Bird Conservation International (1998) 8:309-313. © BirdLife International 1998 News and Notes This new section, 'News and Notes', is intended to provide a forum for up to date information on threatened species, on-going conservation work and other issues related to bird conservation. It will include pieces abstracted from other publications. Please send any contributions to BCI News and Notes Editor, BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 oNA, or e-mail them to [email protected]. Status of the Montserrat Oriole out the breeding season, from April- Icterus oberi since the start of a August 1998. This work, which was volcanic eruption in July 1995 funded by RSPB, MATE and the Amer- ican Bird Conservancy, will increase our The Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi is knowledge of the breeding ecology of the endemic to the Caribbean island of oriole and help show whether or not the Montserrat. In July 1995, a long dormant Centre Hills population has suffered volcano in the south of the island became reduced breeding success as a con- active and the resulting eruptions and sequence of heavy ashing and acid depos- pyroclastic flows (avalanches of super- ition. heated ash, rocks and air) have devast- Although still in progress at the time of ated approximately two-thirds of the ori- writing, initial results from the breeding ole's forest habitat. The remaining forest season have shown that there has not in the Centre Hills area of the island has been widespread breeding failure during been extensively ashed. 1998 as had been feared, although chick In 1997, a partnership was formed survival and hence overall breeding suc- between Montserrat's Ministry of Agri- cess is low. However, we will not know culture, Trade and Environment (MATE), whether the number of chicks being pro- the Royal Society for the Protection of duced is sufficient to maintain the popu- Birds (RSPB), the Jersey Wildlife Preser- lation of orioles at its current level until vation Trust (JWPT), the World Wide the end of the breeding season. Fund for Nature(WWF-UK) and the Inter- national Institute of Tropical Forestry in Phil Atkinson and David Gibbons, Royal Puerto Rico (IITF) to assess the conserva- Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife tion status of the oriole since the start of Partners in the U%) the eruption and determine whether a [email protected] captive-breeding programme was required. Slender-billed Curlew Numenius In December 1997, representatives from tenuirostris records in 1998 RSPB, MATE and IITF undertook a survey of the birds in the Centre Hills, an After an absence of three years, a Slender- area of 1,500 ha. The survey estimated billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris has that several thousand individual orioles again been recorded at Merja Zerga in remained on the island. The forests in the Morocco, although the record awaits veri- south that surround the volcano have fication by the Moroccan Rare Birds Com- been devastated and probably contain mittee. A single adult bird was seen on 11 few, if any, orioles. February 1998. Throughout the 1980s and Although the population of orioles was early 1990s Merja Zerga was a regular larger than anticipated, volcanic activity wintering site for the species, whose and extensive ashing might have affected global population has been estimated at the oriole's breeding success. To investig- 50-270 individuals. Wintering and pas- ate whether or not this was the case, 15- sage birds have also been recorded in 20 pairs of orioles were followed through- Greece. So far this year three individuals News and Notes 310 have been seen at Lake Ismaris, around 20 would threaten the world's largest breed- April, and possibly the same three birds ing population of White-headed Duck in were seen on 16 April at Porto Lagos. A Russia and Kazakhstan. Urgent measures further report of two birds at Porto Lagos are clearly needed across Europe to con- on 6 April awaits verification. The only trol the spread of the Ruddy Duck. other record for 1998 is of a single bird in Northumberland, England (record Nicholas Peet awaiting acceptance by national rarities [email protected]. uk committee). If accepted this will be the first record for UK. Whooping Crane Grus americana Efforts to locate the breeding grounds, numbers up thought to be south-western Siberia, con- tinue with ground surveys by Russian By the end of 1997, the wintering popula- ornithologists. An expedition from the tion of Whooping Cranes Grus americana University of Glasgow will visit Kazakh- at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge stan later this year to look for post- in Texas had risen to 171, including 29 breeding and passage birds. BirdLife juvenile birds. This is an increase of 11 on International maintains a database of all the previous year. records of Slender-billed Curlew. Please send records to BirdLife Interna- Grus Americana, the newsletter of the tional, European Division, Wellbrook Whooping Crane Conservation Associ- Court, Girton, Cambridge CB3 oNA, ation. England. Nicholas Peet [email protected] Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsonil Argentina: Monocrotophos global withdrawal Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis I White-headed Duck hybrid After the deliberate killing of over 62,000 recorded in Turkey birds (mostly doves) with monocrotophos on one 60 hectare farm in Argentina last Hybridisation and competition from the summer, there have been nine incidents introduced Ruddy Duck Oxyura reported of over 500 dead Swainson's jamaicensis have been identified as the Hawks Buteo swainsoni in Cordoba prov- main threats to the European population ince, outside the core area of ABC's agree- of the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucoce- ment with Novartis. Monocrotophos was phala. The latter has declined in western involved in some of these kills. Europe where the Ruddy Duck has ABC (in conjunction with AOP - spread rapidly following its introduction BirdLife partner in Argentina) has been to the United Kingdom in the 1950s. Until working with Novartis on the Swainson's recently Ruddy Ducks were absent from Hawk and the problems with monocro- the eastern range of White-headed Duck tophos and other bird killing chemicals. in Europe. However, on 4 June 1998 a ABC has long advocated that monocro- hybrid Ruddy Duck/White-headed Duck tophos be removed from the market glob- was seen on Uyuz Lake, in the central ally because of its acute toxicity to birds. Anatolian Steppe of Turkey. This record, Novartis, the world's largest pesticide coupled with one of a Ruddy Duck from manufacturer, announced that they were Turkey in 1988, suggest that the Ruddy phasing out all manufacture and sales of Duck may soon be able to establish in monocrotophos globally. Monocrotophos Turkey, which holds Europe's largest accounts for 8% of all insecticide sales of wintering population of White-headed Novartis but many other companies also Duck, with at least 11,000 birds. If Ruddy manufacture it. Actions must be pursued Ducks become established in Turkey, they to have it withdrawn globally. Novartis News and Notes 311 also announced the phasing out of five into captivity. Three of these birds have other organophosphate insecticides - since been released into the wild and phosphamidon, formothion, dichlorvos, appear to be doing well, moving up to disulfoton and isazofos. Phosphamidon 1 km from the release site within three and disulfoton have been documented as months. bird killers in the US, among 40 such pes- Oryx 32, 95-96. ticides. ABC has learned that Argentina plans to eliminate the use of monocro- tophos in Argentina entirely. Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher ABC is planning to hire a full time pes- Terpsiphone corvina recolonisation ticide specialist to work on its Campaign of Marianne Island on Pesticides and Birds. A conference sponsored by the Rachel Carson Council After an absence of over 60 years the Sey- is scheduled for 25-26 September near chelles Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone Washington, DC on Pesticides and Birds. corvina has been found to once again be Gerald Winegrad continues to work with present on Marianne island. Three birds, Novartis and has initiated meetings with two females and a male were found on a the Global Crop Protection Foundation to survey covering approximately one fifth promote safer use of pesticides. ABC has of the 95 ha island in May 1998. The spe- been involved in meetings at the State cies became extinct on the island in 1936 Department on the Prior Informed Con- following clearance of native forest for a sent Convention that have led to a Coconut Cocos nucifera plantation; four strengthening of this international agree- other endemic bird species also became ment to restrict trade in problem chem- extinct. The visit found that secondary icals. forest of native Takamaka Calophyllum inophyllum is regenerating on the steep Gerald Winegrad, American Bird Conser- northern slopes, while introduced species vancy such as Kalis Diapap Tabebuia pallida are gwwabc@erols .com dominating the remainder of the island; the mature coconut trees are dying and there is little coconut regeration through New flock of Madagascar Teal Anas the dense understorey. Further surveys bernieri found are required to discover whether these A flock of 67 of the endangered Madagas- birds are part of^ a small population or car Teal Anas bernieri has been found near overspill from the stronghold on neigh- Tambohorano in western Madagascar. bouring La Digue Island. The birds were found during surveys of The Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher is Project Zicoma, the Important Bird Area critically threatened with a known popu- programme for Madagascar. lation of about 60 pairs on La Digue. There were also records in the 1970s from Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife International Praslin and Felicite, though the status of the species on these islands is currently unknown.