Golden Gate Bird Alliance is deeply concerned about the shooting of at least 60 birds near the Oakland Airport on December 23, 2009.  Current reports state that several thousand birds were directly in line with one of the airport’s runways, likely because of a high concentration of fish, and that the birds were unresponsive to the non-lethal “hazing” techniques that normally disperse 90-95% of the birds.  While we understand that human safety is paramount and that some birds do pose risks to aircraft, we are discussing the matter with airport officials, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the Port of Oakland, and the California Dept. of Fish & Game to determine whether all available non-lethal means were attempted before the birds were killed.  We also hope to work with these agencies to reduce the likelihood that similar lethal measures will be necessary in the future.…

More than 200 avid Bay Area birders will fan out over San Francisco to count all the birds they see in a single day.

San Francisco, CA. — On December 29, from before dawn until dusk, hundreds of hardy birders will trek through parks, neighborhoods, wetlands, and woods to count birds.

WHAT: 2009 Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

WHERE: San Francisco

WHEN: Tuesday, December 29

WHY: To provide insight into the past and present status and health of our bird populations and the general health of our environment, as well as being a social, sporting, and competitive event.

MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Murphy, 415.564.0074

SPONSORS: San Francisco – Golden Gate Bird Alliance and Presidio Trust

Some will venture onto the bay in kayaks and boats. Others will traverse city streets, cross remote streams and creeks, and skirt reservoirs and bay mudflats, with their binoculars and scopes trained on trees, bushes, buildings, wires, poles, land, water, and sky. They will call out the names and numbers of birds they see at every site and carefully record them. Then the count participants will gather at the end of the day over dinner to tally their results and share stories of their day in the field.

“For Bay Area birders, these two Christmas counts are an integral part of the holiday season,” says Oakland co-organizer Dave Quady. “A great day of birding, then a fine compilation dinner, friends sharing adventures in the field, then telling stories of rare birds over dessert – what could be finer?”

Coordinated by the National Audubon Society, nearly 60,000 people participated in more than 2,100 counts on three continents last year, the 109^th year of Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Each count attempts to identify and record every individual bird encountered within a defined 15-mile-diameter circle — about 177 square miles — during one calendar day. Golden Gate Bird Alliance sponsors the Oakland count and co-sponsors the San Francisco counts with the Presidio Trust.  Both counts finished among the top 31 in North America in numbers of species found, with 172 or more species in each. Oakland attracted 189 field observers, the fourth-highest number worldwide; San Francisco’s 117 bird counters placed it among the 18 highest in the world.

“Christmas Bird Counts combine many of the things Golden Gate Bird Alliance stands for,” says Executive Director Mark Welther. “It’s a fine day where everyday bird-watchers become citizen scientists, contributing data that helps everyone understand Bay Area birdlife and its habitat a little better, capped off with a wonderful dinner.”…