Birds move north with climate change

Science Daily
March 5, 2009
Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) have documented that a variety of North American bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, adding to concerns about climate change, according to a study published by the journal Global Change Biology.

In a study published on the journal’s web site, the SUNY-ESF researchers state the change in the birds’ breeding ranges “provides compelling evidence that climate change is driving range shifts.”

read more

Hummingbird the size of bumblebee found in Ecuador

The results of an American Bird Conservancy-funded study of the distribution and nesting of the globally endangered Esmeraldas Woodstar have just been released by Fundación Jocotoco, with some encouraging news. This tiny hummingbird, barely bigger than a bumblebee, is endemic to the dry forests of the coastal mountains of central and northern Ecuador, where it has a tiny range and the lack of suitable habitat makes its distribution extremely fragmented.

read more

Fishermen work to keep birds off the hook

West Coast fishermen are voluntarily taking measures to stop the accidental killing of seabirds which can be snared on the hooks of long-line fishing boats. The Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association (FVOA), which represents longlining captains in the halibut and sablefish fisheries along the West Coast, has instructed its members to use streamer lines when longline fishing in Washington, Oregon, and California waters.

read more