Surfbirds News

American Bird Conservancy Releases New Bird News Network Video Highlighting the State of the Birds Report

Surfbirds — 2009-07-02T07:18:46+00:00

American Bird Conservancy’s latest Bird News Network videocast highlights the recently released The State of the Birds report and its importance in marking a way forward for bird conservation efforts in the United States. The video features Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and American Bird Conservancy’s Darin Schroeder speaking at the press conference for the release of the report, as well as interviews with staff about American Bird Conservancy’s efforts to address threats to birds.

Norway helps endangered eel wriggle from fish nets

Surfbirds — 2009-07-02T07:09:58+00:00

Norwegian fisheries regulators in a landmark decision have banned all fishing of the critically endangered European eel starting in 2010 and cut 2009 catch quotas by 80 percent.

Scientists ask for help as moths change and move on

Surfbirds — 2009-06-28T07:48:55+00:00

Scientists are appealing for public help in their efforts to understand how human impact is affecting two important moths.

Hope for Seychelles' last Critically Endangered species

Surfbirds — 2009-06-28T07:42:23+00:00

The first Seychelles Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina chicks to fledge successfully outside La Digue Island, Seychelles for over 60 years is flying on Denis Island, a coral island in the inner Seychelles group. The newly-fledged birds are flying well, very noisy, and being fed by their parents –"typical normal and healthy flycatcher chicks", according to Nirmal Shah, Director of BirdLife Partner Nature Seychelles, the Species Guardian for the paradise-flycatcher.

Reserve Created for Niceforo's Wren – Just 50 Birds Remain

Surfbirds — 2009-06-28T07:36:02+00:00

American Bird Conservancy, its Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, and World Land Trust–US have taken a significant step forward in their efforts to protect the Niceforo's Wren, a Critically Endangered bird restricted to the last remnants of dry forest in the Chicamocha Valley of the eastern Andes of Colombia. The purchase of over 3,200 acres of some of the highest quality forest of this type remaining in the region has resulted in the creation of a new reserve to protect the wren, as well as several other endemic species, including the endangered Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, and the Apical Flycatcher.

Scotland’s Climate law sparks hope for good Copenhagen deal

Surfbirds — 2009-06-28T07:25:23+00:00

Scotland’s decision to cut its emissions by 42 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050, on 1990 levels, sets an example for developed countries and sparks new hopes that world leaders would be able to agree on a successful climate change deal in Copenhagen, WWF said.

Disappearing dolphins clamour for attention at whale summit

Surfbirds — 2009-06-28T07:18:07+00:00

Small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales, according to a new WWF report.

Rare Blue Parrot Back from the Brink of Extinction

Surfbirds — 2009-06-23T08:24:30+00:00

The Lear’s Macaw, a striking blue parrot found in northeastern Brazil, has been downlisted from Critically Endangered (the highest threat category) to Endangered as a direct result of conservation action, revealed the 2009 update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Cormorants Continue to Get a Bad Rap

Surfbirds — 2009-06-23T08:19:34+00:00

In a joint letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, and Defenders of Wildlife voiced their opposition to the proposed extension of a 2003 rule allowing for the widespread lethal control of Double-crested Cormorants. The rule provides for the blanket killing of cormorants at aquaculture facilities and recreational fishing sites based on their alleged impact to fish stocks, yet requires no scientific evidence on a case by case basis that they are actually causing harm.

Exploring the 'Google forest'

Surfbirds — 2009-06-23T08:11:50+00:00

Scientists who recently used Google Earth to help discover a hidden forest in Mozambique, have been finding a wealth of new species. "Whatever we see we pick up, and there's a high probability that it's going to be a new species”, said Dr Julian Bayliss - head of the cross-border conservation project.

Large Blue Butterflies back in Britain

Surfbirds — 2009-06-20T08:02:32+00:00

Conservationists are celebrating the recovery of a highly endangered species of British butterfly.

Iconic bird breeds in Northumberland for first time in over two centuries

Surfbirds — 2009-06-20T07:56:16+00:00

The Kielder Partnership can reveal that for the first time in at least 200 years ospreys are nesting and are believed to have had chicks in Northumberland.

House Martin survey 2009

Surfbirds — 2009-06-20T07:49:19+00:00

It has been a mixed year so far for our House Martins. In some areas birds arrived back at their nest sites early, in a few cases during the first week of April, with nest building beginning immediately. In other areas they still haven’t returned.

A twist in the tail?

Surfbirds — 2009-06-20T07:44:02+00:00

Hopes that a pair of hen harriers would breed at the RSPB’s Geltsdale reserve appear to be fading for another year.

Summer visitor making a swift exit

Surfbirds — 2009-06-20T07:38:19+00:00

You know summer has arrived when you see swifts speeding through the air, screaming their heads off and swooping into crevices in buildings.