• Spring migration = Lights Out season

    By Ilana DeBare
    Three Canadian scientists set out to study the effect of human light on bird migration. They recorded the vocal activity of birds flying over unlit rural areas near the Great Lakes, and compared that with similar rural areas that had human lights at ground level.
    They found nearly three times the number of calls by birds in the lit areas, according to their report in the May 2016 issue of The Condor, the journal of the American Ornithological Society.
    The study didn’t pinpoint the exact reason for the increased calls. “Birds might have changed their migratory route to pass over lit areas, flown at lower altitudes over lit areas, increased their calling rate over lit areas, or remained longer over lit areas,” the scientists wrote.
    But clearly the lights were affecting migrants in some way, a conclusion that was consistent with previous studies.
    This disruptive effect of urban lights on nighttime migrants is the reason for Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s semi-annual Lights Out for Birds campaign.
    As part of the Pacific Flyway, we have over 250 species — from tiny warblers to large raptors — passing through our region each year. Bright city lights may disorient them or lure them into deadly window collisions. So each spring and fall, we urge Bay Area businesses and residents to dim lights or draw shades at night to help keep these birds on route during their travels.
    How can you help?

    • At home, turn off unnecessary exterior lights between dusk and dawn.
    • At the office, draw blinds if you’re working after dark. Or use task lighting such as a desk lamp rather than overhead lights that illuminate the entire area.
    • Talk to your building owner or manager about turning off unnecessary lights or drawing blinds at night.  Make sure the janitorial crews that serve your office are informed about Lights Out. Our Lights Out web page has flyers you can share with your employer, janitorial crews, and colleagues, as well as info on PG&E rebates.
    • Spread the word on social media! Our Lights Out page also provides some sample tweets and Facebook posts about Lights Out. Use the hashtag #lightsout to help build momentum.

    Lights Out at work is particularly important because large office buildings can create masses of light that are visible to birds at a distance. Plus companies can benefit from adopting a Lights Out policy!  Turning out unnecessary lights saves energy and reduces utility bills.…

  • Final Report on 2016 Oakland CBC

    By Dave Quady and Bob Lewis
    [This report is also available as a PDF for easy printing and sharing. Click here for the PDF version.]
    After 2015’s memorable 75th anniversary count a letdown seemed inevitable, and our expectations dropped further when a terrific rainstorm moved in three days prior to count day. But when owlers began “work” in Redwood Regional Park at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 18, the stars were brilliantly clear. Later on, the day warmed to 54 degrees under bright sunshine, no rain fell, and the 302 participants in Oakland’s 76th Christmas Bird Count enjoyed good birds and another wonderful Oakland Christmas Bird Count.
    Altogether we found 116,055 birds, some 20,000 above our recent average, and 179 species, near our recent average. Total numbers were buoyed by a record high count (since 1974) of 24,000+ Greater Scaup, with more than 14,000 of them found by our South Boat. Numbers of scaup have fluctuated greatly over the years – in the 1970s, three consecutive counts recorded 14,000+, 91,000+, and 35,000+ scaup, respectively, so the fact that this year’s total of 26,084 scaup is more than twice last year’s total does not represent a trend. The actual, highly discouraging trend is this: On average, numbers of scaup, and numbers of all duck species in total, have declined 50 percent from the 1970s to recent years.
    Besides Greater Scaup, we also had record-high counts of Green-winged Teal, Least Sandpiper, Forster’s Tern, Hairy Woodpecker, Peregrine Falcon, American Crow, and Pygmy Nuthatch.
    Surfbird by Calvin Lou
    Among the notable species recorded on count day were a Snow Goose, a Brant, two Red-necked Grebes, and two Common Gallinules. A lone Cattle Egret at the Oakland Airport was likely the same bird present there last season, when it broke an eleven-year-long drought since the last Cattle Egret. It was gratifying to again find Snowy Plovers – 25 of them – present in Alameda, and 29 Surfbirds present along the Bay shoreline.
    Swallows, especially Tree Swallows, are being seen in increasing numbers on Bay Area Christmas bird counts, almost certainly a sign of warmer winters. We found Tree Swallows in two areas this season; our two House Wrens and two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers may also owe their presence to warmer winters. Wilson’s Warbler, with three found on Bay Farm Island – our first since 2004 – was selected as the count’s Best Bird. Disappointingly, a male Black-headed Grosbeak spending its third winter in Claremont Canyon was not seen on count day.…

  • Do birds love? (an ongoing argument)

    By Joe Galkowski
    It’s Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate romantic love, so I thought I would pose the question, “Do birds love?”
    Scientists will say this question has been definitively answered with a big “no.” There are other scientists, however, who are just as sure it is “yes.” The argument is ongoing. They have, in trying to prove the other side wrong, gathered a bunch of interesting facts and evidence.
    There are lots of reasons to consider it a possibility. First of all, almost 90 percent of birds are monogamous. Sure, recent genetic studies show there is a whole lot of cheating going on, but in general, one could argue that most birds are better than humans at monogamy. They are far more likely to stay in their relationships than us humans.

    There is also a large base of anecdotal evidence supporting the “yes” side. Albatross mate for life. If a partner dies, the lone bird will go a year or two before trying to find a new mate. If you try to understand this from a natural selection perspective, you come away puzzled. The lone albatross would have better chances to pass on their genetics if they looked for a new mate immediately. Then, there are geese who have starved themselves to death after their long-time mate died. That’s pretty strong evidence of grief, if not love. And, how does one explain away the occurrence of healthy birds staying with a sick or dying mate, even bringing it food to try to nurse it back to health? Wouldn’t it be a better strategy to go find a new, healthy mate?
    American Avocets courting by Joe Galkowski
    Brandt’s Cormorants courting by Joe Galkowski
    Some birds are also very affectionate with their mates, hence the terms “Love Birds” and “Lovey-Dovey.” Physical affection strengthens their pair-bond, but often does not directly contribute to better reproductive success. So why spend the energy?
    It was the recorded observations of affection in pigeons and doves that actually convinced me that there is something like love going on in birds. It has been noted that in these birds, there are very affectionate pairs who can’t seem to keep their beaks off their mates, pairs that appear to want to be close to each other but not actually interact, and even some pairs that seem to just barely tolerate each other. If public displays of affection in doves were strictly a programmed instinctual responses, would there be this much variability?
    …

  • Celebrating our 100th birthday at Tilden

    By Ilana DeBare
    Hey, if you turn 100, you’re allowed to celebrate for more than one day, right? Like maybe for a whole year?
    That’s what we at Golden Gate Bird Alliance are doing. For the Centennial of our founding in 1917, we developed a traveling museum exhibit that will be featured at different venues throughout 2017.
    During February and March, it will be on display at the Environmental Education Center in Tilden Regional Park. We kicked off its Tilden stay with a reception last Saturday that included wine, women, and song.
    Well… wines donated and served by our own genial enophile George Peyton. The song of birds on a pre-reception bird walk led by GGBA field trip leader Alan Kaplan and East Bay Regional Park District naturalist Anthony Fisher.
    And women… celebratory speeches by GGBA board member Jill Weeder O’Brien, GGBA Executive Director Cindy Margulis, and East Bay Parks board chair Beverly Lane.
    Pre-reception bird walk with Alan Kaplan, winner of our 2016 Paul Covel Education Award / Photo by Denny Scott Parker
    Viewing the Centennial exhibit at the Tilden Environmental Education Center
    Plus a wonderful speech by East Bay Parks General Manager Bob Doyle about the very productive, decades-long partnership between GGBA and the district.
    “Audubon fought against development, even litigated, to protect shorebirds and habitat,” Doyle said. “I can’t tell you how important that is…. (and) I don’t know of any other partner that has done more to get kids to the shoreline, to learn about birds and the plants you restored to nourish the birds.”
    East Bay Parks board chair Beverly Lane congratulates GGBA on our 100th anniversary
    East Bay Regional Parks General Manager Bob Doyle with GGBA Executive Director Cindy Margulis
    Attendees at the reception were stunned by the vibrant and detailed photographs of birds and Audubon activities in the 12 exhibit panels. But the back story behind the exhibit is nearly as impressive.
    When the GGBA board started mulling how to celebrate the Centennial two years ago, they wanted an outward-facing celebration — something that would introduce Golden Gate Bird Alliance to broad parts of the community that may never have heard of us.
    They settled on the idea of a traveling exhibit that would appear at free public venues with a lot of foot traffic.
    Cindy Margulis connected GGBA with a graduate-level seminar in Museum Studies at JFK University. GGBA became the class project!…

  • Palm oil – not an environmentally friendly food or fuel

    By Bob Lewis
    I was fortunate to visit Malaysia in 2015, both Borneo and the peninsula, as well as a few islands of Indonesia. The forests there are spectacular, some of the most diverse and rich in terms of all sorts of animal and plant life. Primates included Orangutan (critically endangered), Western Tarsier, Proboscis Monkey and many others; the butterflies were spectacular, and the birdlife was exciting to see. There was even a new family for me to photograph: the endemic Bornean Bristlehead (classified as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature)!
    We visited an IBA (Important Bird Area) in Borneo’s Danum Valley, a lush jungle with treetop walkways; Fraser Hill, north of Kuala Lumpur; Taman Nagara, Malaysia’s oldest jungle National Park; as well as many other places. They were all full of wonderful sights like the Daird’s and Scarlet-rumped Trogons (both near-threatened), White-crowned Hornbill (near-threatened), Bornean Wren-babbler (vulnerable) and Black & Yellow Broadbill (near-threatened).
    Bornean Bristlehead by Bob Lewis
    Red-Naped Trogon by Bob Lewis
    Proboscis Monkey by Bob Lewis
    Unfortunately, these wonderful places are becoming oases in the middle of palm “deserts,” monocultures that are not suitable habitat for any of the birds and mammals that inhabit the forests. And that explains why so many creatures are now considered threatened or endangered by the IUCN. When I got home, I started to learn more about the palm oil industry.
    Throughout Southeast Asia, and especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, tropical forests are being lumbered and burned, and palm oil plantations are taking their place. Everywhere I looked outside the parks, the impact of the palm oil industry was clear to see – either already-producing plantations consisting of miles of palm trees in perfect lines, or evidence of future plantations, such as logging residue where forests had been, or smoke pillars from burning, trenched peat that remained after the forest was logged.
    Forest being cleared for a palm plantation. Photo by Ulet Ifansasti / Greenpeace
    The result of a deforestation fire for a palm oil plantation. Notice the black canal. Photo: Alexander Hotz / Coconuts Media
    A monoculture palm oil plantation, owned by PT. Photo courtesy of Greenpeace.
    According to the IUCN, Indonesia’s birdlife includes 429 endemic species, of which 82 are threatened. The threat continues to grow as the forest is destroyed. In the Fall 2016 issue of Audubon magazine, Jocelyn C. Zuckerman discussed the problems of illegal clearing, burning and poaching.…