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This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 10 ornithological societies. Join or renew your membership in your ornithological society if you value the services these societies provide to you, including OrnithologyExchange and the Ornithological Council. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 report, which identifies 269 species of birds that represent high conservation priorities and deserve proactive attention. All major bird groups are represented on the list, but shorebirds, seabirds and some landbirds have particularly high representation.  The report covers four distinct geographic scales: 1) the Continental USA, including Alaska; 2) Pacific Ocean islands, including Hawaii; 3) Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Navassa; and 4) continental Bird Conservation Regions and Marine Bird Conservation Regions. Learn more in the press release below and at https://www.fws.gov/birds/. *** USFWS Press Release U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publishes Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 Report Identifies 269 Species for Highest Conservation Priorities June 15, 2021  Contact(s): Vanessa Kauffman 703-358-2138 vanessa_kauffman@fws.gov In continuing proactive efforts to protect migratory birds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 report. The publication identifies 269 species of birds that represent high conservation priorities for the Service and deserve proactive attention. This science will be used for cooperative research, monitoring and management actions that can directly or indirectly affect migratory birds with the help of international, federal, state, Tribal and private partners. “This report serves as an early warning indicator for bird species in trouble and will help stimulate the collaborative conservation action needed to bring back declining bird species well before they become threatened or endangered, said Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams. “Almost 3 billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970, and this scientific information will help focus conservation efforts where they are most needed.” The species that appear in Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 include migratory bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that the Service considers to be in greatest need of conservation attention. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act directs the Service “to identify species, subspecies and populations of all migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).” The Service’s goal is to eliminate the need for additional ESA protections for birds by implementing proactive management and conservation actions that sustain populations well above thresholds of endangerment. The conservation assessment was based on several factors, including population abundance and trends, threats on breeding and nonbreeding grounds and size of breeding and nonbreeding ranges. It encompasses four distinct geographic scales: the Continental U.S., including Alaska; Pacific Ocean islands, including Hawaii; Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Navassa; and continental Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) and Marine Bird Conservation Regions (MBCRs). Of the 269 species identified, 134 are of conservation concern at the Continental scale, 85 at the BCR scale, 30 on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and 33 on Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The report was last updated in 2008. Inclusion in the Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 does not constitute a finding that listing under the ESA is warranted, or that substantial information exists to indicate that listing under the ESA may be warranted. The report and additional information is available online at https://www.fws.gov/birds/.   About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 10 scientific societies of ornithologists; these societies span the Western Hemisphere and the research conducted by their members spans the globe. Their cumulative expertise comprises the knowledge that is fundamental and essential to science-based bird conservation and management. The Ornithological Council is financially supported by our 10 member societies and the individual ornithologists who value our work. If the OC’s resources are valuable to you, please consider joining one of our member societies or donating directly at Birdnet.org. Thank you for your support!

A team of researchers from Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Arkansas has found that the mere sight of sick birds of their own kind is enough to set off an immune response in healthy canaries. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group describes experiments they conducted with caged birds in their lab. View the full article

A team of researchers, led by Northumbria University, have been working to understand and develop a vaccine for an infection that's been killing off rare penguins in New Zealand. View the full article

http://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/news/amur_falcon_at_tengragiri_bangladesh_c_touhid_biplob_2.jpg?itok=29P-HyWc 100,000 migrating Amur Falcons pass through Nagaland every year. Even as the world grapples with COVID-19, two villages in India are holding strongly to their commitment to protect the birds and nature around them.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BirdLife-news-posts-blogs/~4/v4PL3m0bBNEView the full article

Using drones and artificial intelligence to monitor large colonies of seabirds can be as effective as traditional on-the-ground methods, while reducing costs, labor and the risk of human error, a new study finds. View the full article