Monthly Archives: December 2006

Dutch Environment Groups Request More Money For Birds

Various environmental groups in the Netherlands have called on the Dutch parliament to invest money in bird protection. Last week Natuurmonumenten and the Dutch partner of BirdLife International, together with five other agencies, sent the strong message to the Minister of Landscape, Nature and Food Quality.

The number of meadow birds in the Netherlands is declining dramatically. The Meadow Bird Alliance (Weidevogelverbond) was created to slow or reverse this trend. On 15 June this year, various parties involved in the well-being of these birds created an action plan. Groups in attendance included forest rangers, land-management groups, volunteer groups and government agencies. The alliance’s plan hopes to halt the decline of meadow birds by 2010.

Public support for protecting the birds is great, in large part due to successful information campaigns conducted by various environmental groups over the years. The Netherlands is a great breeding ground for many migratory birds and therefore does have a regional and global responsibility to take care of the birds that breed and raise their young in Holland.

Source: Eensgezinde oproep aan Kamer: investeer in weidevogelbeheer

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51 New Zealand Albatross Killed By Longline

A fishing vessel in the Kermadec islands has reportedly killed 51 albatrosses on a single fishing trip by using the longline fishing method. 19 of the world’s 21 different albatross species are threatened with extinction.

New Zealand’s Fisheries Minister proposed a temporary ban on longline fishing following the incident. Most of the albatrosses killed in this incident were Antipodean Albatross.

Read the full story at BirdLife International.

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Posted in Endangered, Pacific | Leave a comment

Game Warden Arrested For Illegally Moving Pheasants

A 62-year-old game warden from Assen, the Netherlands, was arrested last week for having 40 pheasants in his car. The police were conducting a routine ‘control’ (random traffic stops) when an officer noticed moving gunnysacks in the backseat of the perpetrator’s car.

Ten sacks each held four living birds. The man was arrested for transporting the birds without having rings and not in proper cages. The warden was in possession of the birds for some days before being caught. It is thought that he planned to slaughter the birds for consumption or resell them.

The man risks losing his hunting license.

Source: Jachtopzichter rijdt rond met levende fazanten

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Conservation Groups Sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Two conservation groups in Wyoming are suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service for refusing to protect the Mountain Plover under the Endangered Species Act. The two groups, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and Forest Guardians, claim that the Fish and Wildlife Service rejected expert advice on the threat to the Mountain Plover population. The groups claim politics are to blame in the denial of protection for the plovers. Read more about the lawsuit.

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Posted in Aside, Law, North America | Leave a comment

Arctic Gull Spotted In California, Attracts Birders

A Ross’ Gull sighting earlier this month in California attracted about 150 birders hoping to get a glimpse of the bird normally not seen south of Alaska. The bird was spotted in the Salton Sea, a lake located between Imperial and Riverside counties. It marks the first sighting of the gull, which normally breeds in Siberia or Greenland, in California. Read more about the Ross’ Gull’s southern visit.

Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea)
Ross’s Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) by dominic sherony, Creative Commons on Flickr

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Posted in Aside, North America, Rare / Vagrant | Leave a comment

Track Dutch Geese Via www.Goosetrack.nl

Each year approximately 1.5 million geese overwinter in the Netherlands. The mild weather and abundance of meadows and fields make the birds feel at home. With such a large migratory goose population, the country has some responsibility in their welfare. Through an extensive ringing program, questions about the origins and habits of the geese can be answered.

The geese are ringed either around a leg or the neck. The markings are clear enough to be read through binoculars at a distance, to avoid the need to re-catch the same individuals multiple times.

The Goosetrack program will allow the public to contribute to the welfare of the Dutch geese by taking part via SMS and the Internet. Ring data can be sent to Goosetrack via SMS in the field. The site will open in the fall of 2006 and offer information about geese as well as the tracking information.

Source: Nederland is ganzenland

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