There are several smaller parrot species in Australia that deserve our attention, including the superb parrot, the swift parrot, and the orange-bellied parrot. These birds are brightly colored and beautiful, and are often critically endangered as well. There are also growing concerns about the status of the magical palm cockatoo.

Australia’s Difficult Bird Research Group (DBRG) is dedicated to understanding why certain bird species are endangered and to developing new approaches to prevent their extinction. These are the species it labels as “difficult birds” because they are so hard to study. In addition to the smaller species, the palm cockatoo is also on DRBG’s radar because of its extraordinary nature and low reproductive success. DRBG is based at the Australian National University.

Orange-Bellied Parrot

The orange-bellied parrot is the most threatened Australian parrot species, primarily due to loss of habitat. With a greatly diminished wild population, orange bellies are also bred in captivity for release to the wild. In 2016 only three females and 11 males returned to their breeding ground in rugged southwest Tasmania. However, data from recent years suggests that urgent conservation efforts are working, with the number of birds returning to their breeding grounds each spring now approaching three figures.

This early-stage recovery has been due to the implementation of urgent new approaches to prevent the extinction of this species, as well as solid research on how to reverse the decline. For example, altered fire regimes may be one cause of population decline. DBRG is working with the Tasmanian government to help manage fires in the buttongrass plains to ensure the preservation of the foraging habitat for orange-bellied parrots. And a proposed wind farm in western Tasmania would be required to shut down for five months so breeding of the orange-bellied parrot is not disrupted.

Swift Parrot

The swift parrot is a migratory parrot found only in southeastern Australia, with a breeding range in eastern Tasmania. It has also been threatened by sugar gliders, who kill and eat the females while they are incubating their eggs. Sugar gliders are native to the Australian mainland but were introduced to Tasmania where they are now decimating the swift parrot population. Swift parrots have unique habitat requirements – flowering trees for food and preferred tree hollows for nesting that are now rare. Having the right nest dramatically changes the potential for breeding successfully. With climate change and continued habitat destruction, it’s not always possible to find these nests at the time needed for breeding. Therefore, protecting known acceptable nests is now a high priority.

Superb Parrot

The superb parrot also faces major nesting and feeding habitat losses due to climate fluctuations and land clearing. By conservation standards, it is considered vulnerable, but it is headed toward endangered status. Action is needed now. DBRG is tracking the breeding pairs, defining territories and tree preferences, and making suggestions for more productive nesting sites.

Palm Cockatoo

Lastly, the unique palm cockatoo is facing a risky future. Planning its protection is essential. Unlike any other animal, palm cockatoos make a tool from a stick that they then use to attract a female by creating their own unique drum-like sound against a hollow trunk. Palm cockatoos are found in small groups in far northern Queensland, but are very hard to locate, so studying them can be a challenge. Females are thought to lay only one egg every two years, and that egg only has a 20% chance of surviving through fledging. Queensland upgraded the palm cockatoo from vulnerable to endangered status in 2021 due to threats from bauxite mining and changed fire regimes. There is clearly a need to better understand how this fascinating species can be conserved!

Lafeber’s GLOBAL PARROT grant this month goes to support the work of the Difficult Birds Research Group at the Australian University. You can learn more about their projects here: https://www.difficultbirds.com/

Dwellers in New York City find their outdoorsy beauty in the “wilds” of their famed Central Park. They attend the show often. In fact, they have their favorites, all known by name. Recently, an escaped Eurasian eagle owl, from the enclosure at the nearby zoo has enjoyed his freedom with the zoo officials deciding that his enjoyment of the open air was more important than his recapture. His name is Flaco, and he is the subject of many photos from the dedicated bird watchers in Central Park. Another famed bird that was viewed every day by the faithful was known as Pale Male. He was a red-tailed hawk.

Pale Male resided in Central Park since 1991 and is considered a legend. Some birders report that they got into the fun of birding because Pale Male was quite visible and frequently seen. On May 16, the birders of Central Park went into mourning after the reported death of the icon. They have taken to the Manhattan Bird Alert twitter account to post photos and to give brief homage.

A Hawk In The City

Pale Male had such notoriety that he was featured in a 1.5-hour documentary in 2009 called “The Legend of Pale Male.” (You can watch that for free here.) The video concentrates on the first time that Pale Male was recognized more than 30 years ago. He was also featured in an episode of “Nature” and is the subject of three children’s books. Such was the fame of Pale Male.

The cause of death is thought to be renal failure due to old age. Bobby Hovarth, a wildlife rehabilitator, was notified by a park ranger after the hawk was discovered to be seemingly ill and made the trip to get the hawk for veterinary care. Pale Male ate feebly yet showed no change in his weakened state. Hovarth made the announcement to his Facebook account after Pale Male had died. Nevertheless, Pale Male left behind a memorable legacy.

Pale Male had several mates during his lifetime, with his last being Octavia. His fame grew even further when, in 1993, Pale Male and his then-mate, Lola, took up residence on a Fifth Avenue apartment complex window ledge. In 2004, outrage set in as well as a firm hand-slap from the US Fish and Wildlife Service when the apartment removed the nest that Pale Male and Lola created. (Raptor nesting sites are federally protected.) After a short but riotous furor from NYC’s birders, the apartment co-op built a new holder for nesting on the ledge. Pale Male and Lola returned and built a new nest. To date, there have been five known mates: Chocolate, Blue, Lola, Lima, and Octavia. Pale Male survived all but the latter. He has many descendants.

It’s little secret that Pale Male outlived most red-tailed hawks, who have a typical lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Pale Male amply exceeded that limitation quite easily, and for that, his death is celebrated more as the bird that thrilled the birding community in NYC. He was 32 years old, an amazing feat all by itself.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on birds today. (Why, specifically, today? More on that in a bit!) Birds are everywhere. Their chirps and flutters are part of the fabric of our environment, so much so that it’s sometimes easy to take them for granted. Some people find birds to be annoying at times, i.e. a crow’s cawing (it might be a young crow asking for food; young crows look much like adults!), or they might not appreciate the chirping symphonies that greet the sunrise if it comes before the alarm clock sounds. But, make no mistake, birds do much more for us than we do for them, and, sadly, wild bird populations are on a continued decline.

If you Google “Why birds are important” or “Why we need birds,” etc. you’ll get a sense of why birds hold a special and vital place in the world we share. Birds transport seeds (via their droppings) and, by doing so, keep forests and ecosystems healthy. They keep insects in check, they pollinate plants, and so much more.

Bird Day

May 4 is “Bird Day” and is credited as being the oldest avian holiday. Let it be a reminder to take a moment to be in awe and appreciative of the birds around us, and learn of ways to help our local wild bird populations.

Charles Almanzo Babcock, a nineteenth-century superintendent of schools in Oil City, PA, appreciated the value of birds when he established “Bird Day” in 1894 for his students. It was the first holiday in the United States dedicated to the celebration of birds and takes place every May 4.

Sadly, during Babcock’s lifetime, two well-known species endemic to North America would go extinct. According to the National Audubon Society, the last known wild Carolina parakeet was killed in Okeechobee County, Florida, in 1904, and the last captive Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo on February 21, 1918. The last known Passenger pigeon, named Martha, also at the Cincinnati Zoo, passed away in September 1914. She was thought to be 29 years old.

There are other bird holidays throughout the year across the globe, such as “World Migratory Bird Day,” coming up on the second Saturday in May in the U.S. and Canada, so by no means should our celebration of birds stop on May 4.

The birds that live within our homes have unique perspectives on the sphere of life that they are engaged in. It’s almost always a given that our birds have a love of music, often displaying preferences with style by rapt attention and “gettin’ down with it” to the various kinds of music that they’re exposed to. But when the music they love is a factor in retrieving a lost bird, it only stands to reason that music could be used as a tool to recover wayward birds who make their way outside when a door is open for a second too long. That’s the case for Joel, a pet cockatiel who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as he took an open door for an invitation to roam.

Joel was adopted by his owner 18 months ago from a rescue adoption facility. In the 18 months that Joel lived with his owner, he learned some of the hits from the catalog of the music of Billy Joel. Obviously, his infatuation with Billy Joel’s music contributed to the naming process. As songs go, it’s “Uptown Girl” that has captured the fancy of the cockatiel becoming its favorite song. With Joel’s escape through an open door, the owner quickly moved to the standard method of discovery by posting “Lost Bird – Reward” flyers. They were posted with the essential help of an international service known as ParrotAlert.com, which uses mapping technologies to help narrow the route to help locate a lost bird.

Nine Days Gone

After nine days with no notices, hope began to wane until a text alerted the owner to the possibility that Joel had been located. An agile worker at the SkyWheel ride (a 200-foot-tall ferris wheel at the beach) heard chirping while 100 feet up on a ladder. It’s there that the worker saw Joel standing on a gondola bar. Being people-aware and trusting, the bird made his way to the worker and perched on his shoulder. Joel was then wrapped in the worker’s hoodie for the descent.  Soon, one event led to another, and the flyer eventually sparked a memory that led to the eventual reconnection.

After the connection, the staff played “Piano Man” for the bird, and Joel immediately began grooving to the tune. When that behavior was recognized, they were assured that the lost cockatiel mentioned in the flyer had indeed been found. Pictures of Joel sitting on the shoulder of the office staff were sent, and the recovery was soon completed.

Once the owner and Joel were reunited, a quick visit to the vet was necessary to check him out.  After all was deemed well, Joel and his owner were happy to be back with each other once again. Joel had been on an adventure. And it was music that helped to reunite Joel with “Mom.” One of the takeaways from this is that specific familiarity played an important part in identifying who Joel was. The flyers were essential in spreading that information to a wider audience. We’re quite pleased that Joel found his home again.

The Republic of Costa Rica in Central America is known for its incredible biodiversity. The people, known to themselves as “Ticos,” have elected to honor and protect their native lands and animals through their laws and national parks. This desire to respect nature and its many species is now embedded in their culture. The population has a 97% literacy rate because they also highly value education, a decently paid workforce, and a stable democracy. It is an amazing country, a global model in many ways. In 2017, National Geographic named Costa Rica as the happiest country in the world. Pura Vida, literally meaning pure life, is a common phrase amongst the Ticos.

Costa Rica is also geographically interesting because it borders the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Between shores, there are mountains, and active volcanoes, and a quarter of the central area is comprised of protected jungles. It has a year-round tropical climate, with wet and dry seasons. Ecotourism is a major industry in Costa Rica for good reason, and it remains one of the safest countries in Latin America for travel. English is widely spoken.

Home To The Great Green Macaw

Costa Rica is also home to the magnificent Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus), the second largest parrot to the hyacinth macaw. It is red-listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. There are only an estimated 500-1000 Great Greens remaining in the world, with about half of those being on the eastern side of Costa Rica. There are a few smaller groups in parts of Nicaragua, Panama, Columbia, and Honduras.

When I was in Costa Rica in 2000, the Great Green macaw was highly endangered and only a couple hundred supposedly remained in the wild. An American couple, Margo and Rich Frisius, were doing their best to help recover the species under an organization they created called Amigo de los Aves. This organization has since changed leadership and names several times, but it has now been subsumed under the Macaw Recovery Network (MRN). MRN is working hard to grow the Great Green and Scarlet Macaw populations, and it’s making some remarkable strides!

Planting The Seeds Of Hope

One of the biggest challenges to the survival of the Great Green is access to mountain and sea almond trees, used for food and nesting during the breeding season, which is from December to June. The lowland forests were largely decimated decades ago for farming and cattle land. So, the macaws often need to fly long distances to find sufficient food. María Elena Munguía Jiménez, a volunteer for the MRN, had a brilliant idea. After monitoring macaw nests for six months, she saw through simple observation that the parents needed to go farther and farther away to find food to feed their chicks. She suggested that if trees were planted closer to nesting areas, they would not have to fly up to 40 kilometers for sufficient food sources. In 2021, six women began germinating the mountain and sea almond trees in their homes, and in 2022 the local government gave them permission to build a nursery in Boca Topada. Thus began the nurseries managed by the Women Rangers. Their laudable goal is to raise 7,000 trees by mid-2024, each of which has been tenderly planted and nurtured in their nurseries.

During the non-breeding season, the Titor tree is also an essential source of food. The Titor is much harder to germinate and takes a long time to grow. It is not protected by the government like the mountain and sea almond trees, so MRN is asking farmers in the lowlands to plant more of these because food, more than habitat, may be the key to the survival of young macaws. Reforestation takes time, and for some trees, decades.

In February 2023, a group of Phoenix Landing volunteers had the privilege of meeting Mario Jiménez Segura, MRN’s Field Team Leader, and visiting the Women Rangers. Their dedication and enthusiasm are impressive! We were each allowed the opportunity to plant seedlings into pots as a token of our support and appreciation. And the good news – the Great Greens are making a comeback, but what they most need are more reforested areas. Starting in 2022, conservation groups are making a concerted effort to work together across borders to take an annual census during the non-breeding season by searching for roosting areas and counting the number of birds. In addition, people in Costa Rica are encouraged to report all Great Green sightings to MRN. We hope for even better news about their population increase in future years. Meanwhile, the Women Rangers are doing their part by planting the trees needed to sustain a growing macaw population!

Lafeber’s GLOBAL PARROT grant this month goes to support the continued repopulation of the Great Green Macaws of Costa Rica, specifically for the essential nursery and reforestation work by MRN’s Women Rangers. If you would also like to help or learn more, go to:  https://macawrecoverynetwork.org/seeds-saplings-and-sowing/

March 9

“National Get Over It Day”

This not-so-official National Designation Day can sure come in handy for those of us who live with feathered companions. Are you still holding a grudge against your bird for destroying your table leg or chair … or chewing up your [insert item name here]? Well, birds are natural chewers so “the bad is on you” for not bird-proofing your home. That said, it’s no fun to discover something you love or need (TV remote/phone, etc.) all chewed up … but you really do need to get over it, move on and keep these no-no items out of beak’s reach.

March 9

Popcorn Lover’s Day

Popcorn Lover’s Day is celebrated on the second Thursday in March. Not only can you partake by popping your favorite kernels, but your feathered companion can also enjoy their own bird-friendly popcorn to snack along with you—break out a bag of Lafeber’s Popcorn Nutri-Berrie Treats. This isn’t your typical “people popcorn”; this treat is made from natural, wholesome ingredients and enriched with vitamins and minerals specifically so your bird can enjoy snacking in a nutritionally wholesome way.

“National Napping Day”

Ever find that your bird’s contact calling or other natural vocalizations seem, well … a little more grating when you are overly tired? This year, 2023, Daylight Savings time begins March 12, at 2:00 a.m., which means it will feel like you are waking up an hour earlier come Sunday morning. National Napping Day is celebrated annually on the day following the return of daylight savings time to give us a chance/excuse to nap and catch up on the “hour loss” of our precious sleep. Since most parrots love a mid-day nap, chances are your feathered friend will feel extra special if you partake in naptime along with them. Do not, however, nap with your bird on you or next to you as you lie in bed because you can accidentally roll over and crush your bird. Instead, simply snuggle up on the couch/chair nearest your bird’s cage or wheel your bird’s cage into your bedroom to share in a communal snooze.

March 15

“Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong Day”

Here’s another National Day your family and friends probably don’t know about. But what does it mean? It is said that this funky holiday stands to remind us that we’re not always right; that it’s OK for us not to know everything. So what takeaway does this day offer pet bird enthusiasts? Well, here’s my own personal experience example: Years ago, I thought I knew how to care for a pet bird when I got my little budgie, Fred. But I was wrong on so many levels; from the all-seed diet to assuming he’d naturally take to me petting him, because, after all, my dog liked me to pet him from Day 1, so pet birds must love petting, too, right? Can anyone relate?

March 18

“National Awkward Moments Day”

This day was created to pay homage to all those times you made a fool of yourself in front of others. Sharing your home with a pet bird certainly comes with its own set of awkward moments … like trying to explain that strange, nonsensical talking or honking background noise callers might hear when you answer the phone; or returning home from work or an errand only to discover that you’ve been running around with a dropping on your shirt courtesy of your bird. National Awkward Moments Day is the one day of the year we can collectively say that awkward moments are a part of life … or as pet bird enthusiasts say, “Poop happens!”

March 22

“National Goof Off Day”

 

Yes, the sentiment behind this not-so-official holiday is exactly as it sounds. Take a moment to put aside your daily stressors to do something fun. For example, if you are feeling the heat of getting your tax paperwork in order take a moment to do a silly dance for your bird (and see if he/she joins in), or speak like Goofy (as in Mickey Mouse’s friend) — your feathered friend will enjoy seeing a goofier you!

March 29

“National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day”

This day honors all small business owners. Time to hit up your favorite avian retailer/independent pet store again (or send a good “Yelp out” for your trusted vet, pet sitter, groomer, or other pet-bird service provider!). The toys and other avian accouterments you bought back on March 7 are waning by now, and you can again show your support of small businesses with a little more shopping for your bird.

Fill in the comment field below to share how you and your bird celebrated any of the above days. What did you need to get over on “Get Over It Day,” and what was the awkward bird-related moment you weathered in honor of “National Awkward Moments Day?”

The world is constantly in a state of flux, both for good and for bad. The bad seems to almost always be the most visible of both, because we’re often shocked by changes that hinder and hurt. But good is not always hidden under shadows. On occasion, there arises something — or someone — that strives hard to make a difference in the lives of creatures and those around them. That individual comes in the person of 12-year-old Spencer Hitchen.

Australia-based Hitchen has dedicated himself to the protection of the dwindling Glossy Black Cockatoo population. Recently, the eastern sub-species was listed as threatened by the IUCN, an organization that monitors the vulnerability of bird species. But Hitchen has a goal to help change that. Here’s the story:

A developer has been given the rights to construct a care and residential village for the aging population of Sunrise Beach. But the area of development is a definite section, albeit a small section, of essential habitats that help the Glossy Black Cockatoo to thrive as best it can. However, there is a consistent development of properties that slowly eat away at the natural environment, reducing the habitat to a smaller spread. This is a strong concern.

Saving Trees To Save Black Glossy Cockatoos

Hitchen, along with the support of his mother, has taken it upon himself to passionately campaign for ceasing the active development. Birdlife Australia agrees, as their fear is that the Glossy Black Cockatoo will suffer “death by a thousand cuts,” each cut being a small reduction of their habitat. The new construction that Hitchen is combating impacts an expanse that contains some 70 she-oak trees that are essential to feeding the Glossy Black Cockatoo. The tree produces cones that the birds feed favorably on, making the plight even direr for their future source.

Hitchen has stated that the trees are too important to remove for the project. It’s not his intent that the facility doesn’t get built, but that it is built elsewhere to leave the habitat untouched. Spencer has undertaken several forms of protest. One is a Change.org petition, which currently has 75,159 signatures out of 150,000. He has a Save Sunrise Glossies Facebook page to help bring further awareness to the issue.

Hitchen is an avid photographer who is often found capturing the birds he loves in beautiful photos. He has produced a calendar of photos filled with a wealth of information. The money he collects is designed to help his cause in small but important ways, and his campaign’s intent is to have the construction stop. Responsibility for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and other wildlife and trees is being sought at the developer level as well as the community level. His calendars can be ordered for 2023 for $20 (email [email protected] to inquire about one for yourself and to help his cause).

It is a rare but impassioned thing to have a young individual like Spencer Hitchen stand up in support of nature. His organization of a strong campaign to protect what is thought to be the right thing to do is a beacon. It helps to send the message that while we know we need to create housing and care facilities, it is also a responsibility to investigate potential habitat infringements and locate facilities appropriately.

This is a big world that we live in. We discover new things all the time. And sometimes, some of the things we discover become rarer than we want them to be. There are many areas of the earth that we have not had ample time to be in. Within those spaces are creatures we might not have ever seen, or if we had, we don’t see enough of them.

One such creature is a bird called Araripe manakin, a bird native to Brazil, specifically in what is known as the Araripe Uplands. The Araripe Uplands is a land base approximately 31 miles long, and a little over a half mile wide. But within this tine space lives a bird so rare that there are believed to be only 500 pairs left. This makes the Araripe Manakin one of the rarest birds in the world, who live in such a singular space and nowhere else.

Where Every Inch Of Space Matters

The bird was discovered in 1996, and scientifically described in 1998. By 2000, there were believed to be only 50 of these beautiful birds in existence, thus creating a massive concern. The small bird was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, which monitors and reports on the population of birds throughout the world. Relocating the bird in the hopes that it will fruitfully multiply is a struggle all by itself as it only knows the small land spread where it currently lives. Adapting to another place is a difficult agenda to undertake for the beautiful bird.

The Araripe Manakin is approximately about 6 inches in length, with a long tail. Like the Northern Cardinal, male and female Araripe Manakins differ in appearance. This makes it easy to discern how many of each sex are in the wild. The male is a colorful, predominantly white bird with a red patch that runs from the head down the back. The wings of the male are black as are their tail. The iris of the male is red in color. The female, on the other hand, is completely olive green with their upper region a pale green. The green color of the female helps to keep it camouflaged while the male can be spotted almost anywhere.

The diet of the bird is largely fruit and plant, although the females, with their camouflage-like green color, can spread their diet out and take in more than their brightly colored mates. The males simply stand out to potential predators and must be more careful. The bill of the female is much longer and better suited to fruit picking.

The bird is of special interest as it is included in the Alliance For Zero Extinction primarily because of its strong predilection for a small location. With this, if the bird loses the habitat it currently lives in, it is highly likely to become extinct.

The American Bird Conservancy has helped to purchase over 300 acres of land annexed to the Araripe National Forest. Its primary function is to become a suitable home for the rare manakin in the hopes that the bird will take it as its new habitat. To help with this, the location is filled with trees replicating the ones they accept. Everything is being done to replicate the habitat so that the Araripe Manakin can survive and thrive.

One of the more pleasant and longest-running traits of any creature, human included, is the essence of love. We’re no strangers to it in the human category, and we’ve seen more than ample evidence of it in the animal kingdom. But it becomes an even more endearing attribute when the love is vocalized and expressed in many ways. Fortunately, some exotic birds can mimic human speech. Even more, it’s becoming extremely evident that birds can communicate well with humans not only in correctly answering a question but also in expression – the expression of love. This is a story of one of those birds who have more than a cupful of love within her…she overflows with the essence.

Gabby Nikolle, along with her boyfriend, Chris, run a home-based rescue service that caters to the care of reptiles, birds, and small exotic animals. The rescue is called Florida’s Wildest Animal Rescue, which is in Broward County. With a life-long history of love for creatures, the 27-year-old owner has the intent to create the best possible scenarios for the creatures that eventually come under her responsibility. Recently, a caregiver of a cockatoo sought the help of Gabby Nikolle in the hopes that she would be able to transition the bird, who is now known as Izzy, to a more suitable situation that centered heavily on it.

Izzy The’ Too

Izzy is a 31-year-old umbrella cockatoo. From her 30 years with her previous owner, Izzy has known nothing but love. As a result, she has become quite affectionate in the way that she interacts with people. And with Izzy, one can sense the reality of her loving nature. Izzy and Gabby had an immediate bonding that was not only apparent to the original owner but also to Gabby, who decided to keep Izzy as her own.

Izzy has come to worldwide fame via a much-viewed TikTok video that showed her genuinely expressing an enormity of love for her new caregiver. After six days with her new caregiver, Izzy is seen leaning into Gabby saying, “I love you”, “Give me a kiss,” and “I love you, baby girl.” The video has, thus far, been viewed more than 270,000 times.

Izzy is undergoing a transition from what was a mostly seed diet to that with scrambled eggs, sprouts, and fresh veggies added, along with Lafeber Nutri-Berries, and Avi-Cakes. According to Gabby, Izzy has a fondness for ice cubes.

Gabby’s Florida’s Wildest Animal Rescue has a Facebook page where the animals are abundantly featured with a strong emphasis on care for the received animals. The love of animals is felt in the posts. The Rescue acquired its Non-Profit status in January of 2022 and intends to make a strong impact on the lives of the creatures it encounters.

Love is a necessity in this big old world. When it’s a bird who has known nothing but love reciprocating that love in a visible and moving way, it serves to reveal that love is an abstract but real force by which we all thread together. We’re in love with Izzy.

In times past, bird-tracking required the visual occupation of ornithologists, biologists, dedicated watchers, and enthusiasts. They reported their findings to centralized bases, and those bases accumulated and formulated appropriate data sets on the information they received. Science depended heavily on the received data to help make sense of birds of all kinds in their habitats and with their common routines that include migratory habits.

How they acquired the data depended on the technologies available at the time. But today’s technologies allow for myriad ways to track birds without the need to be visually present. These newer methods give the growing science communities a strong pathway into the continued and upgraded understanding of how our birds interact in the wild.

The factors that drive our intense interest in the birds of the world lie not only in our attraction to them. It also lies in the reality that over the last 50 years, we have seen catastrophic numbers related to the decline of the bird population worldwide. And it appears that even as science makes inward strides toward the preservation of our birds, it hasn’t been enough to help staunch the disappearance of billions of birds due to a variety of problem areas. Technology has developed at a fast rate to help us in this arena of bird preservation via means of tracking.

Radio Telemetry For The Birds

One such technology is automated radio telemetry, which uses miniaturized transmitters on nanotags that are received by arrays on the ground. The biggest problem with this kind of detection is that it can often be isolated and not be acquired by the many in need of the invaluable data captured. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a collaborative network that was developed to ensure that all accumulated data made it to all interested parties to create simultaneous research projects with results and more data that are shareable worldwide.

Essentially, all acquired data is channeled to a centralized base where researchers can access and use real-time data. And it works not only on birds. It also works with bats and insects. The results are heavily detailed; highly informative and revealing to interested parties. One such viewable application is found on the Audubon Bird Migration Explorer, a database that visually details the pathways of 450 birds as they migrate. At the site, you can hover your mouse pointer over the colorful map and get amazingly detailed information on each bird selected including an animated migration display that shows migration over time periods. You can select data displays that present more or less data as you see fit to take in.

With new technologies being developed almost daily, we’re getting to a place of understanding that we’ve never been to before. We have discovered previously unknown behaviors by migrating birds. We have found other informative data that show deviations from the normal patterns. Eventually, we may come to more fully understand the movement and needs of all birds, bats, and other creatures as they make their way around the world in the various ways that they do.

We are supportive of the new techs that allow us insight into our precious birds, their movements, their familial connections, and their habitat requirements and adaptations.

In a time of bird counts, organized conservation efforts, and worldwide appreciation of the creatures in our spheres, we find a genuine interest in how we plan to end up in the long term. As a result of that care and interest, there are many ways for us to attempt that care. But care, as we all know, isn’t free. In a world imbued with the concept of exchanges, it takes money to support efforts to help our birds. As their populations decline throughout the world, a science of count and acquisition of monies are often combined in smartly organized efforts. One that takes place is referred to as the Twitchathon. With this, a challenging race to be the one with the most sightings help with a collection of funds and donations to further conservation efforts.

The National Twitchathon is an Australian annual event with a celebrated almost 30-year history. It’s an event where people gather in teams for a main 30-hour race to see and hear as many birds in the Australian bush as possible. In the past, the race was a full 24-hour event but due to “pushing to the brink” exhaustion, a recently instituted rule (2017) insists that a 6-hour resting period be implemented. This still provides for a full 24-hour period of bird-hunting for the participant teams in the race.

A Friendly Competition

Teams are formed and routes are meticulously planned with the hopes of gaining ground on sightings. The categories include Big Weekend (which houses the full 30-hour race), the Champagne Race, which is completed in a 12-hour setting, and a 3-hour Birdathon. For 2022, the highly anticipated race by sporting birders began on October 29^th and concluded on October 30^th. The 30-hour Big Weekend is referred to by one participant as “a mega-twitch for the crazy and dedicated”.

There are records to be broken, of course. For the previous 24-hour Big Weekend race, the record is 252 sightings. For the new 30-hour race, a prized increase with 264 species sits in the record books. The intense race involves driving to locations, and on-foot pursuits to probable sweet spots. The results are turned in on the honor system but to qualify for any sighting, more than 50% of a team must agree that a particular bird was actually sighted or heard.

Each year, it is determined which species should get the acquired funding. For 2022, it is the rare Gang Gang cockatoo, which found its population decimated by the 2019/2020 bushfires. The tragedy of the fire took the beautiful black and red cockatoo from a category of least concern to one that is on the endangered list. The hope for 2022 is to raise $30,000 for the Gang Gang Cockatoo conservation effort.

The main event is preceded by an annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count. Started in 2014, this preceding event helps to fill in gaps in acquired data. Plus, it helps to build the excitement for the upcoming Twitchathon. Prizes are doled out for a variety of achievements that include highest count, and highest fundraising, giving prizes for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place spots.

Keep your eye out for the 2023 event that occurs in October.

Halloween is just around the corner, so let’s scare up some fun with a look at birds people might find downright scary, and/or birds that naturally sport a spooky style.

The Shoebill Stork

There’s no doubt that the shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex) can strike an intimidating stare. Throw in its massive size (between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 feet in height!), and this long-legged bird that inhabits the large swamps between South Sudan to Zambia can certainly give one a fright. Add to this the fact that the shoebill has a tendency to stay perfectly still for long stretches at a time, making it seem almost statue-like. Imagine this bird staring you down in a swampy marsh at sundown!

Good thing you’re not on the shoebill’s menu. Shoebills prefer lungfish, tilapia, catfish, and other aquatic prey. This bird’s hunting style is to perch on floating vegetation, then it patiently and slowly wades in the water to stalk its prey before launching a quick and violent strike.

If the shoebill’s intimidating stare and creepy way of hunting its prey aren’t scary enough for you, its vocalization might send you ducking for cover.  The shoebill’s greeting sounds like machine-gun fire!

But is the shoebill a bird to fear? Thankfully, shoebills are docile with humans and show no threatening behavior.

The Bleeding Heart Dove

When you see a bleeding heart dove, your first thought might be, “Poor thing!” Yes, this bird looks like it took a bullet to the chest, with a prominent red circle of feathers featured squarely in the middle of its front side. But before you make a move to render aid, know that this is simply part of the bleeding heart dove’s look—blood-splattered-looking feathers offset with white feathers on the chest area. It’s a dramatic look for sure, and one that makes for nature’s perfect Halloween costume.

This bird is native to the island of Luzon in the Philippines.  Officially called the Luzon bleeding heart dove (Gallicoluma luzonica), it is also known as paloma de punalada, which is “stabbed pigeon” in the Tagalog language. From the look of things, it’s no wonder this bird is described as shy and secretive; imagine running around looking like the walking wounded…scary!

Egyptian Goose

You might be used to the site of Canada geese foraging on the park grass near your home, but did they turn into zombies overnight? Rest assured, there’s no zombie apocalypse in your town and, in fact, those reddish-eyed creatures are not Canada geese. You are looking at Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus). And to make their appearance all the more noteworthy, their yellowish to gray bellies sport dark patches of reddish-brown feathers that give them a wounded look, although not as dramatic as that of the Luzon bleeding heart dove. Best to let these birds be, especially during breeding season. Both sexes can be territorial, even with their own species. They aren’t afraid to resort to aerial dogfights either—there are even reports of them taking on drones.

The Dracula Parrot

Finally, we come to perhaps the scariest-sounding bird of them all—a goth-looking parrot nonetheless. The Dracula parrot, also known as Pesquet’s parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), is found only in the cloud forests in the foothills and lower mountains of New Guinea. This parrot is unique in that it has a parrot body and a vulture-like head. Its featherless head is said to serve a similar function to that of a vulture. Like a vulture, this parrot also digs head-first into its food. But it’s not a carcass like a vulture’s meal of choice—it’s an adaption to avoid feather-matting from sticky fruits. These birds are frugivores, and their diet is composed almost entirely of a few species of figs. That should help you sleep at night—this parrot will not come to suck your blood, but maybe your figs if you’re local to its native region.