Laura Bies

From Audubon and TNC - New Research Reveals Scale and Success of Seabird Recovery Efforts Worldwide Study provides a tool to restore and build climate resilience for seabirds by relocating or restoring them to places where they can survive. Media contacts: Rachel Guillory, National Audubon Society, rachel.guillory@audubon.org Armin Mahramzadeh, The Nature Conservancy, a.mahramzadeh@tnc.org (April 10, 2023) - New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences demonstrates the effectiveness of restoring seabird populations around the world for the first time. The study is a global synthesis of all reported seabird translocation and social attraction restoration efforts, which spans nearly 70 years and over 850 efforts across 36 countries, targeting 138 seabird species–roughly one-third of all seabirds worldwide. “Seabirds play key roles in coastal and island ecosystems, yet they are suffering massive declines across the planet,” said Dena Spatz, Ph.D., Senior Conservation Scientist at Pacific Rim Conservation and lead author of the paper. "That's why it's crucial that conservationists world-wide have shared knowledge on their restoration experiences, which can now help to restore seabirds in the most efficient way possible." Seabirds are one of the most threatened bird groups on the planet with approximately 30 percent of species at enhanced risk of extinction, primarily due to threats from invasive predators at breeding sites, habitat loss, and harmful fishing practices. Climate change poses yet another challenge, as sea-level rise and increasing storms can flood low-lying seabird breeding habitat. These threats have prompted conservationists to relocate or restore nesting seabirds by physically translocating birds from one nesting site to another, or attracting them using seabird social cues to more secure breeding sites. Using social attraction methods like decoys and broadcasted bird sounds, conservationists can create the appearance of a thriving seabird colony at key locations, attracting new pairs of birds to safely nest together in large numbers. “Fifty years ago Audubon first combined translocation and social attraction to successfully bring a healthy population of Atlantic Puffins back to Maine’s coast, so it was amazing to learn of more than 800 projects undertaken since then,” said coauthor Donald Lyons, Ph.D., Director of Conservation Science for Audubon’s Seabird Institute. “These projects are a powerful testament to the dedication of seabird practitioners around the globe, and Audubon is proud to have supported restoration training for many of these devoted conservationists.” To understand which restoration methods have been most successful and guide future best-practices, Spatz and co-authors created the Seabird Restoration Database, an interactive catalog of efforts to help seabirds recover based on a review of over 1,400 resources and communications with over 300 experts. The authors analyzed the success of these seabird projects, finding the outcomes largely positive–within an average of 2 years from the project’s start, 80 percent of seabird projects resulted in birds visiting the site, and 76 percent achieved breeding. The authors found that terns, gulls, and auks are among the seabird groups seeing the most success, as these groups are among the most commonly restored. The most highly threatened seabird group - petrels, shearwaters, and albatrosses - have also been common targets for active restoration, typically using social attraction or a combination of social attraction and translocation, both of which have also had high success rates. “It’s a fantastic outcome for the conservation community to learn that seabird restoration techniques are becoming established and have high likelihoods of success,” said coauthor Nick Holmes, Ph.D., Associate Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy. “This is a call to action for more of these valuable restoration projects to be evaluated and implemented, especially where they can aid imperiled species at risk of extinction, and where the restored ecological role of seabirds can strengthen coastal and island resilience to climate change impacts.” The Seabird Restoration Database partners include Pacific Rim Conservation, the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Northern Illinois University, New Zealand Department of Conservation, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. ### Pacific Rim Conservation is a Hawaii-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We are a conservation organization whose primary focus is wildlife research and management, with a specialty in native birds. Our mission is to maintain and restore native bird diversity, populations, and ecosystems in Hawaii and the Pacific Region. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety. The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 79 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a critical habitat designation for the Rufa Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) which would include 683,405 acres (276,564 hectares) of habitat spread over 13 states. USFWS first listed the Red Knot as threatened in 2015, citing a population that had fallen by about 75 percent since the 1980s. A draft recovery plan was released in May 2021. In July 2021, the agency first proposed critical habitat. This week’s announcement would add an additional 32,615 acres to what was proposed in 2021. The newly proposed critical habitat would be made up of 127 units in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The revised proposal includes seven new units in Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, as well as revised units in Massachusetts, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. Comments on the proposal will be accepted through 30 May. Read the Federal Register notice to learn more, and to see maps of the proposed areas of critical habitat. The USFWS has also prepared an FAQ regarding the proposal. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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 recent USGS report indicates that sea level rise along southern Florida’s coast could contribute to a significant decrease in the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow population (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) in the next 50 years. Read more from USGS here. Read the underlying paper here. Read a species profile from the National Park Service here.

From the Institute for Bird Populations: IBP is excited to announce the release of the MAPS Data Exploration Tool, a new web application created to make the MAPS database more accessible and the MAPS program more impactful. The MAPS database is a unique and valuable scientific resource consisting of over 2.5 million bird capture records spanning 33 years and counting. We wanted to make it easier for researchers to use the data and for everyone to understand how bird populations are faring. The web app houses two tools developed by IBP: a data download tool and a results exploration tool. The MAPS Data Download tool gives researchers access to over 1,850,000 capture records for the years 1992-2018 (additional years will be added as the data is proofed.) The app interface allows users to select the timespan and type of data they are interested in. Data available includes capture records (band numbers, age estimates, mass, wing length, etc. for individual birds), banding station locations, effort and net-hours information, and local breeding status classifications. To date over 280 peer-reviewed research papers and reports using MAPS data have been published by IBP scientists and outside researchers. We hope that this data download toll will encourage even more researchers to investigate bird conservation and other ecology questions using MAPS data. The Explore MAPS Results app serves as an update to the Vital Rates of North American Landbirds published in 2015. Thirteen additional years of data and newer, improved statistical modeling techniques have been used to create region- and year-specific estimates of demographic parameters. The tool includes estimates or indices for 5 demographic parameters: 1) adult abundance, 2) juvenile abundance, 3) productivity, 4) adult apparent survival, and 5) residency probability for dozens of the more commonly captured bird species. Results for more species, regions, and parameters may be added over time. Users can visualize the results on an interactive map, with pop-up graphs for some parameters, or if they prefer to create their own graphs, they can download the results to visualize as they choose. Work on the new web application began in 2020 during the pandemic after IBP received generous grants from the Knobloch Family Foundation and Tracy Aviary. MAPS program coordinator and bird banding guru Dani Kaschube and IBP biologist and man-of-many-talents Bob Wilkerson have spent endless hours developing and coding the website, and IBP Research Ecologist Jim Saracco applied his considerable experience with modeling MAPS data to create estimates and indices of demographic parameters. This amazing team has yet another trick up their sleeves! Another application, just forMAPS station operators, is coming soon. This app will allow operators to use their own capture records to calculate summary statistics (with lovely graphs!) for their stations with just a few clicks. Statistics include standardized captures per year and population and productivity trends, with survival and recapture probabilities to come in future versions. This tool will help operators share professionally analyzed results with stakeholders, land managers and funders. We expect this new app to go online by early summer. We are so excited for you to dive in and explore the MAPS database with these new tools. The database is an amazing resource for bird conservation and it would not be possible without the hard work and sacrificed sleep of thousands of MAPS banders over 33 years and counting. These banders didn’t wake up at zero-dark-thirty just to fill in numbers on a spreadsheet! Dig in and put the data to good use!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized a proposal to introduce a nonessential experimental population of Guam Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus), also known as Sihek, on Palmyra Atoll to promote the conservation and recovery of the species. Sihek are currently extinct in the wild and the captive population is at high risk of extinction, partly due to a recent moderate decline in reproductive output that is likely to have long-term negative consequences on the survival probability for this species. Endemic to Guam, Sihek were common in the early 1900s but declined between 1950 and 2000, mostly due to predation by the brown treesnake. It was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in 1984. The last remaining wild Sihek were taken into captivity between 1984 and 1986. Sihek were considered extinct in the wild by 1988. The primary cause of the Sihek’s extinction in the wild was predation by the introduced brown treesnake, which likely arrived on Guam prior to 1950 as stowaways on shipping materials. Brown treesnakes are still present on Guam; that presence precludes consideration of Guam as a viable reintroduction site for Sihek for the foreseeable future. The reintroduction will occur on Palmyra Atoll. The majority of the islands, waters, and the coral reefs surrounding Palmyra Atoll are owned by the United States and managed by the USFWS as Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Section 10(j) of the ESA allows for the designation of reintroduced populations of listed species as experimental populations, giving the USFWS greater regulatory flexibility and discretion in managing the reintroduced species to encourage recovery in collaboration with partners, especially private landowners. The agency plans to introduce up to nine hatch-year Siheks in the first year, and fewer in subsequent years, to ultimately achieve a target of 10 breeding pairs. Read the Federal Register notice to learn more about the reintroduction plan. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, a landmark piece of legislation that would provide permanent, reliable funding to states and tribes to assist in their efforts to conserve, restore, and protect wildlife and habitat, has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. If passed into law, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act would provide permanent, dedicated funding to state and tribal agencies to proactively conserve at-risk species for the first time in U.S. history. RAWA would amend the Pittman-Robertson Act and provide an additional $1.3 billion per year for states and territories and $97.5 million per year for tribes, allowing them to implement state and tribal wildlife action plans which designed to conserve over 12,000 species of the greatest conservation need. Currently, Pittman-Robertson program collects about $1 billion a year from excise taxes on sporting goods and related products and distributes it to states. That funding mechanism would remain unchanged by RAWA. RAWA, first introduced in 2016, was passed by the House of Representatives last year and has bipartisan support in the Senate as well, but lawmakers could not decide how to pay for the bill, preventing its passage. Learn more about RAWA from The Wildlife Society or the National Wildlife Federation. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance for those acquiring import permits. The CDC Import Permit Program regulates the importation of infectious biological materials that could cause disease in humans in order to prevent their introduction and spread into the United States. Permits are required for the import infectious biological agents, infectious substances, or vectors, and can be obtained electronically. Permits are valid for one year and can include multiple shipments. You can read the CDC guidance here. For more information about the various policies and procedures that govern importing specimens and samples into the U.S., check out the OC’s Import Guide. Still have questions? Contact the OC! About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The Canadian Council on Animal Care has released new peer-reviewed guidelines for wildlife, which provide information for protocol authors, animal care committees, animal care staff, and veterinarians to help facilitate improvements in both the care given to wildlife, and the manner in which scientific procedures are performed. The guidelines cover scientific activities involving wildlife that require animal care committee approval under Canadian policy and law. It applies to free-ranging and wild-caught cephalopods and vertebrates except fish, including wild amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals that are native, introduced, or have become feral. Specific to birds, the new guidelines note that cardiac puncture must be performed under general anesthesia and is only appropriate for birds in terminal procedures. For euthanasia of birds, manual cervical dislocation can be used on small birds (<200 g), but a mechanical cervical dislocation device is required for larger birds. Decapitation is conditionally acceptable for birds that are already anesthetized or unconscious. Thoracic Compression, or Rapid Cardiac Compression, is also conditionally acceptable for birds that are already anesthetized or unconscious. The Canadian Council on Animal Care provides the only national oversight of animal-based scientific activities in Canada through a rigorous process of assessment and certification, and standards development and ensures that animals in science are used only when necessary, and that when they are, they receive optimal care according to high-quality, evidence-informed standards. The CCAC relies on more than 190 local animal care committees and other subcommittees and task forces, as well as a volunteer governing Board of Directors, nominated and elected by member organizations reflecting a wide range of interests, concerns, and objectives surrounding animal-based science in Canada. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. USDA APHIS recently passed long-awaited regulations that cover birds not bred for use in research under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act. What does this mean for ornithologists? You can learn more about the rule and the background behind its promulgation here. To learn more about how it might effect you and your institution, read on. First, remember, if your birds are bred for use in research, they are not covered under the AWA. Bred for use in research means “an animal that is bred in captivity and used for research, teaching, testing, or experimentation purposes.” Birds captured in the wild and use for research are covered under the AWA. What institutions are covered? Exhibitors: Individuals or businesses with warm-blooded animals or birds (domestic or exotic) that are on display, perform for the public, or are used in educational presentations must be licensed as exhibitors with APHIS. Licensed exhibitors include circuses, zoos, educational displays, petting farms/zoos, animal acts, wildlife parks, marine mammal parks, and some sanctuaries. Captive birds in a wildlife sanctuary that are exhibited for public education would be regulated. Birds undergoing rehabilitation would be exempt from AWA regulation if they are not exhibited and physically separated at the facility from exhibited birds. Conservation and restoration entities that release birds into the wild or maintain bird restoration programs will not be required to be licensed, provided that they do not act as dealers or exhibitors.Rescues and shelters that do not exhibit or engage in any other covered activity are also exempt from licensing. Educational exhibits will likely need a Class C license. Research Facilities: Research facilities, which are defined under that law as “any school (except an elementary or secondary school), institution, organization, or person that uses or intends to use live animals in research, tests, or experiments, and that (1) purchases or transports live animals in commerce, or (2) receives funds under a grant, award, loan, or contract from a department, agency, or instrumentality of the US for the purpose of carrying out research, tests, or experiments.” If your research institution receives federal grants or transports birds across state lines, then it is a facility for purposes of the AWA and must comply with the law. Examples of research facilities include hospitals, colleges and universities, and pharmaceutical firms. Researchers will not need a license, but will likely need to register for research involving birds. Keep in mind that field studies are not covered by the AWA. A field study is a study conducted on free-living wild animals in their natural habitat.The IACUC is responsible for evaluating whether an activity with wild animals is regulated under the AWA. Learn more about field studies and read recent guidance from USDA here. Commercial Animal Dealers: Individuals or businesses who sell or offer to sell or transport or offer for transportation, in commerce, warm-blooded animals or birds for use in research, exhibition, or as pets must be licensed as a dealer. In addition, individuals or businesses who buy, sell, offer to buy or sell, or transport or offer to transport, in commerce, warm-blooded animals or birds to or from another dealer or exhibitor must be licensed as a dealer. Transporters: A person with a commercial business that moves animals from one location to another is considered a transporter under the Animal Welfare Act and must be registered with the USDA. What do covered institutions have to do? Under the AWA, research facilities must: 1. Register with APHIS (Not required for federal facilities. Also, per USDA, research facilities that conduct only field studies do not need to register.) 2. Establish and follow an IACUC process and appropriate review protocols. 3. Follow housing and husbandry requirements set forth by the USDA. 4. Report annually to the USDA (Animals used only in field studies should not be included in the annual report.) 5. Undergo annual inspection. In practice, many research facilities working with birds are already meeting many, if not all, of these requirements, as a condition of funding that they already receive or because other research done by that facilities falls under the AWA. However, smaller institutions, especially those that work only with birds, should be aware of these new requirements. Under the AWA, exhibitors must: 1. Secure a license from USDA. 2. Complete a pre-licensing inspection. 3. Follow housing and husbandry requirements set forth by the USDA. 4. Undergo annual inspection by the USDA. What is the timeline? If you currently maintain a USDA license or registration, you have until August 21, 2023, to become compliant with the new avian welfare regulations. If you are not currently USDA licensed or registered, you have until February 21, 2024, to become compliant with the new avian welfare regulations. Additional Resources Read the OC’s Fact Sheet on the AWA. Use the Licensing and Registration Assistant tool on Animal Care website to see if you need a license or to register: USDA Animal Care has prepared a series of videos to help the regulated community understand the new requirements. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling unit in April 20, 2010, resulted in a massive discharge of oil into the ocean. A 2016 settlement directed the well’s owner, BP Exploration and Production, Inc., to pay $8.1 billion in natural resource damages over a 15-year period, as well as an additional amount, up to $700 million, for adaptive management or to address effects on natural resources that were unknown at the time of the settlement. Restoration is being overseen by Trustee Implementation Groups for each of the eight designated Restoration Areas. The Open Ocean Restoration Area has prepared a draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment regarding birds. Comments are due April 28. The Trustee Implementation Group will help public webinar on the draft plan on March 28 and April 4. You can read the draft plan, fact sheets about the proposed projects, and additional background information here. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

Charlie F. Leck, 78, died Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at Parker at Monroe of Monroe Township, NJ. Born and raised in Princeton, he resided in Kendall Park before moving to Monroe Township. Charles received his undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA and his PhD in Animal Behavior from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Charlie taught undergraduate courses in ornithology and ecology and graduate courses in natural history and animal behavior at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ for 30 years, before retiring in 2000. At Rutgers, he served as Director of the Graduate Ecology Program, for more than ten years. He authored two books, The Birds of New Jersey: Their Habits and Habitat and The Status and Distribution of New Jersey’s Birds(Rutgers University Press) Son of the late George and Carrie (Schaal) Leck, Charlie is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary (Allessio) Leck, a brother George Leck (Barbara) of Tucker, Georgia, sister-in-law Rosemary Morton of Hinsdale, MA, brother-in-law, Michael Allessio, of Pittsfield, MA, and seven nieces and nephews. Charlie will be remembered for his sense of humor and wit, his knowledge and love of birds, and his contagious enthusiasm and avid support of the natural world, all of which he shared generously. He, with his wife, was a recipient of a Governors Environmental Excellence Award for Stewardship, acknowledging a long-termcommitment to preserving and protecting the Abbott Marshlands, an urban wetland near Trenton, NJ. He was a frequent leader of field trips and provided inventories of Abbott Marsh animals, including birds, reptiles and amphibians, and mammals. He was featured in the award winning NJN documentary 'Turning the Tide' about NJ wetlands.

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that they are accepting public comments and input on their new proposal to list two distinct subpopulations of the California Spotted Owl under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal would list the southern/coastal population of Spotted Owls as endangered. The Sierra Nevada population would be listed as threatened, although a special rule accompanying the listing exempts the prohibition of take under the ESA for forest fuels management activities that reduce the risk of large-scale high-severity wildfire. The listing proposal is a result of a legal settlement between the USFWS and a coalition of environment groups who sued the agency, challenging its 2019 decision not to protect the owl. Comments will be accepted through April 24, 2023. ***** USFWS PRESS RELEASE: Service seeks public comment on California spotted owl Endangered Species Act listing proposal Feb 22, 2023 Media Contacts: Meghan Snow and Cal Robinson The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the California spotted owl is comprised of two geographically and genetically distinct population segments. The Service is proposing to list the Coastal-Southern California DPS as endangered and the Sierra Nevada DPS as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As part of this proposed listing, the Service is including a 4(d) rule for the Sierra Nevada DPS that exempts the prohibition of take under the ESA for forest fuels management activities that reduce the risk of large-scale high-severity wildfire. “Our goal is to help the California spotted owl recover across its range,” said Michael Fris, field supervisor of the Service’s Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office. “Ongoing collaboration with a number of partners will result in positive conservation gains and put this species on the road to recovery.” California spotted owls are distributed across California and Nevada. The owl requires forests that have multi-layered canopy cover, large trees and a mix of open and densely forested areas for nesting, foraging and roosting. The greatest ongoing threats to California spotted owls include habitat loss resulting from large-scale high-severity wildfires, competition and hybridization with non-native barred owls, tree mortality due to drought and beetle infestations, and temperature and precipitation changes related to climate change . After reviewing the best available science, including information provided by species experts, the Service evaluated the condition of each DPS by assessing the owl’s occupancy of forests in its historical habitat, connectivity between territories, risk of population decline, and the number and severity of threats. The Coastal-Southern California DPS does not have a strong ability to withstand normal variations in environmental conditions, persist through catastrophic events, or adapt to new environmental conditions throughout its range, which led the Service to propose listing the DPS as endangered. The Sierra Nevada DPS has a reduced ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions due to habitat loss and fragmentation from wildfires. However, this DPS can still withstand normal variation in environmental conditions, and some parts of the population remain in stable condition, which led the Service to propose listing it as threatened with a 4(d) rule. As large-scale high-severity wildfire is the biggest threat to California spotted owl, the Service worked with Sierra Pacific Industries and the U.S. Forest Service to develop coordinated, multi-party fire risk reduction efforts that include the removal of brush and select trees that fuel fires in owl habitat. Most of the land inhabited by California spotted owls is managed by the Forest Service and Sierra Pacific Industries. Implementation of their fire risk reduction plans could help improve California spotted owl habitat in the coming years. Today’s announcement comes as the ESA turns 50 years old in 2023. Throughout the year, the Department of the Interior will celebrate the importance of the ESA in preventing the extinction of imperiled species, promoting the recovery of wildlife and conserving the habitats upon which they depend. The ESA has been highly effective and credited with saving 99% of listed species from extinction. Thus far, more than 100 species of plants and animals have been delisted based on recovery or reclassified from endangered to threatened based on improved conservation status, and hundreds more species are stable or improving thanks to the collaborative actions of Tribes, federal agencies, state and local governments, conservation organizations and private citizens. The Service is seeking public comment on its proposal to list the Coastal-Southern DPS as endangered and Sierra Nevada DPS as threatened with a 4(d) rule. The documents will publish in the Federal Register on February 23, 2023. The publication will open a 60-day public comment period. The Service will consider comments from all interested parties received by April 24, 2023. The proposal and information on how to submit comments can be found on www.regulations.gov by searching under docket number FWS-R8-ES-2022-0166. ***** About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

From the Bird Banding Lab - We announce with regret, the passing of Mary Gustafson in November of 2022. Mary worked in the BBL for just over ten years and for a few of those years held the position of Acting Chief. Mary began working for the BBL in 1995 as a biologist. Initially, she handled auxiliary marking, banding schedule editing (biological data), band procurement as well as coordinating special authorizations to band hummingbirds. When Mary came to the BBL, she already had extensive banding experience, including work at Ontario’s Long Point and New Jersey’s Cape May bird observatories. Mary was very passionate about her profession; mainly a passerine and hummingbird bander, she was an integral part of the BBL staff. When the BBL shifted from a hierarchical to relational database, Mary’s contributions were an essential part of those re-engineering efforts. Mary left the BBL in late August of 2005 for a position with the State of Texas and to become a professional bird guide in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Her excitement and enthusiasm for birding and avian science was clear in every position she held, including those of president of the Lower Rio Grande Valley RBA, editor of South Texas’ e-Bird, and committee member for the Texas Bird Records and American Birding Association Checklist, among many other important roles in the ornithological scientific community. Certainly, Mary will be sorely and forever missed by the BBL team, the ornithological community, and her friends and family.

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposal to remove the Word Stork (Mycteria americana) from the list of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Wood Storks, the only stork species that breeds in the United States, were first listed as endangered in 1984, when there were fewer than 5,000 breeding pairs. The population has now increased to more than 10,000 breeding pairs and expanded its range to include 107 known active breeding sites in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Learn more from the USFWS’ press release below. Comments on the proposal can be submitted through April 17. ***** USFWS PRESS RELEASE Interior Department Applauds Proposed Delisting of the Wood Stork Species expands population range as agency celebrates 50 years of Endangered Species Act Feb 14, 2023 Media Contacts:Renee Bodine WASHINGTON – Achieving a major conservation milestone following decades of conservation and large-scale restoration work, the Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the wood stork from the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Wood storks (Mycteria americana) are the only species of stork breeding in the United States. The announcement comes as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) turns 50 years old in 2023. Throughout the year, the Department will celebrate the importance of the ESA in preventing the extinction of imperiled species, promoting the recovery of wildlife and conserving the habitats upon which they depend. The Endangered Species Act provides a critical safety net for fish, wildlife and plants and has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, as well as promoted the recovery of many others, and conserved the habitats upon which they depend,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “The proposed delisting of the wood stork is a significant milestone and a testament to the hard work by federal agencies, state and local governments, Tribes, conservation organizations, and private citizens in protecting and restoring our most at-risk species.” “The wood stork is recovering as a result of protecting its habitat at a large scale,” said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz. “This iconic species has rebounded because dedicated partners in the Southeast have worked tirelessly to restore ecosystems, such as the Everglades, that support it.” The wood stork faced extinction when listed in 1984 under the Endangered Species Act. The population decreased from 20,000 nesting pairs to less than 5,000 pairs, primarily nesting in south Florida’s Everglades and Big Cypress ecosystems. Today, the wood stork breeding population has doubled to 10,000 or more nesting pairs and increased its range, including the coastal plains of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. These long-legged wading birds more than tripled their number of nesting colonies from 29 to 99 in their expanded range. They’ve adapted to new nesting areas, moving north into coastal salt marshes, old, flooded rice fields, floodplain forest wetlands, and human-created wetlands. If the wood stork is delisted, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Clean Water Act, and state environmental regulations will continue to protect this species and the wetland habitats it depends upon. The ESA requires the Service to implement a post-delisting monitoring plan for a minimum of five years to ensure the species remains stable. In addition, this proposed delisting reinforces the importance of restoration programs in the Everglades and Big Cypress ecosystems (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan) and other ecosystem restoration efforts throughout the Southeast. The CERP enacted by Congress in 2000 remains among the highest national conservation priorities for the Service. Delisting the wood stork would not change the Service’s focus on the Everglades restoration, as CERP will continue to focus on restoration that can support robust wood stork breeding within the Everglades and Big Cypress ecosystems. Additionally, through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Department of the Interior is implementing a more than $2 billion downpayment to restore ecosystems, invest in habitat connectivity for aquatic species and conserve at-risk and listed species. Investments through these two historic laws will lead to better outdoor spaces and habitats for people and wildlife for generations to come. The ESA has been highly effective and credited with saving 99% of listed species from extinction. Thus far, more than 100 species of plants and animals have been delisted based on recovery or reclassified from endangered to threatened based on improved conservation status, and hundreds more species are stable or improving thanks to the collaborative actions of Tribes, federal agencies, state and local governments, conservation organizations and private citizens. These efforts exemplify President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative, a challenge to pursue a locally led and voluntary, nationwide effort to conserve, connect, and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend. For more information on this proposed delisting, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. ***** About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

James “Jim” Baird, President of the Association of Field Ornithologists (then the Northeast Bird Banding Association) from 1967 to 1971, passed away at the age of 97 on January 23rd, 2023. Read more about his life at AFO's blog.

From the Institute for Bird Populations: Dave DeSante, the founder of IBP, the MAPS program and other important bird research initiatives, passed away on October 18, 2022 at age 80. Dave passed suddenly and peacefully while doing one of his favorite things- pursuing a sighting of a vagrant bird, which in this case was an ultra-rare Willow Warbler that showed up in Marin County. Dave was a true visionary whose passion and drive inspired all of us at IBP – and many others – to study and conserve bird populations. He also had a huge and loving spirit, and touched many of our lives in more personal ways. We will miss him greatly. More info at https://birdpop.org/pages/rememberingDaveDeSante.php

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will delay the implementation of the rule listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) under the Endangered Species Act. The agency will use the 60-day delay to ensure that livestock grazing plans and other voluntary protection measures are in place. The rule was originally scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday, January 24. Under the rule, the southern distinct Lesser Prairie Chicken population in eastern New Mexico and the southwestern Texas Panhandle will be listed as an endangered species. The northern distinct population in the northeastern Texas Panhandle, southeastern Colorado, south-central Kansas and western Oklahoma will be listed as a threatened species. Under the final rule, a provision for the threatened population section allows FWS to exempt certain agricultural activities, livestock grazing and controlled fires from a provision barring incidentally killing, harming or harassing prairie chickens, if those engaging in such activities commit to certain conservation practices. However, according to the agency’s announcement this week, so far only one entity has developed an applicable livestock grazing plan. The USFWS is working to put more conservation agreements in place before the rule goes into effect on March 24. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The Ornithological Council recently reached out to the Secretary of the Interior, to think the department for reversing its moratorium on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. In late 2019, the Department grounded all Chinese-made drones. Then, in early 2020, the Secretary of the Interior extended that decision to all drone use by the Department and its agencies, in the name of national security. The Ornithological Council has long support the use of drones in wildlife research, management, and conservation. In late 2017, the Ornithological Council asked the Office of the Solicitor to advise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other federal agencies, and the state agencies that the use of drones for wildlife research is not subject to the Airborne Hunting Act. It also asked that if the Solicitor determines that the use of drones to study wildlife is subject to the AHA, then the Solicitor should address the need for federal permits because there are few, if any, state laws pertaining to drone use for wildlife research and monitoring. Then, in early 2018, the OC filed a petition for rulemaking, asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue permits for the use of drones to study wildlife. That petition for rulemaking proposed the changes necessary for the USFWS to issue permits under the AHA, since, if the Solicitor determines that the use of drones for wildlife research is covered by the AHA, permits would be needed. Now that the drone ban has been lifted, the Ornithological Council supports the development of regulations supporting the appropriate use of drones in wildlife research, management, and conservation. Read the recent letter to DOI here. More background on the use of drones to research birds is available here. The OC’s fact sheet on drones is available here. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has released A Framework for Federal Scientific Integrity Policy and Practice, a new policy with a goal of strengthening scientific integrity policies and practices across the federal government. The new policy builds on a report released a year ago, Protecting the Integrity of Government Science, and was developed with input from federal agencies and other sectors, including academia, the scientific community, public interest groups, and industry. It includes a consistent definition of scientific integrity for all federal agencies and a model scientific integrity policy to guide agencies as they build and update their policies. Under the new policy, all federal agencies are required to designate a scientific integrity official. Those agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee research must designate a chief science officer. It also establishes the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Scientific Integrity to oversee implementation of the framework, and evaluate agencies’ progress. Read the full Framework here. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!

This news and analysis are provided by the Ornithological Council, a consortium supported by 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. The Department of the Interior has reversed its moratorium on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. In late 2019, the Department grounded all Chinese-made drones. Then, in early 2020, the Secretary of the Interior extended that decision to all drone use by the Department and its agencies, in the name of national security. The Ornithological Council has long support the use of drones in wildlife research, management, and conservation. In late 2017, the Ornithological Council asked the Office of the Solicitor to advise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other federal agencies, and the state agencies that the use of drones for wildlife research is not subject to the Airborne Hunting Act. It also asked that if the Solicitor determines that the use of drones to study wildlife is subject to the AHA, then the Solicitor should address the need for federal permits because there are few, if any, state laws pertaining to drone use for wildlife research and monitoring. Then, in early 2018, the OC filed a petition for rulemaking, asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue permits for the use of drones to study wildlife. That petition for rulemaking proposed the changes necessary for the USFWS to issue permits under the AHA, since, if the Solicitor determines that the use of drones for wildlife research is covered by the AHA, permits would be needed. Now that the drone ban has been lifted, the Ornithological Council supports the development of regulations supporting the appropriate use of drones in wildlife research, management, and conservation. More background on the use of drones to research birds is available here. The OC’s fact sheet on drones is available here. About the Ornithological Council The Ornithological Council is a consortium of 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 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!