How will climate change alter the distribution of birds within the eastern United States? This USDA Forest Service study has assessed the current status and potential future status for 147 bird species in the eastern United States resulting from three different models of climate change.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology - A premier site for all things avian - conservation, education and research! Look into their Citizen Science Program to see how you can contribute information related to your own observations.
West Niles Virus Update. West Nile virus has now been identified in more than 250 species of birds within the United States, often crows and blue jays. See this recent commentary from the journal, Nature: "Birds sound the alarm on West Nile Virus".
The CDC encourages you to contact your state or local health department to report dead birds in your area. See the USGS National Wildlife Health Center website for more information.
Avian Research Models. Avian species of all varieties may serve as excellent model systems to enhance our understanding of physiology, aging and environmental issues. The following resources provide excellent examples of notable avian model systems. Aging Research Nervous System
Results and analysis of the most recent North American Breeding Bird Survey by the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (co-authored by Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, J. E. Fallon, K. L. Pardieck, D. J. Ziolkowski, Jr., and W. A. Link, 2011) provides information about more than 400 North American Birds. Maps of abundance and population change are presented for a variety of regions.
The State of the Birds website is produced by for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This "report provides the nation's first assessment of the distribution of birds on public lands and helps public agencies identify which species have significant potential for conservation in each habitat. The state of our birds is a measurable indicator of how well we are doing as stewards of our environment".
As a byproduct of the emerald ash borer infestation that continues to spread, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has reported increases in the population of three woodpeckers that are known to forage on pest-infested ash trees - the downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker - as well as the white-breasted nuthatch. All four species are cavity-nesters and are reported to benefit from an increase in nesting habitat as ash trees are killed. Moreover, the new and widely abundant food source appears to be enhancing overall rates of reproduction.
