A team of researchers decided to conduct a study concentrating on the birds of Africa. The team consisted of Dr. Stephen Willis (School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences of the Durham University), as well as Professor Brian Huntley from the same department. They considered where the birds are located at present and how they would move due to climate change. Eight hundred and three Important Bird Areas (IBAs) were looked at.

Monitoring the birds will be the first way to detect signs of the effects of climate change, as they would be the first to move. The researchers have therefore written a guideline to governments on how to deal with the reshuffling of wildlife should this occur as predicted. According to their studies, at least one third of the Important Bird Areas will experience a noticeable change, as shrinking habitats will force birds to find more suitable areas for food supply. During their research project, the researchers were also able to identify areas that are not currently under protection but could become potential habitats for the birds.

Dr. Stephen Willis commented: “The bird map of Africa is set to change dramatically and we need conservation policies that see the bigger picture.” He went on to say: “There are large areas of Africa lacking protected status and many of these areas are predicted to be critically important for bird conservation in the future. We need to be ready to protect remnant populations of birds while also preparing for new colonists.” As co-author of the guideline paper he stressed the importance of cross border conservation, “We need to improve monitoring, communication and co-operation to make protected areas work across borders. Conservationists and policy makers will have to work together in new ways as networks become increasingly important in protecting species.”

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The 2009 Bird Education Network National Gathering is an open event that can be attended by pretty much anyone with an interest in birds, bird education and various bird conservation efforts. It is a five day event that is designed to encourage those in attendance to explore various wildlife viewing areas and grow in appreciation for birds and other animals. The Bird Education Network (BEN) Committee worked hand in hand with the Council for Environmental Education and Flying WILD when organizing the event. Jekyll Island was chosen especially for its truly exceptional birding and nature-based, tourist-orientated activities.

During the gathering, attendees will likely spent plenty of time exploring the wonderful and diverse facets of Jekyll Island. Guided field sessions will not only involve walking, but kayaking and canoeing. Birders will be able to travel through the inter-coastal waterways and the Okefenokee Swap during their many outdoor adventures. When they head indoors they will be presented with a vast array of events to choose from. They can enjoy listening to guest speakers or visit the many exhibitions that will be erected specifically for the event. As they make their way along they will be able to share their knowledge and experience with other birders as well as learn more from old and new friends. Topics for discussion at the event will include urban-based bird education, helping families to connect to nature and climate change and its effects on birds. Most of the indoor events are scheduled to take place at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

Jekyll Island is home to more than 250 different bird species and has been included in the Colonial Coat Birding and Nature Trail for this reason. Birders will be able to spot Roseate Spoonbills, Painted Buntings, Woodstorks and Bald Eagles, amongst other things, in this delightful wilderness area. If this sounds like your idea of a great week or weekend, make sure that you don’t miss out on the 2009 Bird Education Network National Gathering.

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The RSPB has been particularly excited, and also perplexed, at the highs and lows in bird populations this breeding season. On the one hand, it appears that many of their conservation efforts have paid off with the organization enjoying one of the best bird breeding seasons on record. However, at the same time a number of more common bird species are clearly struggling to deal with climatic changes and their numbers are dwindling.

some bird species but, despite that, this was one of the best breeding seasons on record.” He then went on to discuss some of the bird numbers recorded during the season at the Minsmere nature reserve. It seems it was a good season for Terns, but other birds such as the Turtle Dove and Spotted Flycatcher were noticably absent and worrying. In the end there were a record 102 bird species breeding at the Minsmere nature reserve during the course of the season. Unfortunately several Bittern nests failed due to flooding and the Avocets were not terribly successful breeders.

The arrival of a pair of Arctic Terns at Minsmere for the first time was probably the first sign that it would be a good season for Terns in general. Not long after they arrived, a pair of Sandwich Terns, which have been absent in the area for several years, joined the existing Tern colony which numbered around 86 pairs by the end of the season. Not too far away, 41 pairs of young Terns took it upon themselves to raise about 33 youngsters. The Havergate Island Reserve was home to a further 43 pairs of common Terns for the breeding season. Another bird species which arrived in large numbers at the two RSPB nature areas was the Black-headed Gull. A record 758 pairs of these birds were to be found at the Minsmere ‘scrape’ during peak season. Unfortunately the Mediterranean Gulls that had formerly seen an increase, dropped to just two pairs. There were 19 pairs of Common Gulls and three great Black-backed Gull pairs, while the lesser Black-backed Gulls increased to a whopping 1,185 pairs and the Herring Gulls increased to 501 pairs. The increase to three pairs of Stone-Curlews at Minsmere was also noteworthy.

The Avocets nesting at Minsmere increased very slightly in numbers and suffered a bit of tragedy with heavy spring rainfall causing only four chicks to fledge successfully of all those hatched from the 130 pairs nesting at the sight. Birds that researchers are concerned about include Oystercatchers, Black-tailed Godwit, Bitterns, Dartford Warblers, Yellowhammers, Spotted Flycatchers and Turtle Doves. The Nightjar and Woodlark populations managed to remain stable this year.

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Considered to be on the brink of extinction in Britain just over a decade ago, the bittern has made a remarkable come-back, with the species enjoying its best recorded nesting season in the past 130 years. The loud “booming” mating call of the bittern assisted conservationists in tracking the birds, resulting in a count of 75 males, an astonishing 47 percent increase on last year’s numbers and nearly seven times as many as the 11 which were counted in 1997.

This is, of course, excellent news for conservationists and bird lovers who are making efforts to counteract the negative impact of climate changes, habitat loss and other factors threatening bird-life on our planet. The figures that were released by the RSPB and Natural England are evidence of the success of conservation work that has focused on restoring the bittern’s freshwater reedbed habitat. Much of the bittern’s traditional nesting spots have been concentrated in the coastal areas of East Anglia, however these are being threatened by the slow, but steady, rise in sea levels prompting conservationists to establish inland wetland sites as an alternative habitat for these shy wading birds. The bitterns have responded to the efforts being made on their behalf by widening out their range to incorporate ten English counties, including a newly-created site in Somerset, compared to last year’s eight nesting locations and only four in 1997.

Bitterns feed on insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians that are found in the marshy areas they favor as breeding grounds. It is believed that the habitat conservation efforts, coupled with the wet weather which created excellent feeding conditions, have resulted in the females being in good breeding condition.

In the late 19th century bitterns had disappeared from the U.K. as a result of the wetlands being drained, but they re-colonized in 1911 and were found breeding in the Norfolk Broads. Currently, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge-shire are home to around three-quarters of the bittern population in the U.K. RSPB conservation director, Dr. Mark Avery acknowledges that the bittern has had a rather “ill-fated history” in the U.K. with the 19th century extinction, as well as the near extinction in the late 1990s. The efforts being made by the RSPB and associated conservationists in a bid to ensure that this bird never faces extinction again, has benefited a wide range of other wildlife too.

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The Farallon Islands, located in the Gulf of the Farallones off the coast of San Francisco, California, around 32 kilometers south of Point Reyes, are home to a growing number of Brown Pelicans that at one time were facing extinction. Conservationists at the Point Reyes Bird Observatory have noted that the numbers of these fascinating birds have reached a forty-year peak, which is great news for all who have been keeping track of fluctuating Brown Pelican numbers since 1968.

In 1968 the Brown Pelican population was struggling to recover from DDT poisoning, a controversial toxic pesticide that was used extensively for crop spraying. The DDT had washed from fields into the water and accumulated in the fish that were eaten by the pelicans. This resulted in the thinning of the pelican’s egg shells, which in turn prevented the embryos from developing properly. The pelican population at that time numbered 363. This year the mid-July count on Southeast Farallon Island recorded 5,856 pelicans – the highest count since records started to be kept in 1968.

The observatory’s education and outreach director, Melissa Pitkin, and observatory biologist Russ Bradley, are delighted with the latest count results and the fact that the birds are covering the marine terrace and large numbers are roosting in other areas of the island. It is very likely that this number may increase in the fall, which has historically been the case.

The Brown Pelican population on the Farallon Islands (often referred to simply as the Farralones) has fluctuated dramatically over the past forty years, with 1984 being the only other time that their numbers exceeded 5,000. In the late 1970s the population was around 2,000 and after increasing to over 5,000 in 1984, it dropped back to less than 2,000 towards the end of that decade. In the 1990s the number fell below 1,000 before rising to more than 4,000 and dropping to less than 3,000 just before the end of the millennium. In the early 2000′s the population was around 1,000 and climbed to its current number of 5,856. There are a number of reasons for these drastic fluctuations, including changes in food sources, weather events such as El Nino and synchronous timing of the pelican’s usual northward movement.

The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is between 106-137 cm in length, with a wingspan of between 1.8 and 1.5 meters and weighing between 2.8 and 5.5 kgs. They are accomplished divers, and unlike many pelican species that fish from the surface, Brown Pelicans dive from the air to deftly catch anchovies, sardines and shrimp. They are also known to eat invertebrates such as squid and are often seen around docks and fishing boats waiting for scraps of fish.

The worldwide Brown Pelican population is estimated at 650,000 with around 400,000 of these being resident in Peru. In light of the ongoing concern about issues such as global warming and the resultant negative effects being seen in nature, the fact that Brown Pelican numbers are increasing is very encouraging to bird lovers and conservationists.

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Terms such as global warming, carbon footprint and climate change are becoming part of every day vocabulary as people become more aware of the far reaching consequences of mankind’s abuse of the planet. Researchers at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Durham University and Cambridge University have been monitoring the effect of climate change on bird populations in the United Kingdom and have reached some disturbing conclusions.

Researchers have found that birds which favor warmer climates, such as the Cirl Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and Dartford Warbler, are becoming more common across quite a varied range of habitats in Britain as temperatures rise. Although birding enthusiasts in these areas may welcome their new visitors, it is an indication that climate change is affecting birdlife, and not necessarily for the good. In the case of some northern species, this climate change is having a decidedly negative effect which can be seen in the falling numbers of species such as Fieldfare and Redwing, as well as the Slavonian Grebe, a bird whose range traditionally extended its southern margins as far as Scotland.

Researchers examined population trends of 42 bird species in relation to climate changes over a period of twenty-five years and their findings confirmed what they had suspected – the changes in climate over the past twenty years has had a profound effect on birdlife. Professor Brian Huntley from Durham University’s Institute of Ecosystem Science says that, taking into account that the U.K. is in the middle latitudes of Europe, researchers involved in this project expected that the ongoing climatic warming would favor bird species from the south of Europe, while adversely affecting northern bird species and the results of the research confirmed this. Professor Huntley has used the results of the research to assist him in compiling “A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds”, which points to potential changes in distribution of Europe’s regularly occurring nesting birds and confirms that urgent action needs to be taken to minimize climatic change in order to avoid catastrophic impacts on birds.

With a lot of attention being focused on governments to resolve these environment-altering issues, hopefully something will be done before it is too late for many of the little feathered creatures that share our planet.

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According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one in eight bird species is currently facing extinction. The most recent update of the Red List of threatened bird species listed 190 bird species as ‘critically endangered’. Eight of the birds on this list were added this year and a further sixteen species have been given a higher threat status. In sharp contrast, only two species were found to have improved prospects of survival. Clearly things are spiraling out of control.

Stuart Butchart of BirdLife International, an organization which helped IUCN compile the list, sighted the destruction of natural habitats and climate changes brought about by global warming as the biggest factors in this unfortunate trend. Sadly things seem unlikely to change anytime soon. Burchart noted that the resulting fragmented populations become even more susceptible to climate changes and this, in turn, can bring about a higher level of localized extinctions. He further added that to ultimately turn things around, we would have to see “broad-scale climate-change mitigation measures” as well as a change in “society’s values and lifestyles.” However, while there has been an ever-increasing trend amongst first world countries to go ‘green’, it is unlikely that we will see these changes implemented on a large-enough scale to prevent this wave of destruction.

There are approximately 10 000 known bird species. Of these over 1200 are now considered to be ‘threatened’. At least eight species have been bumped up the list to the status ‘critically endangered’. The statistics include the Floreana mocking bird, which is limited to a tiny population of only 60 animals, and the Mallee emuwren – of which there are only about 100 individuals still left in the wild. These are two of the most endangered species on the list, but more familiar bird species also merit attention. The sandpiper and albatross are also listed as endangered, and the spotted kiwi in New Zealand has had its status marked up from near threatened to vulnerable.

One of the birds marked down was the Marquesan imperial pigeon. The change from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’ comes as the result of determined conservation efforts. This shows that conservation can be effective, but it has to be implemented for all these endangered species if we are going to see any major changes. While activities, such as the clearing of forests to make way for palm-oil plantations, continue to destroy vital bird habitats, BirdLife has set a program in motion to try and stop this ongoing trend in its tracks. Called the “Preventing Extinctions” program, the aim is to find groups who will be willing to protect each of the 190 birds that are listed as critically endangered. Bird lovers can only hope that the new program will prove to be a success.

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According to recent research and data, as many as 20-30% of all animal species will be at an increased risk of extinction if temperatures continue to rise. Experts estimate that an increase of more than 2.5 °C in average temperatures across the globe could have a deadly impact on existing animal species as it will make survival more difficult. This is especially the case for many birds.

The results come in the wake of a report conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. The changes will especially affect birds as their life cycles are often closely linked with the changes in season. If those changes become almost indiscernible, birds will have a hard time functioning as they should. Neotropical migrant species, for example, are signaled by changes in temperature, daylight and wind as to when they should begin their annual migrations to the south and when they should return. The changes in temperature also affect other aspects of the bird’s lives – such as the availability of flowers, seeds and other sources of food at certain destinations. Too little food could result in major deaths in certain bird species. In addition to this, encroachment on natural habitats of birds that rely on specific habitats is also pushing birds to the brink of extinction. All of these reasons tell us that global warming could desolate bird populations across the globe.

In fact, research over the past few decades already shows that birds are being affected by the change in climate. Some bird populations seem to be changing their range in relation to the change in temperature, shifting closer to the poles in order to find their ideal average temperatures and habitats. Studies have documented that several North American warbler species have already shifted their range northward during the course of the past 24 years – and warblers are not the only species to be affected. The Great Kiskadee, White-tippe Dove, Tropical Parula, Green Jay, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-gray Grantcatcher and Northern Mockingbird have also shifted their range – some by as many as 60 miles in the last 20 or so years.

Seabirds are also not unaffected by the trend and it has been discovered that the Sooty Shearwater has also shifted its migration routes northward. The changes in temperature also affect when these birds leave for warmer or cooler climes and some birds have been found to leave up to 21 days earlier than they would have just a few years ago. It is easy to note that the shift in bird behavior is a global phenomenon and so perhaps we should take it as a warning of how the irresponsible actions of much of the human race is slowly destroying the environment that we enjoy so much. Indeed, if trends continue it could be all over for the birds and we could be the ones heading north in search of some relief from the searing heat.

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