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Modern birds are descendants of probably three different dinosaur lineages. Those three lineages have evolved into 47 different orders as described by the International Ornithological Congress (IOC; Gill et al., 2021) although as genetic testing improves and increases in simplicity, this number may change. Of those 47 orders, only three contain bird species that show active learning of song (Figure 1). All bird species have innate calls that a...
While a lot of tick bites will not cause much trouble, some ticks can pass on bacteria that can make you very sick. Two of the most well-known diseases are Lyme (caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and B. mayonii), and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii). Other tick diseases found in the Mid-Atlantic region include: anaplasmosis, B. miyamotoi disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus disease and R. parkeri rickettsiosis. Depe...
Hello from Miami, Florida! I am busy pursuing my marine conservation studies at University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, but I wanted to take a quick moment to share some information about light pollution and how it affects wildlife. This information is from a virtual event hosted by Tropical Audubon Society in celebration of Miami Dark Sky Week 2021.
This article is a synthesis of all the information featured in this ...
Our area is hosting one of the great spectacles of nature…the return of “Brood X”, the cicadas. It’s a phenomenon that, depending on the species, only occurs every 13-17 years, but, for most, is memorable. Do you remember their last appearance in 2004? Magicicada, the genus including seven species of periodical cicadas, emerge from the ground after spending 12-16 years as juveniles sucking nutrients from tree roots and growing from the size of a small ant...
In late March, we celebrated the 36th birthday of our beloved Harris’s hawk, Cheyenne! Because pandemic restrictions were still in place, this was our first virtual event. We made some mistakes, but overall we accomplished what we set out to do-showing people our Animal Ambassadors and highlighting what The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds’ website states: our Cheyenne is the oldest known captive Harris’s hawk in North America! In fact, she may...
The past few months seems like one big blur. I close my eyes and try to remember what my life was like a few months ago back in March, before the pandemic was declared. I was teaching biology at Rutgers University—Camden. It was a typical semester. I was preparing for my trip to Patagonia over spring break. I have never been to South America so I was excited to experience some new culture, but more importantly to see the native wildlife. I was thrilled be...
People may wonder if the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 in humans, has any relation to climate change.
There doesn't seem to be any direct evidence of this in the current pandemic. But there do appear to be links in circumstances.
In an April 15, 2020 article in the Washington Post, writer Sarah Kaplan notes, "Climate change is frequently described as a threat multiplier, something that exacerbates existing prob...
I have been struggling for weeks, trying to think of something to write about for this newsletter that is not about the pandemic. Every single thing that we do now is affected by this virus. But it is spring, going into summer, and during this time there are many factors that influence our native wildlife. You may have seen or heard of these things before, so consider this a refresher course on how to preserve and protect these precious gifts from nature....
It is almost too difficult to remember a time without the hashtag “coronavirus” in it. The protagonist of the current pandemic, SARS CoV-2, the causing agent of COVID-19, has spread like wildfire and as of June 1st infecting about 1.8 million people worldwide and leaving behind a massive death toll that recently surpassed 100 thousand in the United States alone. From stay-at-home orders to quarantines, and a high expected death toll, COVID-19 has changed ...
A June 5, 2020 article in Scientific American focused on the first annual Black Birders Week. Associate Editor, Andrea Thompson, interviewed the three co-founders who started this as an educational counterpoint to the recent racial incident in Central Park.
The three are all young and full of joy and enthusiasm for birds, the environment and wildlife. Corina Newsome is a birder and graduate student focusing on avian conservation at Georgia Southern Uni...
