Author: Diego Gallego García
Guest feature | Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) breeding season roost site selection in a working agricultural landscape in Clay County, Mississippi
Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) have been considered a beloved gamebird of the North American hunter for generations. Unfortunately, bobwhite populations are experiencing range-wide population declines. By the early 1990s, bobwhite populations declined by 60-80% throughout approximately 70% of their range. Read More
Guest feature Studying | Bird Migration without ever capturing a single bird
The ability to attach devices such as satellite transmitters or geolocators to birds has transformed our knowledge of how birds migrate. However, these technologies have their limits. They require capturing the birds, usually twice, and the expense limits most studies to a small number of individuals within a relatively limited portion of their range. Also, some species, such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, are too small to allow tagging with current geolocators. Read More
Guest feature | Long-term changes in arrival timing and site functionality in two passerine species during spring migration in northeastern Pennsylvania, USA
We have been studying migratory songbirds for more than 18 years in and near Lackawanna State Park in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania, USA. Over the years we have examined a number of questions, mostly focused migration. In addition to capturing and banding birds for identification, we take assorted morphological measures, weigh, age (via plumage and measurements), and sex […] Read More
Guest feature | The influence of artificial light on the behaviour of a nocturnal bird
Light pollution caused by artificial light at night (or ALAN) is one of many factors of the ever-increasing urbanization of the planet that impact the behaviour and ecology of organisms. The use of artificial light in rural and natural areas in addition to dense urban centres mean its one of the more pervasive symptoms of urbanization and can alter natural environments even quite far from cities. However, the ecological consequences of ALAN on the behaviour of organisms is not well understood, […] Read More
Elusive Birds of the Tropical Forest Understory
Elusive Birds of the Tropical Forest Understory (Comstock Publishing Associates) makes a fine effort to introduce us to an underappreciated and relatively little-known cohort of birds. Its attractive coffee table book format houses a compendium of portraiture sets for 41 bird species that reside in the lower to mid- strata of New World tropical forests. Accompanying each of these sets is an accessibly-written essay by one of several contemporary, expert tropical avian ecologists. Read More
Guest feature | Sex determination of Eastern White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys) using wing chord length
The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a common, sexually monochromatic (male and female coloration is identical) songbird species that occurs across North America in different seasons. For this reason, it is one of the most commonly studied songbirds in North America. The White-crowned Sparrow has four currently recognized subspecies: Eastern (leucophrys), Gambel’s (gambelii), Nuttall’s (nuttalli) […] Read More
Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia
This is a very welcome publication. Anthropologist Philip Clarke has produced a wide-ranging survey of the historical and cultural relationships between Australia’s aboriginal peoples and its distinctive avifauna. These relationships are both deep and complex. When the first European settlers encountered this vast continent they were entering a world whose indigenous inhabitants had over thousands of years evolved a most detailed and intimate knowledge of their natural surroundings and its wildlife. Read More
Birds of Belize
I received the book from the publisher thanks to a request from AFO, who kindly asked me if I would be interested in reviewing this new book. The first pleasant surprise was the size of the book, which was very practical. The idea of having the groups of species presented on the folded front inside cover to get a quick idea of what we’re looking at seems to be very useful and well thought out. Although it may seem that there are few species in Belize, with this double-page spread of quick groups presentation... Read More
