Author Archives: Amy

Mild Winters Increase Kingfisher Numbers

by Amy Posted on 23 January 2007

Kingfishers in the Netherlands are doing exceptionally well due to the recent mild winters. In the Dutch language they are called ijsvogels, which means ice birds. Despite that name, the birds do not fare well in cold winters.

Ten years ago the population of Kingfishers in the Netherlands consisted of only 150 breeding pairs. Today there are several hundred.

Source: IJsvogel rukt op dankzij zachte winters

Kingfisher, Mere Sands Wood, July 2009
Kingfisher, Mere Sands Wood, July 2009 by Gidzy, Creative Commons on Flickr

Posted in Aside, Netherlands | 1 Comment

Albatrosses Logging Important Data

by Amy Posted on 17 January 2007

Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses fitted with GPS tracking devices have been gathering important information about their habits and habitats. The devices measure temperature as well as track the movements of the birds with a ten meter margin of error.

Both species of albatross are listed as either Vulnerable or Endangered. They are fitted with the devices on Hawaii’s Tern Island and Guadalupe Island, Mexico. The data will be shared with fishery commissions in order to inform them where they are most likely to have bycatch (birds caught during fishing operations) and what they can do to reduce it.

Read more about the Albatross tracking program.

Visit BirdLife International’s Save the Albatross website.

Posted in Endangered, Science & Tech | Leave a comment

Whooper Swan Newest Dutch Breeding Bird

by Amy Posted on 14 January 2007

In 2006 the Netherlands gained not only the White-tailed Eagle as a new local breeder, but also the Whooper Swan.

Whooper Swans have been winter guests in the Netherlands for years. Every fall Whoopers come to the Netherlands from the north to spend the winter months. By the end of March most have flown back to their breeding homes in the north and northeast of Europe.

In 2005 a Whooper Swan nest was found in the province of Drenthe. Though four eggs were laid, none lived to hatch. In 2006 the nest was used again. This time, two chicks survived to fledge.

Source: Wilde zwaan nieuwe broedvogel in Nederland

Posted in Netherlands | Leave a comment

Missouri Town Uses Nonlethal Pigeon Removal

by Amy Posted on 9 January 2007

The Marquette Tower in downtown Marquette, Missouri used to be home to dozens of roosting pigeons. Their waste and noise was becoming a nuisance to pedestrians in the area so authorities are now employing two non-traditional methods to get rid of the birds.

A large device broadcasts the sound of birds in distress over the rooftops. And ‘spiders’, metal poles that move in the wind or when pigeons touch them, have been installed. Since installation, the number of pigeons roosting in the area has dramatically dropped.

Read more.

Posted in North America, Pigeons! | Leave a comment

Grenada Sells Off Dove Sanctuary To Resort Development

by Amy Posted on 31 December 2006

The Grenada Dove, an endangered bird with a global population of 180 birds, is seriously threatened as the government of Grenada is planning to sell off the Mount Hartman National Park to developers.

The national park, also known as ‘The Dove Sanctuary’, is home to about 20 pairs of the Grenada Dove, which is about 22% of the entire population.

The resort development is proposed by the Four Seasons group.

Read more about Grenada’s poor decision-making.

Posted in Aside, Endangered | Leave a comment

Whooping Crane Population Thrives

by Amy Posted on 30 December 2006

There were less than 20 Whooping Cranes in 1941. Today, the U.S. population exceeds 500 birds.

The comeback of the Whooping Crane is due to a coordinated conservation effort. A recent survey counted 237 individuals over-wintering in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

The large birds reach a height of 5 feed and their wingspan can be up to 7 feet.

Read more about the comeback of the Whooping Crane.

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

Amsterdam Airport’s Lapwing Problem

by Amy Posted on 29 December 2006

Around Amsterdam’s airport, Schiphol, approximately 25,000 birds have settled and seem to be planning nesting activities. That is about 20 percent more than normal.

To drive the birds, mostly lapwings, off, authorities have placed dogs in the fields around the airport. Loudspeakers playing recordings of lapwings in distress have also been placed around the airport in an effort to drive the birds away. The lapwings have migrated from northern Europe and remain in the Netherlands this year due to unseasonably warm temperatures.

Landing and departing aircraft can suffer from damage if the birds fly into the windows or engines.

The grass in the fields around the airport will remain unmowed in an effort to make the birds feel less comfortable.

Source: Schiphol verjaagt kieviten

Posted in Netherlands | Leave a comment

Camera Placed By Dutch White-tailed Eagle Nest

by Amy Posted on 25 December 2006

Forest managers have placed a small camera by the White-tailed Eagle nest in the Oostvaardersplassen in Flevoland. The birds’ successful nest last year amazed park rangers and was great news for birdwatchers in the Netherlands.

The Oostvaardersplassen received a lot of visitors intent on seeing the birds. However, park rangers kept the location of the nest secret, to avoid disturbing the birds. Rangers themselves stayed clear of the nest and only learned several weeks after hatching that one chick survived to fledge.

Rangers placed a remote camera in the tree by the nest. Eagle pairs are known to use the same nest over many years but do not use the nest over the winter months, so the camera was placed without disturbing the birds. Images from the camera will be viewable from the visitor center at Oostvaardersplassen and via the internet.

Already the eagle pair has been seen making repairs and improvements to the nest. Last spring the couple, a young female and older male, raised one chick to adulthood. Remarkable was the fact that it was the female’s first nest. First nests rarely produce a successful offspring.

Source: Camera op zeearendnest

Posted in Netherlands, Webcams | 1 Comment