IBP IN THE NEWS
.jpg) | Tracking Long-term Songbird Trends at Mammoth Cave National Park (June 2018) IBP is grateful to its many MAPS and MoSI station collaborators. Recently, the station at Mammoth Cave National Park, which has been operating since 2004, was highlighted by the Glasgow (Kentucky) Times. In addition to their work conducting regular mist netting, the workers at the Mammoth Cave site are taking blood samples from Kentucky Warbler to assist with migratory connectivity work as part of the Bird Genoscape Project, the collaboration between The UCLA Center for Tropical Research, IBP, and many others. Glasgow Times |
.jpg) | Discovering New Areas Where Birds Molt (May 2018) Molt is an energetically-taxing phase of life for birds. Months of wear cause their feathers to deteriorate, so most birds refresh their plumage at least once a year, often between breeding and fall migration. For a long time, it was assumed that most North American landbirds molt close to where they nest, but as shown in a new paper by IBP, which was featured in Audubon Magazine online, more birds rely on special molting locations than was previously realized. The study used 17 years of records from IBP’s MAPS Program, including data from more than 760,000 capture records of 140 species of landbirds collected at 936 MAPS stations. Audubon |
 | IBP and UCLA Team Up to Map Migration (June 2017) For several years, IBP and UCLA have been collaborating on an innovative project to map the migratory pathways of many of North America's landbirds, and to map the migration routes between breeding and wintering sites. The initiative, called The Bird Genoscape Project, is led by UCLA scientists Drs. Tom Smith and Kristen Ruegg. IBP assists the effort by using our MAPS and MoSI networks to collect feathers for genetic analyis. Several news outlets have recently had stories about this project. National Geographic Jasper (Canada) Fitzhugh |
 | Pyrodiversity Promotes Biodiversity (October 2016) How does biodiversity respond to forest fire? The Los Angeles Times and several other news outlets ran stories on a recent paper by IBP Research Associate Morgan Tingley and several IBP scientists and colleagues on this topic. Theory predicts that the high diversity of habitats and successional states created by some fires – termed pyrodiversity – should increase the number of species living in an area. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the scientists describe how, by visiting nearly 100 fire sites in California’s mountains over the 10 years after they burned, they found that pyrodiversity does increase bird diversity, but only gradually over time. A synopsis of this and other fire-diversity related research was also recently published in Science Magazine. Los Angeles Times Science Magazine |
.png) | Understanding the Mysterious Great Gray Owl (September 2016) For its cover story, Audubon Magazine featured recent research on the relatively unknown Great Gray Owl, including work conducted by IBP and colleagues in the Sierra Nevada that catalogued the known nesting records in California since 1973. The study found a surprising 21 percent of the nests in hotter, lower habitats than previously documented - land that is being rapidly developed in the state. Audubon |
.png) | Delays in Species Listing Could Harm Biodiversity (August 2016) The Huffington Post and several other sources recently profiled a study by authors including IBP Research Associate Dylan Kesler which documented very long waits for some species before receiving Endangered Species Act determinations. The study also noted that vertebrates like mammals and birds are processed about twice as fast as invertebrates and plants. (IBP was not directly involved in this work). The Huffington Post Science Daily Phys.org News Service |
.png) | Memories of the Farallons (August 2016) The National Public Radio Program The Kitchen Sisters aired a story which featured IBP Biologist Peter Pyle about the Gold Rush era "egg wars" on the Farallon Islands, a group of rocky outcrops 30 miles west of San Francisco that, in the 19th century, harbored the largest seabird rookery in the contiguous U.S. To feed protein-hungry miners during the Gold Rush, collectors would gather the eggs of Common Murres and other species, nearly extirpating the birds from the islands. Peter, who worked on the Farallons for 20 years, also shared some of his memories with the news website Pacific Standard. NPR The Kitchen Sisters Entomology Today |
.png) | Podcast about the MAPS Program (July 2016) MAPS Program Coordinator Danielle Kaschube was featured on a recent episode of The Prairie Naturalist podcast. Host Jared Clarke spoke with both Danielle and Bert Dalziel, who operates a MAPS station near Love, Saskatchewan. The Prairie Naturalist |
.jpg) | The MAPS Program in North Carolina (July 2016) The Smokey Mountain News profiled Mark Hopey, Director of Southern Appalachian Raptor Research, who operates a MAPS station in western North Carolina. Hopey got interested in MAPS as a way to help build a detailed picture of migratory bird populations in the state, understand the way birds interact with their habitats, and examine the challenges to their successful conservation. Smoky Mountain News |
.jpg) | Micronesian Kingfisher Restoration (May 2016) IBP Research Associate Dylan Kesler’s work helping restore the Micronesian Kingfisher to the wild was showcased by the website ScienceLine. The last wild Guam Micronesian Kingfishers were removed from their remote Pacific island home more than 30 years ago, when they were airlifted to American zoos after invasive brown tree snakes drove them to the brink of extinction. But there are now plans to release this colorful bird onto islands without snakes. (IBP was not directly involved in this work). ScienceLine |
.jpg) | Bryan’s Shearwater, the First New U.S. Bird Species in Decades (April 2016) The science website Seeker recently profiled IBP Scientist Peter Pyle’s work in determining that Bryan’s shearwater, a Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Ocean seabird and the smallest shearwater in the world, is indeed a distinct species. This important study was previously noted in Wired and Smithsonian. Seeker Wired Smithsonian |
.png) | West Nile Virus and Birds (February 2016) IBP’s ground-breaking work in helping understand the effects of West Nile virus on birds was widely publicized. Data from MAPS banding stations and other sources shows more species were hit than initially suspected, and half of those have yet to recover. KymKemp.com UCLA Newsroom Science Daily |
.jpg) | Bird Alpha Codes (February 2016) In February, Lifepress had a story about the development of 4-letter bird species codes, used as shorthand by bird banders and researchers, including IBP’s participation in the effort to standardize the format. Lifepress |
.png) | Linking Breeding and Wintering Areas through Genetics (September 2015) Think Progress, KPCC Radio, and several other outlets have showcased the collaboration between IBP and UCLA’s Center for Tropical Research on innovative, cutting edge ways to delineate bird populations and link breeding, wintering, and migratory stopover areas. Think Progress KPCC Radio UCLA Newsroom |
.jpg) | Warbler Conservation and the MAPS Program (June 2015) The MAPS Program was featured in a story about warbler conservation on Martha's Vineyard published in the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette. Nine of the ten warbler species that nest on the island are declining, and the MAPS program is helping study why. Martha's Vineyard Gazette |
.jpg) | Burrowing Owl Conservation (June 2015) A story on the Sacramento Bee website details California some state efforts at Burrowing Owl conservation, including IBP’s extensive surveys of this species. Burrowing Owl populations have declined steeply, and twelve California counties that historically hosted Burrowing Owls now have none. Sacramento Bee |
.jpg) | Yosemite Wildlife Threatened by Shrinking Snowpacks, Drought, and Wildfires (August 2014) IBP’s research and partnership with Yosemite National Park was profiled by Al Jazeera America. Since 1990, the National Park Service and IBP have collaborated on studies examining the potential impacts of climate change, the distribution of several rare or endangered species, and many other projects. Al Jazeera America |
.jpg) | The MAPS Program in Upstate New York (August 2014) The Lewisboro Ledger ran a story about the MAPS Station run by the Bedford, New York Audubon Society -- a MAPS partner since 2009. Lewisboro Ledger |
Photo Credits, from top: Eastern Prairie Orchid by Joshua Mayer; American Goldfinch courtesy of The Prairie Naturalist; Indigo Bunting by Matt Stratmoen; Sierra meadow wildflowers by Dawn Endico; Micronesian Kingfisher by DW Ross; Bryan's Shearwater by Reginald David; West Nile Virus courtesy Washington University of St. Louis; American Kestrel by Rob Crowe; Migratory Connectivity Map courtesy UCLA; Black-and-white Warbler by Peter Wilton; Burrowing Owl by Hans Splinter; Mirrow Lake by Rickz; MAPS Bandng by IBP
