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PPCO Twist System APRIL 2017 • VOLUME 49 • NUMBER 2 Advertising information: John Lowry ([email protected]), Ameri- can Birding Association, P.O. Box 744, 93 Clinton Street, Suite ABA, Delaware City, Delaware, 19706; 830-895-1144. Membership inquiries: P.O. Box 3070, Colorado Springs, Colo- rado, 80934; 800-850-2473. Annual membership dues are pay- able in U.S. currency: Individual, $45 (Canadian and foreign, EDITOR add $10); Student, $25 (Canadian and foreign, add $10); House- Ted Floyd hold, $52 (Canadian and foreign, add $11); Supporter, $75; ASSOCIATE EDITORS Corporate, $150; Sustaining, $150; Benefactor, $300; Leader, Ioana Seritan $500; Trailblazer, $1,000; Legacy, $2,500. Noah Strycker COPY EDITOR ABA membership dues paid beyond the first $25/year are fully Macklin Smith tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. TECHNICAL REVIEWERS ® James J. Dinsmore, Donna Dittmann, Birding (ISSN 0161-1836; USPS 003-768) is published bi- Bill Pranty, Michael L. P. Retter monthly by the American Birding Association, Inc., P.O. Box 744, 93 Clinton Street, Suite ABA, Delaware City, Delaware, DEPARTMENT EDITORS 19706. Periodicals postage paid at Newark, Delaware and addi- Interviews: Noah Strycker tional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Book Reviews: Rick Wright Birding, P.O. Box 3070, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80934. Milestones: Ioana Seritan Membership prices are as noted above. Copyright © 2017 by News and Notes: Paul Hess, Nick Minor Featured Photo: Tom Johnson the American Birding Association, Inc. Printed by Publishers Tools of the Trade: Diana Doyle Press, Shepherdsville, Kentucky. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of each con- PUBLISHER tributing writer and do not necessarily represent the views and American Birding Association opinions of the American Birding Association or its manage- GRAPHIC DESIGN ment. The ABA is not responsible for the quality of products or & PRODUCTION services advertised in Birding, except those products or services Ed Rother offered directly by the association. Return postage guaranteed: ADVERTISING Send undeliverable copies and POD Forms 3579 to P.O. Box John Lowry 3070, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80934. For Canadian Bill Stewart returns mail to WDS, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario, N9A 6J5. GST registration No. R135943454. Canadian Publi- MAP PRODUCTION Kei Sochi cations Agreement No. 40033104. EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Twitter: twitter.com/BirdingMagazine Jon L. Dunn David A. Sibley Facebook: facebook.com/Birders David S. Wilcove Blog: blog.aba.org WEBMASTER David Hartley Birding Online: publications.aba.org About Birding Magazine Birding is the bimonthly members’ magazine of the American Birding Association. Coverage in Birding extends to all topics having to do with the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of wild birds and their habitats. Identification, conservation, and basic biology are major thematic emphases for Birding. Along with Birding, all ABA members receive the quarterly magazine Birder’s Guide, with each issue focusing on a particular theme or topic. Birding Online Birding and the ABA provide a wide array of e-resources for the association’s membership, as well as for the broader birding community. Get access to all ABA publications, including Birding, at publications. aba.org. From there, you are just one click away from the current issue of Birding (including expanded online content) and a complete run of all recent issues of Birding. Also get access to Birder’s Guide (all issues) and North American Birds (subscriber username required), plus The ABA Blog, Listing Central, and classified ads. Instructions for Contributors Birding welcomes contributions from all members of the birding community. We solicit contributions on anything having to do with wild birds and their habitats, and we particularly favor contributions that focus on North America, the joy of birding, and nature study in the digital era. If you are interested in contributing, an excellent first step is to acquaint yourself withBirding and the ABA membership. Browse Birding Online (publications.aba.org) to view recent content. Then contact Editor Ted Floyd ([email protected]) with an idea or proposal, and we’ll go from there. 2 BIRDING • APRIL 2017 Cover image: TABLE OF CONTENTS Roseate Spoonbill. Tampa Bay, Florida; March 2012. Photo by © Marie Read. BirdingVOL.49 • NO.2 • APRIL 2017 Additional online content Additional online content Questions? for everyone exclusively for members Visit: publications.aba.org 10 Birding Together Our Conservation Agenda The ABA reaffirms its vision to inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds. JEFFREY A. GORDON 14 ABA Events Northern Tanzania: The Ultimate African Safari Join the ABA for a Tanzania Birds and Big Mammal Safari, 20 March 31–April 10, 2018. 20 Milestones ABA members’ personal birding accomplishments compiled by IOANA SERITAN 24 A Birding Interview with BRIDGET J. STUTCHBURY 30 30 News and Notes • Deformed Beaks: Progress toward Solving a Persistent Mystery • All Hail the Whiskey Jack! Canada’s New National Bird • An Odor of Floating Plastic is a Tragic Lure to Seabirds Extended content available to members in the digital edition. Go online: publications.aba.org PAUL HESS 10 36 Listening to Nature’s Divas Research reveals that female songbirds commonly sing. Find out how you can help make their voices heard. LAURYN BENEDICT and KARAN ODOM 46 Should We Let the Salton Sea Dry Up? The bird conservation conundrum of California’s inland sea ELISA YANG Table of Contents continues on p. 5 14 PUBLICATIONS.ABA.ORG 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Continued from p. 3 BirdingVOL.49 • NO.2 • APRIL 2017 Additional online content Additional online content Questions? for everyone exclusively for members Visit: publications.aba.org 54 Photo Salon The Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Birds One of America’s foremost bird photographers showcases a behind-the-scenes look at bird behavior and ecology. commentary and photography by MARIE READ 68 Tools of the Trade How We Bird A roundtable discussion with five generations of birders DIANA DOYLE 54 76 Featured Photo Field ID of Rusty Blackbirds in Flight Thoughts on what to do when confronted with an entirely black bird flying past TOM JOHNSON Skip to p. 86 if you want the challenge of trying to ID this bird on your own. Join the online conversation about the featured photo: publications.aba.org 46 82 Book Reviews edited by RICK WRIGHT • Serious Topics, with Flair and Humor a review by CARRIE LABEN • Neums, Staves, Notes, and Songbirds a review by MARKY MUTCHLER Extended online book reviews! Read the reviews, 24 discuss the reviews, buy the books: publications.aba.org 85 Classified Advertising 86 Featured Photo Quiz yourself! Before you read the author’s answer and analysis (pp. 76–80), join the online conversation about this mystery bird: publications.aba.org 36 PUBLICATIONS.ABA.ORG 5 Birding is published by the American Birding Associa- tion, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that inspires all people to enjoy and protect wild birds. The American Birding Association, Inc., seeks to encourage and represent the North American birding community and to provide resources through publi- cations, meetings, partnerships, and birder networks. The ABA’s education programs develop birding skills, an understanding of birds, and the will to conserve. The ABA’s conservation programs offer birders unique ways to protect birds and their habitats. CHAIR Louis Morrell DIRECTORS Carl Bendorf Michael Bowen Julie Davis Matthew Fraker Scott Fraser Kenn Kaufman J. Drew Lanham Robin Leong Jennifer Owen-White Terry Rich Paul Riss John C. Robinson Linda Rockwell Bill Sain Lili Taylor Arnella Trent Magill Weber PRESIDENT Jeffrey A. Gordon FINANCE Lisa Slocum MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS David Hartley, Webmaster LeAnn Pilger, Member Services Greg Neise, Web Developer Nathan Swick, Social Media CONSERVATION & COMMUNITY Bill Stewart, Director Liz Gordon, Birders’ Exchange Logistics Jennie Duberstein, Young Birder Liaison EVENTS Liz Gordon, Coordinator PUBLICATIONS Ted Floyd, Birding Michael L. P. Retter, Birder’s Guide Edward S. Brinkley, North American Birds John Lowry, Advertising Ed Rother, Design & Production PAST BOARD CHAIRS Dick Ashford (2009–2010) Tom Pincelli (2007–2009) Bettie R. Harriman (2006–2007) Richard H. Payne (1999–2006) Allan R. Keith (1997–1999) Daniel T. Williams, Jr. (1993–1997) Allan R. Keith (1989–1993) Lawrence G. Balch (1983–1989) Joseph W. Taylor (1979–1983) Arnold Small (1976–1979) G. Stuart Keith (1973–1976) G. Stuart Keith (1970 pro tem) 6 BIRDING • APRIL 2017 ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Marie Read grew up in England, began wildlife photography in East Africa, and lives near Ithaca, New York. Her images and articles are featured in magazines, books, and calendars worldwide. While pur- suing photography part time, Marie worked at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as photo/illustrations editor, turning to full-time photography and writing in 2005. ³ ³ Bridget J. Stutchbury is Distinguished Research Professor and Graduate Pro- gram Director at York University, where her lab has pioneered the use of geoloca- tors for elucidating songbird migration. Stutchbury is the author of numerous scientific articles and several books, including the acclaimed Silence of the Songbirds (Walker Books, 2007). Lauryn Benedict is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Northern Colo- rado. She studies the vocalizations and behavior of wild birds, and she teaches courses on ornithology and
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