generous grant from theGeraldine R. Dodge Foundation, astatewide New Jersey Cats Indoors!Campaign was launched earlier thisyear by New Jersey Audubon Society(NJAS) and ABC. Outreach to keyconstituencies such as New Jerseymembers of the American VeterinaryMedical Association has alreadybegun, with materials that include aCats Indoors! brochure and a newposter, endorsed by the Association ofAvian Veterinarians and the Allianceof Veterinarians for the Environment.Campaign materials have also beensent to 250 animal shelters and 2,200

New Jersey CatsIndoors!CampaignLaunched

Environmental Commissioners in thestate. Additional outreach is beingaccomplished through nine NJAScenters, public nature centers, and otherAudubon Society chapters. A co-branded Web page has also beencreated and posted on the NJAS Website at: www.njaudubon.org/Conservation/CatsIndoors. “Located at the crossroads ofmigration, and home to severalthreatened and endangered species ofbirds, New Jersey is a logical place forreducing the ecological paw print catshave on the environment,” said BrianVernachio, the program’s CampaignManager. Mr. Vernachio is focusingspecial attention on Cape May andother coastal areas where stray andferal cats are a problem for nestingshorebirds such as Piping Plover andLeast Tern. A flyer explaining thehazards associated with catabandonment was developed for

inclusion in welcome packets to 7,000summer renters in the popular vacationspot. For more information, contactBrian Vernachio, (609) 897-9400,<brianv@njaudubon.org>.

Brown Pelicans are under increased pressure fromislanders on Vieques. Photo: Clipart.com

Take the CatsIndoors! Pledge andSign Up to be a Cats

Indoors! Activist.Visit

www.abcbirds.org/cats

13

JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

In April 2003, the FWS Division ofMigratory Bird Management releaseda Draft Revised EnvironmentalAssessment on the take of wildPeregrine chicks in the western U.S.for falconry. The total Peregrinepopulation west of 1000 longitude hasgrown ten percent since 1998, andFWS now believes that a take of onein twenty western Peregrine chicks willslow population growth by just 0.5 to0.7 percent. Following a precipitous decline, theAmerican (eastern) race of thePeregrine Falcon was classified asendangered in 1970 (prior to thepassage of the Endangered SpeciesAct), but has since sustained a long-

Wild PeregrineChicks May Go toFalconers

term recovery following the ban onDDT. This pesticide and itsmetabolites caused eggshell thinningthat frequently led to eggs breakingduring incubation. By 1998, the totalU.S. population had rebounded to1,650 pairs, and after substantial publicconsultation, the American race wasremoved from the Endangered SpeciesList a year later (Bird Calls Vol. 3, No.2). Today 82 percent of all Peregrines

nesting in the U.S. occur in westernstates (the western Peregrine was neverlisted). All Peregrines are still protectedunder the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,which allows for permitted take foruses such as falconry. An initialEnvironmental Assessment onfalconry use was released by FWS inFebruary 2000, followed by a findingof no significant impact in spring 2001.FWS later acknowledged that this wasbased on a potentially erroneousestimate of the minimum breeding ageof Peregrines, which had beencalculated at age two years instead ofthe more usual three. The new modelis based on this latter age but stillpresents the same conclusion regardingallowable take. Comments on the newassessment were due to FWS by June30, 2003. A final EnvironmentalAssessment and finding will follow.Contact: George Allen, FWS, (703)358-1714.

The chemical and drug manufacturerBayer announced in March 2003 thatit intends to voluntarily withdraw thepesticide, fenthion, from the market.Fenthion has been at the center of amajor ABC Pesticides and Birdscampaign following the deaths ofseveral species of bird on Marco Islandin Florida, where it is used to killmosquitoes. Included in the list ofbirds killed was an Endangered PipingPlover. ABC pressured EPA to cancelthe pesticide based on the extremetoxicity of fenthion to birds, and theexistence of safer and equally effectivealternatives. In October 2002, ABC,Defenders of Wildlife, and the Florida

Bayer WithdrawsFenthion, FloridaBirds to Benefit

Wildlife Federation initiated a lawsuitagainst the agency for violations of theEndangered Species Act and MigratoryBird Treaty Act in the bird deaths onMarco Island, between October 1998and August 1999 (Bird Calls Vol. 6,No. 3). One of the complaintantsdemands was that Bayer be requiredto carry out avian safety testing, andin its letter to EPA, Bayer cited areluctance to complete these tests asone reason for their withdrawal. “This is a very important victory forbirds and for the pesticide and wildlifemovement as a whole,” said Dr. PattiBright, Director of ABC’s Pesticidesand Birds Campaign, andspokesperson for the NationalPesticide Coalition, a consortium of 20groups working for improvedrestrictions on pesticides to protectwildlife, the environment, and humanand worker health. “We have beenadamant that this pesticide must be

cancelled, and it is gratifying thatBayer has elected to do the right thing.” Under the proposed withdrawal, useof the pesticide will still be permitteduntil the end of November 2004.However, EPA has agreed to increasedlabel restrictions for the months thatthe chemical remains available. Thiswill help to protect the largestwintering flock of Great Lakes PipingPlovers and other birds such as Dunlin,Black Skimmer, and Sanderling inCollier and other Florida counties.ABC will also attempt to safeguardagainst the possibility that Bayer willsell the license to manufacture fenthionto a local Florida mosquito controldistrict that could then begin producingfenthion on its own. Meanwhile, thelawsuit is in negotiation between theplaintiffs, the EPA, and theDepartment of Justice. Contact: Dr.Patti Bright, ABC, (540) 253-5780,<pbright@abcbirds.org>.

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon. Photo: FWS

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

Reprieve for Humbolt PenguinReserve: The Chilean governmenthas formally decided against allowingprivate tourism development on IslaDamas, part of the National HumboldtPenguin Reserve. ABC had sent aformal letter opposing the proposeddevelopment (Bird Calls Vol. 7, No.1) because of potential detrimentaleffects to several bird speciesincluding the Endangered PeruvianDiving-Petrel and globally VulnerableHumboldt Penguin. Although IslaDamas has been officially ruled out offuture development plans, doubt stillexists as to the extent to whichdevelopment on neighboring IslaGaviota (outside the reserve) may bepursued. Contact: George Wallace,ABC, <gwallace@abcbirds.org>.

MBTA Violation Punished: AMaryland man has been fined $3,000after he drove over a Black Skimmernest on Chincoteague NationalWildlife Refuge, Virginia, killing twochicks. David Myers drove past beachclosure signs and a refuge employeewho attempted to stop him fromentering the area. He had been warnedthe day before that the area would beclosed to beach vehicles pending abiologist’s examination of theskimmer nests, leading prosecutors topush for a severe penalty. He wascharged and convicted of taking amigratory shorebird without a permitand trespassing, both Class Bmisdemeanors. Refuge administratorssaid they were pleased with the court’sruling.

Arsonist Convicted Under ESA:Paul James Valdez, a supervisorycensus surveyor for the MexicanSpotted Owl Program has been foundguilty of arson for starting the LowerCooley Fire on June 2, 2002, and

Birds in Brief violating the Endangered Species Act(ESA) by the attempted take of thethreatened Mexican Spotted Owl.Valdez pled guilty to the arson chargeand was ordered to serve 30 months inprison and to pay a fine of $15,700 inrestitution. He also pled guilty to aClass A misdemeanor under theEndangered Species Act, and will servean additional twelve months in prisonfor that offense. Contact: TomMacKenzie, FWS, (404) 679-7291;Victoria Fox, FWS, (505) 248-6455.

Po’ouli Capture Plan Postponed:The recent attempt to capture the threeremaining Po’oulis on the island ofMaui (Bird Calls Vol.7, No.1) washampered by weather, and researcherswill now try for a capture program laterin the summer or fall. The species maynow be the world’s rarest bird, and asthe three known individuals do nothave overlapping home ranges, theonly hope to save the bird is a captive-breeding program. The captureprogram is being conducted by theMaui Forest Bird Recovery Project runby the Hawaii Department of Land andNatural Resources (DLNR), San DiegoZoo, and FWS. Contact: Jolie Wanger,DLNR, (808) 587-4188.

Aplomado Releases Continue: ThePeregrine Fund has transported 12more Aplomado Falcon chicks torelease sites at Laguna AtascosaNational Wildlife Refuge and SouthPadre Island, Texas (both ABC-designated Globally Important BirdAreas). Having been extirpated fromthe U.S. by 1950, the species nownumbers 38 pairs in Texas, all resultingfrom a reintroduction program thatcommenced in 1995. Thoughextremely rare in the U.S., theAplomado Falcon is widespread,though generally uncommon, inMexico and Central and SouthAmerica. Contact: Jeff Cilek, ThePeregrine Fund, (208) 362-3811.

Condors May Have Chick: Threepairs of reintroduced CaliforniaCondors nesting in Arizona haveproduced eggs, and although two nestsfailed, a third may now contain ayoung condor. The nest known as“Salt Creek” lies in an inaccessiblepart of the Grand Canyon, and sovisual confirmation of the chick isimpossible. The behavior of the adultbirds however, seems to indicate thata hatchling, perhaps as much as threeweeks old, may be present. If so, thebird would likely fledge in October.There are presently 35 free-flyingcondors in Arizona. At press timethere is also still a surviving condornestling in California. Last year, threenestlings that hatched there died ataround five months of age.Breeding failure is common amonginexperienced condor pairs, and theseearly failures, while tragic inthemselves, may indicate that asuccess is just around the corner. Thereintroduction program involves arange of partners including thePeregrine Fund, Arizona Game andFish Department, and FWS. Contact:Jeff Cilek, The Peregrine Fund, (208)362-3811.

Bird Migration Comes to the BigScreen: The Academy Awardnominated film Winged Migration isopening in theaters around the countryto critical acclaim. Produced by themakers of the insect documentary,Microcosmos, the film has been hailedas a “technologically and aestheticallyriveting documentary” by TimeMagazine. Some 590 miles of filmwere shot by 450 filmmakers in 40countries to produce 90 minutes ofaerial and close-up footage of birdmigration around the globe. Despitethe accolades it has received in thenation’s press, the movie lost its Oscarbid for best documentary to MichaelMoore’s Bowling for Columbine.Visit www.wingedmigration.org.

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JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

The Alliance for Zero Extinction(AZE) is a new initiative, led by aninternational coalition of biodiversityconservation organizations, to identifyand protect the last remaining habitatsfor the world’s most threatenedspecies. The Alliance aims to stemspecies extinctions, beginning withterrestrial vertebrates whosepopulations and distributions are bestknown. Other species are to beincluded as soon as sufficientinformation becomes available toassess their threat level systematically.By starting with the species that aremost imperiled, the Alliance aims tocreate a front line of defense againstextinction that will hold until broaderscale conservation efforts can restore

Alliance forZero ExtinctionFormed

sufficient habitat to enable populationsto rebound. Some current AZE members areBirdLife International, The NatureConservancy, World Parks andConservation International. Thesegroups are working collaboratively toidentify all the places worldwide whereIUCN-defined Endangered (EN) and

Critically Endangered (CR) species areconfined to a single site (95 percent oftheir population or more), and to gainadequate protection for them. Apreliminary analysis for Latin Americaand the Caribbean indicates that thereare likely at least 120 sites that holdthe last remaining population of an ENor CR bird, reptile, mammal, oramphibian species. The initial findingsalso indicate that more than 90 birdspecies that are regarded as either ENor CR in the Americas may now havethe vast majority of their populationconfined to a single site. The Alliance will now work withlocal groups to refine this analysis forpublication in 2004, and begin todevelop conservation plans for the sitesthat are identified. A website has beenestablished at www.zeroextinction.orgwhere you can learn more, review theanswers to frequently asked questions,and find the current list of AZEmembers. Contact: Mike Parr, ABC,<mparr@abcbirds.org>.

FWS PrefersContinued SwanHuntFWS issued a January 15, 2003,finding that a petition to list the Tri-State (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming)Area Trumpeter Swan flock under theEndangered Species Act providedinsufficient information that the flockwas a ‘Distinct Population Segment’that would be required for listing. Thisfinding was quickly followed by a U.S.District Court ruling in favor of FWSin a case brought by a coalition ofenvironmental and welfare groups,challenging the Service’s actions toapprove Trumpeter Swan quotas underthe Tundra Swan hunt. Then, on April24 (Federal Register May 16), FWS

issued a Draft EnvironmentalAssessment proposing that the TundraSwan hunt in Montana, Utah, andNevada be allowed to continue withpermitted incidental take of TrumpeterSwans (and also Mute Swans, shouldany reach that area and be killed). Under the Assessment’s preferredalternative, the hunt would continue toallow a limited number of permits(3,150) close early in hopes ofavoiding late-migrating Trumpeters;and be limited geographically in thehope of minimizing Trumpeter kills.Experienced birders are frequentlygiven pause when confronted by a loneTundra or Trumpeter Swan. Thissimilarity of appearance means thathunters too cannot always be surewhich species they are shooting untilit is too late. It is estimated that up to60 Trumpeter Swans may have beenkilled this way in the Pacific Flyway

since 1994, with the majority of theseshot in Montana and Utah. The allowable take of Trumpetersbegan in 1995, with an annual cap of25 birds, divided among the states.Should any state reach its quota, theseason would automatically be closed.Reporting in Montana is currentlyrequired only by mail, though bothNevada and Utah require independentexaminations by state wildlifeofficials. The public comment periodon the Draft Assessment closed June16. Contact: Robert Trost, PacificFlyway Representative, (503) 231-6162.

To join ABC visit:WWW.ABCBIRDS.ORG

or use the membershipform on the back page.

The Araripe Manakin is representative of an AZEspecies in Latin America. Photo: Paul Noakes.

* Supporters at the $100 and above levels receive a copy of American Bird Conservancy’s All the Birds of North America. The fair market valueof this gift is $19.95 and reduces your tax-deductible contribution by that amount. If you do not wish to receive this gift, please check here q.**Amounts listed are in U.S. Dollars. Please make checks payable to American Bird Conservancy. Donations are tax-deductible to the extentallowable by law.

JULY 2003BIRD CALLS

Following a six-year research programled by ABC scientists in collaborationwith hundreds of ornithologists andwildlife managers nationwide, the book“The ABC Guide to the 500 MostImportant Bird Areas in the UnitedStates,” will be published shortly byRandom House. The book will be

Globally ImportantBird Areas Book tobe Published

available in bookstores across thecountry, and from online retailers.Each site is covered in detail, withinformation on conservation issues,priority bird species, habitats, andvisitor information. The book alsocontains maps, illustrations of keyspecies, and a checklist of IBAs thatbirders can use to keep track of sitesthey have visited. The goal of ABC’s IBA program isto mobilize the resources needed tosafeguard these sites for futuregenerations. Recognition is animportant first step in raising

awareness among the public, managingagencies, and private owners of thespecial value of these sites to birdconservation. Identifying threats,conservation and management needs,and finding additional resources tomanage these sites will ensure theirlong-term protection. In total, 60percent of the IBAs are found onfederal lands, with the remainder onstate and private lands. More than sixpercent are owned and managed by TheNature Conservancy. Contact:Robert Chipley, ABC,<rchipley@abcbirds.org>.

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