DOCSLIB.ORG

City of Aurora Parks and Open Space Department Division of Open Space

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
City of Aurora Parks and Open Space Department Division of Open Space Cityof Aurora Parksand Open Space Department Divisionof OpenSpace and Natural Resources ffi Lois Webster Fund Final Report 2006 $rgt $ft Name of Project: Aurora'sBig Year Project Time Frame: May 13tn,2006 - May L2'n,2OO7 Amount Granted from LWF: $500 Project Report The followingis a list of stated projectgoals (from grant request)and a progressreport pertinentto each. 1. To create an observation-basedbird list for the City of Aurora. Progress: To date, 185 specieshave been recordedin the City'sparks, open spaces,natural areas, golf courses,backyards, and even parkinglots. As statedin the grant application,w€ planto compileand createthe final Aurorabird checklist following the end of the BigYear (May 1zrn,2OO7).The new checklistwill premierat our BigYear Birding Celebration, which is plannedfor Decemberof 2007. 2. Introduce new audiences to birding. Progress: SinceFebruary 10th, 2006 (the date of the LWFGrant award) Aurora has offeredthe followingbird-related programming designed to introducenew audiencesto birding,specifically Aurora birding: . L2 guidedbird walks in sevendifferent locations for a total of 79 participants(including two DFOwalks). o 1 birdingprogram for JulietLowe Day (Girl Scouts)for a total of 185 participa nts. o 1 birdingprogram for ColoradoRetired Veterans Home for 1B participa nts. o 2library/Barnesand Nobleprograms on birds/owlsfor 31 participants. 3 live bird programsfor a total of 122 participants. o AuroraLaw EnforcementRanger staff bird ID trainingis scheduledfor June 6th,2007. City of Aurora . Aurora's Big Year . LWF Final Report . December 2006 3. Increase awareness of bird diversity in the City of Aurora. Progress: Thisgoal is toughto measure,but the followinghas been accomplishedtoward this goal: . Createdan Aurora BirdingHot Spotsposter to advertiseBig Yearand great birdinglocations. Posters are locatedat the AuroraMunicipal Building,Plains Conservation Center, Aurora Reservoir, Quincy Reservoir,all City-ownedgolf courses,and the AuroraWild Birds Unlimitedstore. o ChannelB featureon guidedbird walksand birdingin Aurora(May 06) . RockyMountain News article on Big Year project(June 06) o Weeklyupdates to our BigYear Website (ongoing 06) o BigYear and birdingexhibit at MorrisonNature Center (ongoing 06) o BigYear article in the Warbler(July/Aug 06) 4. Encourage local avid birders to share sightings with us on a regular basis. Progress: One avid birdershares his eBird listsfrom Auroraproperties on at leasta bi-weeklybasis. We now receiveraptor surveysfrom MC Burger eachmonth. The list hasseen not only localcontributions, but alsonational participationas one Californiabirder saw our posterand sent her sightings from a trip to Aurora! Fiscal Report: $500 was depositedinto a City Giftsand Grantsaccount in Marchof 2006.The fundsare slatedto be usedfor printingthe bird list once the BigYear is completeand designof the checklistis complete(May 06 and November06, respectively) Summary: The LoisWebster Fund Grant support of our BigYear project has broughtAurora birding and bird diversityawareness to many new people throughguided walks, special programs, and mediacoverage, With six monthsstill to go, I think we will continueto createa buzzabout birds and bird habitatin the City of Aurora. Thanksvery muchto the LoisWebster Fund committee and to Audubon Societyof GreaterDenver for your supportof this importanteffort! Submitted by: MaryAnn Bonnell LeadNaturalist City of Aurora Parksand OpenSpace Department 15151E AlamedaPkwy #4600 Aurora,CO 80012 720-319-1931 mbon nell@a uroragov.org City of Aurora. Aurora'sBig Year. LWFFinal Report . December2006 BockvordBirds continued fro poae9 Aurora'sBig Year! BOTH doves Eurasian col- r "UllE HAVE mourning and by MaryAnnBonnell lared-dovesfrequently we put eating the cracked corn on Birding in Aurora is about to get a lot better thanks to local ground." the Bruce Mclain, in northwest Denver, says birders, the Lois WebsterFund of the Audubon Society of that the collared-doves drove out the mourning doves. Greater Denver, Aurora Wild Birds Unlimited, the Open And I've lost the note from someone who saw collared- Space ancl Natural l{esourcesDivision, and (hopefully) gathering doves nest material in west Centennial about you! Bird wants a month ago. Rocky Mountain Observatory With everything lronr prairie to ponderosapine forest If you recordsof nesting activity of this invading species. to offer our avian friends, it is no surprisethaf bird watch- any deflnite nesting activity, let me know and I'll pass see ing has always been a greelt way to get to know Aurora's it on to Rich Levad. Natural Areasand to trt'at yrlr.rrselfto an inexpensiveand SPEAKINGOF NESTINGSPECIES, Ann Bonnell called rewarding treasurehunt itrst ;llrout any day of the year. on May 29 becausea hiker in Roxborough StatePark had Sincethc Big Year'sofficial start on Saturday,May 13th, reported a bushtit nest. We followed Ann's directions we havecornpiled a list of and found the nest on May 30: about 18 feet up in a gi- 86 speciese"r[ bircls sl)ot- ant Douglas-fir. It looked as if the bushtits had young in ted in 13 differertt lor:a- the nest: the adults would fly in every 2-5 minutes. They tions, including Aurora's moved so fast, and the nest hangs in total shade,that we natural areas,reservoirs, couldn't really seethe birds. Considering its dimensions backyards, and even - a hanging pouch 10-15 inches long - a bushtit nest parking lots. Highlights should stick out conspicuously,but we spent 10 minutes include westgrn tana- looking before we found the thing. gers in tlre Dam West Nt ightlorhcmd,s verry at METRO DENVER HAS only two other confirmed bush- SarlclleR*r:k Ciolf (lerurse, tit nests that I know of: Cat Anderson had one in her rrt'rt i ng wcsterrrbluebi rds horse pasture, and Tina Jones had one in her BowMar at Ponefuret*a Fre$erve, yard. Bushtits usually build their nestsin conifers- they cinnanrclnte*lr *lt Quin" commonly use pinyon pines, so this one in a Douglas-ftr cy ltesr.rvr;ir,alrtl a black- fits the pattern. chinned hummingbird at #:::p- Cherry CreekReservoir! ,ERRY WAGNER CAttED to ask about flickers.It seems While this amazing that he works in the Galleria, a high-rise office building and international show on Colorado Blvd. A flicker excavateda hole in the side of avian diversity has of the building, and got into the insulation part. (Don played out for years irt Wedow, who did some carpentry for us, says that flick- Aurora, no one has ever ers can't penetrateordinary stucco,but that they can dig compiled a birci list for holes in a substitutematerial that looks like stucco.)The public use that is specific: building management plugged the hole but the flickers to our City. Starting on The burrowing owl is the official dug it out again, and the buitding didn't pursue it. Un- Saturday,May 1:J'r',2006 logo of Aurora's Big Yearproiect fortunately for the flickers,starlings did pursuethem, be- and ending on Saturday, causeby Apr. 28, starlingsused the hole and the flickers May l2th, 2007, we invite you to share your Aurora bird disappeared. sightings with us to help us build an observation-basedbird list for the City. ASKED ABOUT bird flu: we ,OY "will 'someone'decide Many birders of all ability levelshave already contributed can no longer feed wild birds becauseit's nclt If safe?" lists, data sheets,and sightings recordsfor this project. Please scienceand reason prevail, No. So far, at least, cred- no consider sharing what you seeand know with us as well. ible evidenceexists of transmittal from wild birds to hu- To participate in Aurora's Big Year,please submit sight- mans, or from humans to humans. Almost all ir-rciclences inss and lists electronicallvto [email protected] arosefrom contact with poultry kept for commercial or stop by the Aurora Wild Birds Unlimited (located at Iliff personal use. A column in Audubon magazine said that and Peoria)to drop off sightingsand other bird intelligence. if you want to catch bird flu, take a week's vacation at a Not a birder?Get a tasteof what you are missingby joining poultry farm. That is: chances of transmittal remote are us for a guided bird walk (offered the second Saturday of at best. each month. Location varies-please see our calendar for I WETCOME YOUR CONTRIBUTIONSto this column. specifics).The goal of Aurora's Big Year is not only to cre- Drop me a note or post card at P.O.Box 584, Franktown ate a great Aurora bird list, but also to increaseawareness 80116,or Email me, [email protected]. and appreciation for the creatures that connect us to our local natural resourcesas well as natural placesthousands of miles awav. Juty/Ausust2006pose t0 Wn ffiUfn- Ju1'0b Aurora's Big Year May L2*n,2006 r May 13tn,2oo7 Sightings Records Species Date Location GreaterWhite-fronted Goose LL/05/06 CherrvCreek State Park SnowGoose to/sL/06 AuroraReservoir TundraSwan rt/02/06 CherrvCreek State Park American White Pelican oslLs/06 OuincvReservoir Double-crested Cormorant 0s/1sl06 QuincvReservoir GreatBlue Heron 05/L3/06 AuroraReservoir CanadaGoose 0s/L3/06 CherrvCreek State Park WoodDuck 05/t3/06 Cherry Creek State Park Gadwall 05/L3/06 Cherrv Creek State Park American Wioeon 09/29/06 Cherrv Creek State Park Mallard os/L3/06 Sand Creek Greenway Blue-winqedTeal 05/13/06 Cherry Creek State Park CinnamonTeal 05/t3/06 CherrvCreek State Park Nofthern Shoveler os/L5/06 Cherrv Creek State Park Northern Pintail 10/3tl06 Aurora Reservoir Green-winqedTeal 05/L3/06 Cherry Creek State Park Canvasback LO/tt/06 Cherrv Creek State Park Redhead ro/25/06 Aurora Reservoir
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ABSTRACT BOOK Listed Alphabetically by Last Name Of
    ABSTRACT BOOK Listed alphabetically by last name of presenting author AOS 2019 Meeting 24-28 June 2019 ORAL PRESENTATIONS Variability in the Use of Acoustic Space Between propensity, renesting intervals, and renest reproductive Two Tropical Forest Bird Communities success of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) by fol- lowing 1,922 nests and 1,785 unique breeding adults Patrick J Hart, Kristina L Paxton, Grace Tredinnick from 2014 2016 in North and South Dakota, USA. The apparent renesting rate was 20%. Renesting propen- When acoustic signals sent from individuals overlap sity declined if reproductive attempts failed during the in frequency or time, acoustic interference and signal brood-rearing stage, nests were depredated, reproduc- masking occurs, which may reduce the receiver’s abil- tive failure occurred later in the breeding season, or ity to discriminate information from the signal. Under individuals had previously renested that year. Addi- the acoustic niche hypothesis (ANH), acoustic space is tionally, plovers were less likely to renest on reservoirs a resource that organisms may compete for, and sig- compared to other habitats. Renesting intervals de- naling behavior has evolved to minimize overlap with clined when individuals had not already renested, were heterospecific calling individuals. Because tropical after second-year adults without prior breeding experi- wet forests have such high bird species diversity and ence, and moved short distances between nest attempts. abundance, and thus high potential for competition for Renesting intervals also decreased if the attempt failed acoustic niche space, they are good places to examine later in the season. Lastly, overall reproductive success the way acoustic space is partitioned.
    [Show full text]
  • COMPARING HUMANS and BIRDS by Daniel C. Mann a Dissertation
    STABILIZING FORCES IN ACOUSTIC CULTURAL EVOLUTION: COMPARING HUMANS AND BIRDS by Daniel C. Mann A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Linguistics in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2019 2019 DANIEL C. MANN All rights reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Linguistics in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. JULIETTE BLEVINS Date Chair of the Examining Committee GITA MARTOHARDJONO Date Executive Officer MARISA HOESCHELE DAVID C. LAHTI MICHAEL I. MANDEL Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract STABILIZING FORCES IN ACOUSTIC CULTURAL EVOLUTION: COMPARING HUMANS AND BIRDS By Daniel C. Mann Advisor: Professor Juliette Blevins Learned acoustic communication systems, like birdsong and spoken human language, can be described from two seemingly contradictory perspectives. On one hand, learned acoustic communication systems can be remarkably consistent. Substantive and descriptive generalizations can be made which hold for a majority of populations within a species. On the other hand, learned acoustic communication systems are often highly variable. The degree of variation is often so great that few, if any, substantive generalizations hold for all populations in a species. Within my dissertation, I explore the interplay of variation and uniformity in three vocal learning species: budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and humans (Homo sapiens). Budgerigars are well-known for their versatile mimicry skills, house finch song organization is uniform across populations, and human language has been described as the prime example of variability by some while others see only subtle variations of largely uniform system.
    [Show full text]
  • Bush Shrikes to Old World Sparrows
    15_123(3)BookReviews.qxd:CFN_123(3) 1/26/11 11:42 AM Page 271 2009 BOOK REVIEWS 271 Handbook of Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush Shrikes to Old World Sparrows Edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, and David Christie. Lynx Edicions, Montseny, 8, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. 896 pages, 335 CAD Cloth. I normally jump to the species plates and descrip- I think, as they have shown these birds sitting on a tions, but this time I stopped at the foreword . This branch [a logical choice] and have foregone the magic essay on birding is dedicated to Max Nicholson, the of their display. There are wonderful photographs of man who took us from bird collecting to bird watching. birds in display, but you really need to be there or at Nicholson was also instrumental in the creation and least watch a video to see these spectacles in their growth of many initiatives like the British Trust for true, shimmering glory. There are about 80 photos of Ornithology, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Royal birds-of-paradise, 40% of which were contributed by Society for the Protection of Birds. The essay “Bird- two men, Tim Lehman and Brian Coates. These photos ing Past, Present and Future: a Global View ” by show almost 90% of the species . Stephen Moss is an overview history of birdwatching The second family is the crows. These birds are from the pre-binocular era to the present. It gives a easier to depict , as many are black, sometimes with fascinating look at our cherished hobby [or is that reli- white or grey, although the jays can be remarkably col- gion?] using a broad frame of reference.
    [Show full text]
  • Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein As Biomarkers in Periodontitis in Iraqi Patients with Osteoarthritis
    Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education University of Baghdad College of Dentistry Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and High Sensitive C-reactive Protein as Biomarkers in Periodontitis in Iraqi Patients with Osteoarthritis A Thesis Submitted to the council of college of dentistry / university of Baghdad in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Periodontics By: Dr. Inas Nihad Mohammed B.D.S. Supervised by: Assist. Prof. Dr. Saif Sehaam Saliem B.D.S., M.Sc. 2017A.D. 1439 A.H. Dedication I dedicate my work to my lovely family, My great father, wonderful mother for their help and support, my lovely angle sister (Rania) who always besides me give me love and support, my brother in law (Ahmed) thank you for everything. To all my friend who make the world a better and joyful. Enas Acknowledgement First, I thank Allah for inspiring me and giving me the patience, strength and willingness to perform this work. My thankfulness and gratitude goes to Prof. Dr. Hussain Al-Huwaizi, the Dean of College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, for his unlimited support throughout the postgraduate study. My sincere appreciation to Prof. Dr. Nidhal H. Ghaib, the Assistant Dean for the Scientific Affairs, for her help and support. Words will not be enough to express my deepest gratitude and special appreciation to my supervisor Assist. Prof. Dr. Saif Sehaam Saliem, Head of the Department of Periodontics for his patience, generous advice, assistance, high ethics, support. I have been extremely lucky to have a supervisor who cared so much about my work.
    [Show full text]
  • Bird Brains by Gareth Huw Davies
    Bird Brains by Gareth Huw Davies The scene: a traffic light crossing on a university campus in A Japanese Japan. Carrion crows and carrion crow humans line up patiently, examines the fruit of its waiting for the traffic to labors halt. When the lights change, the birds hop in front of the cars and place walnuts, which they picked from the adjoining trees, on the road. After the lights turn green again, the birds fly away and vehicles drive over the nuts, cracking them open. Finally, when it’s time to cross again, the crows join the pedestrians and pick up their meal. If the cars miss the nuts, the birds sometimes hop back and put them somewhere else on the road. Or they sit on electricity wires and drop them in front of vehicles. Biologists already knew the corvid family–it includes crows, ravens, rooks, magpies and jackdaws–to be among the smartest of all birds. But this remarkable piece of behavior–it features in the final program of “Life of Birds”–would seem to be a particularly acute demonstration of bird intelligence. The crows in Japan have only been cracking nuts this way since about 1990. They have since been seen doing it in California. Researchers believe they probably noticed cars driving over nuts fallen from a walnut tree overhanging a road. The crows already knew about dropping clams from a height on the seashore to break them open, but found this did not work for walnuts because of their soft green outer shell. Other birds do this, although not with quite the same precision.
    [Show full text]
  • Brainy Birds Being Called a “Bird Brain” Is a Good Thing! EAGAN 2143 Cliff Rd
    BIRD’S-EYE VIEW Volume 23 Issue 1 | January/February 2016 An Unconventional Woodpecker: In this issue... Bird Intelligence ................ 1 Chirps ................................ 2 Seasonal Checklist ............ 2 Northern Flicker Backyard Favorite .............. 3 “Bird Brain”: A Compliment? Featured Products ............. 4 +Serving Suet Pellets Free Native Plant Guide ..... 4 BLOOMINGTON BIRD INTELLIGENCE 816 West 98th St. (Clover Center) By Wayzata Manager MELISSA BLOCK Bloomington, MN 55420 952.884.4103 Brainy Birds Being Called a “Bird Brain” is a Good Thing! EAGAN 2143 Cliff Rd. Brain size alone is not always a good gauge (Cedar Cliff Shopping Center) of intelligence. Yes, birds have small brains, Eagan, MN 55122 but they have a proportionally large brain 651.459.0084 compared to their head and body size. Studies MINNETONKA have shown that the structure of the bird brain 4759 County Rd. 101 is different than the mammal brain. Birds have (Westwind Plaza) a higher degree of connectivity between brain Minnetonka, MN 55345 sections. The best indication of bird intelligence, Source: BBC Two youtube.com/watch?v=AVaITA7eBZE 952.935.5892 See an amazing BBC Two video of a crow using tools: though, is through observation of bird activity. wildbirdstore.com/2015/12/crow-using-tool-experiment/ WHITE BEAR LAKE 2703 East Cty. Hwy. E. Memory Dexterity & Problem Solving (Cty. Rd. E. and Hwy. 120) Many birds, especially Tool use is found in some bird species. For White Bear Lake, MN 55110 woodpeckers and jays, save example, shrikes don’t have the strong talons 651.653.8705 and hide food to eat later. of raptors so they use tree thorns to impale their WAYZATA & WILD BIRD DELIVERS In one study, jays were able prey.
    [Show full text]
  • The MULLET RAPPER
    The MULLET RAPPER What’s Happening in the Everglades & 10,000 Islands ONLY TIDE TABLE & OCTOBER 6, 2018 - OCTOBER 19, 2018 RESTAURANTS 25¢ P A G E 1 1 Stone Crab Season Opens October 15th! © 2018, K Bee Marketing P O Box 134, Everglades City, FL, 34139 Volume X • Issue # 322 10th Annual Blessing of the Fleet Superintendent Pedro Ramos Responds Area Icon Passes Away Well Attended, Enjoyed by All to Rapper Article Dorothy “Mama Dot” Weeks is Gone at 93 (See Obituary on page 11) The 10th annual Blessing of the Fleet hosted An article that appeared in the “My Slice of at the Rod & Gun Club was, by Everglades Paradise” column in the September 8th edition Dorothy “Mama City Standards, the largest in its brief history. of The Mullet Rapper that addressed the Dot” Weeks was The stone crab fleet came out in force, the National Park Service’s intention to enforce an born January 19, residents and visitors gathered, and even the entrance fee and require an online boaters 1925 in Greenwich congressman for the 25th district, Mario Diaz course, caught the attention of Pedro Ramos, New York. Mama -Balart, showed up. superintendent for Everglades and Dry Dot met her Last year’s event was subdued, taking Tortugas National Park. husband, Ivan, in place only weeks after Hurricane Irma Mr. Ramos contacted me to explain the Staten Island, and in ravaged the area. This time, the only park’s intention and how they would roll out a few weeks they threatening weather was a few rain clouds the new rules over a period of time.
    [Show full text]
  • International Journal of Comparative Psychology
    eScholarship International Journal of Comparative Psychology Title Some of Aristole's Writings About Bird Behavior and Issues Still Current in Comparative Psychology Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9t82h35k Journal International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 9(1) ISSN 0889-3675 Author Bodson, Lilane Publication Date 1996 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 4.0 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California International Journal of Comparative Psychology, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1996 SOME OF ARISTOTLE'S WRITINGS ABOUT BIRD BEHAVIOR AND ISSUES STILL CURRENT IN COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY Liliane Bodson University of Liege, Belgium As is evident from the writings of Aristotle, Plutarch, and other classical authors, the ancients were already familiar with some of the salient features in the reproduction of birds. (Skutch; 1979: XVII). ABSTRACT: In his search for the causes of the diversity observed in living beings, including humans (zoa), Aristotle did not define them by their bodily parts and generation process only. He also payed extensive attention to nutrition and especially to character (ethos). Indeed, combined with the other three types of features, it determines the way of life (bios) and subsequent activities (praxeis) of each species at both intra- and extra-specific levels. Character in the less developed and shorter-lived animals is less obvious. Conversely, the longer-lived ones are granted "a certain natural capability in relation to each of the soul's affections" (HA 608all-13). Birds are of that kind. The present paper examines how birds are approached by Aristotle with respect to breeding and parental care in order to shed some light on the method, purpose and results of his comparative psychology.
    [Show full text]
  • Day 3: Bird Brains
    Day 3 Bird brains Day 3 3 Bird brains Introduction Birds learn and remember. And they are smart. They have to solve some of the same problems that humans do — finding nutritious foods, cooperating with or getting along with others, creating a safe environment to raise young. Activities on this day focus on behaviors that show how birds use their brains to plan, problem solve, reason, and learn. Questions to guide explorations and experiments • How smart are birds? Can birds solve problems? • How do birds look at the world? • How are instinct, behavior, and intelligence related? • Who do birds learn from? Books and activities • Books: fables and brainy birds • Activities: cache food like a bird and find it again, examine truths in fables, design an experiment, and take a Bird Walk 61 Day 3: Bird brains Children’s Books 3 Fiction • Aesop’s Fables by Jerry Pinkney (Ages 4-8) • Birds of a Feather and Other Aesop’s Fables by Tom Paxton (Ages 6-9) • Fly, Eagle, Fly: An African Tale by Christopher Gregorowski (Ages 4-8) • Freedom Bird by Jerdine Nolen (Ages 6-9) • Hello Crow by Candace Savage (Ages 4-8) • How Raven Got His Crooked Nose: An Alaskan Dena'ina Fable retold by Barbara J. Atwater and Ethan J. Atwater (Ages 4-8) • Homer on the Case by Henry Cole (Ages 9-12) • Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni (Ages 4-8) • King of the Birds (Arlo & Pip) by Elise Gravel (Ages 6-10) • The Lost Little Bird by David M. McPhail (Ages 4-8) • Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater (Ages 9-12) • Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood (Ages 9-12) • The Tale of the Mandarin Duck by Katherine Paterson (Ages 3-6) • Welcome, Brown Bird by Mary Lyn Ray (Ages 6-9) • What Is a Wise Bird Like You Doing in a Silly Tale Like This? by Uri Shulevitz (Ages 6-9) Poetry • Seagulls Soar by April Pulley Sayre (Ages 4-8) • Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion (Ages 8-12) Nonfiction • Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird by Stephanie Spinner (Ages 8-12) • Animal Fact/Animal Fable by Seymour Simon (Ages 6-9) • Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Talk, Think, and Feel by Nancy F.
    [Show full text]
  • 426 Vol. 132 the Genius of Birds
    426 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Vol. 132 oRNItHoloGy The Genius of Birds By Jennifer Ackerman. 2016. Penguin Random House. 340 pages, 23.00 CAD, Paper. From its striking cover to The Genius of Birds is full of cocktail conversation its detailed index, Jennifer starters. I learned that pigeons are better at intuiting the Ackerman delivers a well- Monty Hall Dilemma than I am, for example. And that crafted popular science book some birds have a keen sense of smell, and may use it to satisfy enthusiastic bird- to navigate. this is not to say that this volume is just a ers and armchair naturalists litany of facts, nor that it strays from its central theme. alike. the book is divided the book is specialized in its focus: bird learning and into eight chapters plus an intelligence are front and centre. the last chapter is the Introduction, each with only one that delves into the ‘big issues’ of biodiversity amusing titles such as “Four declines, habitat loss, and climate change in a signifi- – twitter: Social Savvy” and cant way. “three – Boffins: technical the book is also exquisitely researched and has the Wizardry”. Each chapter largest reference list I’ve seen in a popular science features a delightful book, with a whopping 54 pages of notes in reduced illustration by John Burgoyne picking up on one of font size. If you would like more information on a par- the stories or central themes of the chapter; these are ticular topic and have journal subscription privileges, excellent additions to the text and follow through on the you will not be disappointed.
    [Show full text]
  • BIRD BRAIN 1 × 53 Min
    SCIENCE BIRD BRAIN 1 × 53 min. Written and directed by John Capener and Steve Nicholls HD, 5.1 and Stereo Executive producer: Sabine Holzer or decades, we thought that birds understand about the physical properties were primitive animals, relying on of their tools. instinct and little else. But recently we’ve come to realise how wrong More recently, researchers studied other SCIENCE Fthis idea is. This fi lm explores the very bird families, especially parrots. They are latest research into bird intelligence, famed for being able to talk, but are including research by various international they just pretty feathers with a talent universities. for mimicry? Parrot research shows that blue-fronted Amazons, Hyacinth and Lear’s The crow family fi rst started to show us macaws can all solve the string-pull test how wrong we were about bird minds. For just as well as ravens. some time, ravens have amazed scientists with their sharp thinking. They quickly But king of the parrot minds are New mastered a puzzle called the string-pull Zealand’s keas. These mountain parrots test, where food hangs from a branch on a not only complete the simple string- length of string. Ravens fi nished it quickly, pull test, but solve it with extra strings without any trial and error, showing that arranged to complicate the puzzle. they solved the problem in their minds. Researchers from the University of Since then, research on other members of Vienna have given their keas several new the crow family has revealed even more tests — from problem solving to co-opera- sophisticated thinking.
    [Show full text]
  • Mornington Peninsula Birdlife
    Mornington Peninsula Birdlife Volume 6 Number 3 September 2017 Striated Fieldwren, photographed at Greens Bush by Mark Lethlean CONVENOR’S REPORT disposable cups thus reducing our waste footprint. The survey we issued to ascertain opinions for our newsletter Friends of Cranbourne Botanic Gardens are holding an event have been evaluated and the results are included as an similar to our “What Bird is That” on October 29. We will be insert in this issue. The survey result was referred to the full providing assistance at this event in the form of leaders for a committee of the branch for a resolution. morning bird walk and a speaker. Our involvement in the Greens Bush to Arthurs Seat Biolink We have formed a funding sub-committee to look at options Project has commenced with bird surveys completed on five for financial assistance for our branch activities. The properties as part of the ongoing evaluation of the Biolink committee members are John Rawlins, Liz Thomas and projects goals. The partners in this project are Port Phillip Penny Gillespie; if you have any suggestions on funding and Westernport CMA, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Parks please contact the secretary. Victoria, Bunurong Land Council, Melbourne Water and two Landcare Groups. The project will run until 2020. Max Burrows The committee has appointed Pam Hearn as Deputy Convenor to fulfil the constitutional requirements of the Contents BirdLife Australia branch committee structure. “What Bird is That” will again be held on 22 October. This event is aimed at 1. Branch news the general public, please tell your friends and neighbours 5.
    [Show full text]