A studio for bird study

Tag: birds

May 3, 2014

Intermountain Bird Observatory’s Long-billed Curlew Study

by Bryce W. Robinson

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I was fortunate to tag along with Jay Carlisle and the IBO crew yesterday afternoon to trap and outfit a female Long-billed Curlew- Numenius americana, with a GPS transmitter. IBO has been tracking Curlews for a little over a year now, with the focus of understanding their movements and why there has been a general population decline.

This is a great project, headed by a great institution. I encourage everyone to take a moment to learn about the effort and consider supporting the work of IBO.

The Long-billed Curlew is an exceptional bird. Let’s do our part to make sure it has a future in the changing west.

LEARN MORE, and CONTRIBUTE! Do so on IBO’s Curlew Homepage  

Long-billed Curlew nest

Long-billed Curlew nest

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March 26, 2014

Female American Kestrel Illustration- A Symbol to Spread Research and Conservation

by Bryce W. Robinson

Female American Kestrel- Falco sparverius. 11x17" prismacolor on bristol

Female American Kestrel- Falco sparverius. 11×17″ prismacolor on bristol

I’ve been on an American Kestrel binge lately, as I’ve illustrated three birds this winter. I’d like to utilize this binge to promote some great work happening concerning this species here in the western U.S. I illustrated the female Kestrel shown above for one of my peers, Alexandra Anderson, who just completed her master’s project studying the wintering habits of this common falcon. Congratulations on a great project well done Allie.

Here in Boise, Idaho, there is no shortage of research being conducted on our local sparverius population. Dr. Julie Heath at Boise State University has been researching this population for the past 15 years. She has multiple students working on various projects detailing the effects of system change on the kestrel, and for good reason. A recent publication from Dr. Heath’s research reports shorter migration distances resulting in an advancement in timing of nesting due to rises in average winter temperatures (Heath et al. 2012). The game is changing for the kestrel in the west, lets just hope we can understand this change, and how we can manage any negative implications.

The Peregrine Fund, also located here in Boise, has a project devoted to American Kestrel conservation. The American Kestrel Partnership is a network program focused on nest box establishment and rehabilitation to help facilitate a future for this colorful bird. I encourage those interested to get involved by first visiting their website here. On the homepage, you’ll see a revolving screen featuring many incredible Kestrel photos, including images by my friend Mia Mcpherson. She takes amazing photographs of kestrels, and more. Take a look at her website as well.

HawkWatch International in Salt Lake City, Utah has a Kestrel Nest box program, which contributes to The Peregrine Fund’s American Kestrel Partnership, with some added angles. I appreciate HWI, as they involve the public through their citizen science program. Their kestrel project is a great place to get involved, and be a part of an important movement to further our understanding and the future of the colorful and charasmatic American Kestrel.

Literature:

Heath, J. A., K. Steenhof, and M.A. Foster. 2012. Shorter migration distances associated with higher winter temperatures suggest a mechanism for advancing nesting phenology of American Kestrels Falco sparverius. Journal of Avian Biology 43(4) 376-384

Websites:

http://kestrel.peregrinefund.org

http://www.hawkwatch.org/news-and-events/latest-news/405-american-kestrel-citizen-science-project

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March 6, 2014

Short-eared Owl at Dusk

by Bryce W. Robinson

I’ve wanted to share this video for some time, but I simply haven’t.

Last winter while conducting Golden Eagle surveys for HawkWatch International across the western half of the state of Utah, I came upon my first Short-eared Owl for the season. It was a tolerant bird, letting me film it for some time. I was happy to capture its nervous movements, as it scanned about for threats and prey. This was the start of a winter full of Short-eared Owls and a memorable season in the open lands of the Great Basin.

Folks don’t often see owls, even those that bird regularly. For those that haven’t seen an owl for some time, or even ever, let your eyes fall on this bird until you find another.

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March 3, 2014

Western Scrub Jay with Bill Deformity

by Bryce W. Robinson

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My friend Mitch Tall sent me this image today of a Western Scrub Jay that he photographed in Salt Lake City, Utah. He wanted to know if I had any insight into what was wrong with this bald bird. I don’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to bird maladies, however, I quickly noticed the elongated growth in the bill. Some birds have a disorder where their bills grow continuously throughout their lives. My friend Ron Dudley has documented several birds with related issues (See photos here). I’d be confident stating that stress related to the deformity is why the Scrub Jay is lacking feathers on its head. Still, I wonder if something such as mange is to blame, compounded by the health issues caused by the bill deformity. 

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I’d love to hear some ideas from those who have more knowledge on this issue than I. In the meantime, I’ll be researching some possibilities in hopes of having an answer for Mitch. Thanks again for sharing these Mitch, and kudos on the great photography.

 

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