[TN-Bird] FW: News from the Lab of Ornithology - More Ivory-Bill News
- From: "Ginger Goolsby" <vgoolsby@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-BIRDS" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 16:09:56 -0400
Just received this e-mail from the Lab today.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-LABOFONEWS-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-LABOFONEWS-L@xxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Lab of Ornithology
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 12:53 PM
To: labofonews-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: News from the Lab of Ornithology
Dear Lab members and friends:
The furor over the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has once again
been making headlines, but we're pleased to say it has a happy ending. We'd
like to bring you up to date on many ivory-bill developments and pass along
the latest news from some of our ongoing projects.
Ivory-bill Challenge Dropped
Last month we learned that several well-respected researchers planned to
publish a paper in the Public Library of Science that would dispute the
conclusion that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker had been found in eastern
Arkansas. In drafting a response, Cornell Lab of Ornithology director Dr.
John Fitzpatrick supplied sound recordings from Arkansas to back up the
claim that the bird still lives. After hearing those recordings, the
challengers immediately withdrew their paper from publication and promised
their full support in the continuing search for and study of the ivory-bill.
The initial challenge, and the retraction, have been the subject of stories
in the New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, National
Public Radio (NPR),
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4782699> and
elsewhere.
The sounds that convinced the skeptics were gleaned from thousands of hours
of recordings made in the Big Woods by autonomous recording units (ARUs).
They captured sounds resembling the kent call that the ivory-bill is known
for, as well as possible double-knock display drums, first from one bird and
what seems to be a reply from a second bird! You'll be able to hear these
recordings when we post them on our web site later this month after the
sound analyses are announced at the American Ornithologists Union
meeting--we'll let you know when they're available.
Other developments:
* Experts in the Lab's Bioacoustics Research Program
<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/> are continuing to analyze 18,000 hours
of sound recordings gathered in Arkansas from the ARUs. Special software
screens the recordings for sounds of interest.
* The Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery Team has been formed under the
leadership of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They will draft a recovery
plan for the bird. This group will also include some Lab staff involved in
the original search.
* The Lab has been designated the official repository for ivory-bill
sightings from the public. With that in mind, we've created an online
reporting form <http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/story17.htm> to better
collect that data.
* If you haven't yet visited, be sure to check out all the information we
have available on our web site <http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory> related
to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
* If you'd like to become part of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker "support
team"
<https://secure.birds.cornell.edu/eCommerce/Gift/Start.do> we have special
gifts for various levels of support.
* Special issues of Living Bird and BirdScope have just come out, devoted
entirely to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. They contain first-hand accounts
from those who sighted the bird, as well as updates on the techniques that
led to the rediscovery. Members receive both these quarterly publications.
Find out more about becoming a Lab member.
<https://secure.birds.cornell.edu/eCommerce/Member/Start.do>
Field work will resume in Arkansas in November, when the leaves are down and
the weather has cooled. Once again crews will be braving the swamps (and
snakes) hoping for another look at the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and trying to
capture a clearer picture of the bird, either on film or video.
Whatever happens, we'll keep you posted on the latest developments!
Applause for Citizen Science
In the same issue of Science magazine containing the paper about the
rediscovery of the ivory-bill, there was another article about the Lab and
its 50-year dedication to citizen-science programs
<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/LabPrograms/citSci/index.html> . By harnessing
the energy and enthusiasm of our vast network of bird watchers, we are able
to find answers to questions about bird populations across a much larger
area. The article points out a long list of successful scientific
publications, fueled by citizen-science data. It's an effort we hope to
expand even further. "Right now, the northeastern seaboard is well covered,"
says Lab director John Fitzpatrick. "We'd like more observers on the ground
in states like Arizona and Nevada. Eventually, we'd like to test hypotheses
and conduct experiments on a continental scale."
Man Oh Man What A Manakin!
Groundbreaking research into mysterious wing noises has earned the Lab's
Kimberly Bostwick national attention. Her paper on the Club-winged Manakin
was published in the journal Science this week and picked up by other
mainstream media, including the New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/science/02wing.html?ex=1123646400&en=9c06
f9cacb41598f&ei=5070&emc=eta1> and National Public Radio (NPR)
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4779828> . Kim is
Curator of the bird and mammal collection at the Cornell University Museum
of Vertebrates, housed here in the Johnson Center for Birds and
Biodiversity.
Armed with a high-speed camera, Kim determined that this manakin makes
popping tick sounds by shaking hollow-cored wing feathers together. The loud
ting note is created when the stiff, curved tip of one feather rubs against
a line of ridges on the central vane of the adjoining feather--a process
compared to rubbing a spoon against a washboard. On top of that, the manakin
shakes its feathers an astonishing 100 times per second. Even the hyper
hummingbird only manages 50 wing beats a second. While insects are known for
rubbing body parts together to create sounds, this is the only bird found to
use the same technique. The Cornell Chronicle
<http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/Cricketbird.kr.html> also has a
great article on this fascinating research.
House Finch Disease Spreading
House Finch eye disease is now confirmed in the West and continues to cause
widespread disease in the East. Preliminary data show some differences in
the spread of the disease in the West compared to the East; help us to
better understand why! Participants report daily observations of sick and
healthy birds at their feeders either online or on paper data forms. Sign
up <http://www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi> (free) and you'll receive a kit with
instructions and information in the mail. Email questions to
housefinch@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:housefinch@xxxxxxxxxxx> , or call
1-800-843-2473.
Seeking City Raptors
Do you know of a city hawk or falcon nesting location that could be
monitored by a bird web cam hosted by Urban Bird Studies
<http://www.urbanbirds.org/> for educational purposes? We are looking for
an established nesting spot in a large urban area within the United States
or abroad. Urban Bird Studies is a group of bilingual projects focused on
understanding birds in cities around the world. The projects promote science
education and urban conservation and target communities that are
under-represented in ornithology and science. Email urbanbirds@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:urbanbirds@xxxxxxxxxxx> or call (607) 254-2455 with your
suggestions. The cam is contingent on funding.
And finally, we want to say a word of thanks to all of you who have taken
the time to share your excitement and enthusiasm over the rediscovery of the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker and to support the project through your generous
donations. We appreciate your kind wishes and congratulations. We hope to
have more exciting news in the months ahead as we work with our partners to
save this magnificent bird.
Your friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology www.birds.cornell.edu
<http://www.birds.cornell.edu/>
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