The Cornell Lab of Ornithology bestowed its prestigious Arthur A. Allen Award for 2013 to Dr. Robert Ridgely, at a ceremony May 14 at the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library. The award, named for Cornell Lab founder Arthur Allen, was established in 1967 to honor those who have made significant contributions to ornithology by making it accessible to the general public.

“No individual alive today has contributed more to the understanding and widespread public appreciation of South American birds than Bob Ridgely,” said Cornell Lab director John Fitzpatrick. “Through his own pioneering explorations in the Andean wilderness, his meticulously researched books and articles, and his relentless pursuit of conservation milestones in Ecuador and beyond, Bob embodies everything that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology strives to achieve and support. ”

“As founder of the Cornell Lab, Arthur Allen broke important ground by blurring the lines between amateur naturalists and professional scientists,” Fitzpatrick said. “Today we honor Allen’s vision by recognizing other leaders who help build this vital bridge, and nobody does this better than Robert Ridgely.”

Dr. Ridgely is an expert on Neotropical birds and coauthor of The Birds of Panama, The Birds of Ecuador, and The Birds of South America. Ridgely and fellow birder John Moore discovered a new species of antpitta in Ecuador in 1997.  Subsequently named the Jocotoco Antpitta, it has gangly blue legs, a white cheek patch, and vocalizations that range from a soft hooting to a sharp bark. The endangered bird was given the scientific name Grallaria ridgelyi to honor Dr. Ridgely.

Jocotoco Antpitta by Patty McGann via Wikipedia

Listen to the bird’s call and song, recorded by Dr. Ridgely in 1997. The recording is archived in the Lab’s Macaulay Library collection.

Ridgely is the cofounder and president of Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, which runs 10 nature reserves in Ecuador. He has worked tirelessly to promote bird conservation during his tenure at the Academy of Natural Sciences and the American Bird Conservancy, continuing to the present in his role as Honorary President of the World Land Trust-US.

“Dr. Robert Ridgely is a trailblazer in conservation as well as one the world’s foremost field ornithologists and tropical researchers,” says Dr. Paul Salaman, Chief Executive Officer of World Land Trust-US. “His no-nonsense approach to conservation has resulted in the purchase of private lands for the protection of birds and their environment, producing real world results.”

Ridgely has been awarded the Eisenmann Medal by the Linnaean Society of New York (2001); the Chandler Robbins Award from the American Birding Association (2006); and the Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award by the American Ornithologists’ Union (2011).

Past Winners of the Arthur A. Allen Award include Roger Tory Peterson, Alexander Wetmore, Sir Peter Scott, Alexander Skutch, Tom Cade, Victor Emanuel, and Linda Macaulay.

(Image: 2013 Allen Award recipient Robert Ridgely, center, with two past recipients, Linda Macaulay and Victor Emanuel. Photo courtesy John Fitzpatrick.)

By Jason Martin and Robyn Bailey

In many parts of North America, handsome male Northern Cardinals are already singing to attract mates. A bird so visible in the winter landscape begs the question, “How does a flame-red bird that nests close to the ground manage to be so common?”

Many people puzzle over how this conspicuous species can be so successful, despite its low rate of nesting success. Typically, fewer than 40 percent of nests fledge at least one young. And if predation is a problem for cardinals, why don’t the males try to blend in a little more? Our NestWatch team has some answers, fed by details of cardinal nesting behavior gleaned from the 268 nesting attempts reported to the program so far. Here’s project leader Jason Martin:

The answer may lie in their long breeding season. Cardinals do not migrate and can begin building nests as early as late February. They can continue nesting into late August or September, giving them plenty of opportunity to raise one or two broods of young per year.

Another factor could be that cardinals are habitat generalists. They can nest in open woodlands, dry shrubby areas, disturbed tangles, suburbs, backyards, and even deserts. And they seem to put their nests pretty much anywhere: a recent study in Texas found that cardinal nest sites weren’t particularly different from sites the researchers chose at random. This suggests that cardinals may not be limited by suitable nesting locations.

Cardinals build their nests in live trees, shrubs, or vine tangles, anywhere up to about 15 feet high. Higher nests, and nests placed in denser tangles, seem to offer some relief from predators. The bright male carries nesting material to the female, who does most of the building. She uses her big beak to crush twigs until they’re pliable, then bends them around her body to make a nest cup that fits her, wedged into a small fork of branches for support. The nest is a sophisticated structure that takes 3–9 days to build. By the end, it’s about four inches across and three tall, lined with a snug layer of grapevine bark and fine grasses and pine needles.

But how does the male get away with being so colorful? The flamboyant males sing from high perches and do not trade their breeding plumes for a drab winter coat—they seem like obvious targets for hawks. It turns out that male cardinals are probably bright and loud for the same reason: to advertise what good mates they’d make.

According to the Birds of North America Online, brighter males have higher reproductive success, hold better territories, and offer more parental care. The intensity of a cardinal’s redness is related to what he’s been eating. So when females see a bright male, it’s a signal that he’s healthy and holds a good territory. (Interestingly, recent research by Amanda Rodewald, the Cornell Lab’s new director of Conservation Science, shows that this relationship may be getting less reliable for cardinals in urban areas, because of the novel food sources available in town.)

By responding to redness as a sign of a promising mate, females have encouraged the evolution of bright coloring in males. This process is called sexual selection, and it’s an everyday example of a process that can lead to extraordinary creatures like the birds-of-paradise. At the same time, the female’s muted colors provide her (and her nest) with a protective camouflage that the male lacks. Furthermore, cardinals tend to have high survival rates, possibly because they don’t endure the stress of migration. The oldest recorded cardinals lived to be at least 15 and a half years old (one recorded in Pennsylvania and another in Virginia).

If you are lucky enough to find a cardinal nest this year, won’t you help us learn more about this fascinating species? Last year, NestWatch participants monitored a record 81 Northern Cardinal nests. Can we get more in 2013? Head over to NestWatch for tips, stats, and focal species information, plus details about how to monitor nests safely as part of this great, free project.

(Image by Daniel Behm via Birdshare. This post was written by NestWatch project leader Jason Martin and program assistant Robyn Bailey.)

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  First place, Overall: Cedar Waxwing by Ben Thomas, Georgia.

  

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  Fourth place, Overall: Eastern Bluebird by Glenda Simmons, Florida.

  

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  Third place, Composition: Black-capped Chickadee by Michele Black, Ohio.

  

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  Fourth place, Composition: Willet by Donald Dvorak, California.

  

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  Fifth place, Habitat: Blue-winged Teal by Scott Kinsey, Florida.

  

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  Fifth place, Behavior: Barred Owls by Shane Conklin, Massachusetts.

  

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  Second place, Overall: Wood Duck by Bob Howdeshell, Georgia.

  

This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count is happening Feb 15–18. Last year’s count set a new record for participation, netting more than 100,000 checklists. This year could be even bigger, because for the first time ever, the GBBC is going global. Drawing on the international reach of eBird‘s online checklists, we can now accept entries from anyone, anywhere in the world.

I have a hunch it’s going to make the judging for the annual photo contest even more difficult. Already, every year our judges have a tough time sifting through more than 7,000 photo submissions to award prizes and honorable mentions in six categories. What’s going to happen when the field opens up to (hypothetically) six more continents and some 9,000 more species? We can’t wait to find out.

With the aim of giving you a little inspiration, here are the winners of the 2012 photo contest. We’ve chosen a smattering of the winners’ photos to put in the slideshow above—see what we mean about it being hard to decide? You can also check out submissions from 2012 and past years on the GBBC website.

While you’re there, look over the summary of the 2012 results—tangible evidence of how GBBC participants have helped us understand the winter distribution of birds across the continent. We can’t wait for this year’s count to expand our view to the rest of the world. Where will you be counting from?

(New to the GBBC? Find out how to participate. Veteran counter? Tell your friends and let them in on the fun!)

How can we make life easier for birds in our neighborhoods? That’s the question behind the latest seasonal challenge from Celebrate Urban Birds. This Cornell Lab of Ornithology citizen-scence project focuses on birds in urban settings and how they benefit from green spaces created by humans. Enter by December 15, 2012, and you could win a prize!

Several times per year the project holds contests, or “challenges” to get participants thinking about birds in their neighborhoods. Challenge entries may be photographs, artwork, video, a story, or a poem showing how birds are surviving and making use of their habitat.

“As part of this challenge, we want to see the creative or interesting ways in which people help wild birds,” says project leader Karen Purcell. “Or it could be as simple as setting up feeders or nest boxes, providing water, or planting flowers that provide seeds.”

Deadline for entries is December 15, 2012. Learn more about how you can take part.

Great prizes include feeders from challenge sponsor Kaytee, plus bird guides, sound recordings, posters, fun bird books for adults and children, and more.

How to participate:
1. Email your entry to urbanbirds@cornell.edu
2. Write your FirstName_LastName_City_State_NOBIRD in the subject line
3. Include your postal address in the body of the email
4. Please explain where the photo was taken and the name of the bird if you know it
5. Read and agree to the terms and conditions of the Challenge

See examples of current entries for this bird-inspired challenge.

Celebrate Urban Birds is a free, year-round citizen-science project focused on birds in neighborhood settings.

(Image: Cedar Waxwing by Bob Howdeshell via Celebrate Urban Birds)

The 26^th season of Project FeederWatch begins November 10, and participants are needed more than ever. By watching your feeders from November through April and submitting what you see, you’re making it possible for scientists to keep track of changing bird populations across the continent. New or returning participants can sign up anytime.

After unusual winter weather in some parts of the country last season, many participants found themselves asking, “Where are the birds?”—but the story might be different this year.

The AccuWeather long-range forecasting service is predicting some big storms in the Northeast this winter, so FeederWatchers in that region may see more birds at their feeders than they did last winter. Forecasts also call for another year of below-normal snowfall for the Midwest, above-normal snowfall and below-normal temperatures for the central and southern Rockies, and a wet winter with above-normal precipitation for the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

“We’ll have to see if those predictions pan out and how they might affect feeder-bird numbers,” says David Bonter, project leader for FeederWatch. “The one number we definitely want to see increase is the number of people taking part in FeederWatch. It’s easy to do, and the information is incredibly valuable in helping us better understand what’s going on in the environment and in the lives of the birds we enjoy so much.”

Other things to look forward to as the season approaches:

• A new photo gallery featuring some of the many photos FeederWatchers sent in during the 2011-12 season. We enjoy seeing what’s visiting your feeders each and every year!
• This year’s Winter Finch Forecast shows it could be a great winter for birds at feeders—so don’t miss it! Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks, and other birds are likely to be on the move after a relatively poor summer for cone crops. Read the full forecast for more details.
• Winter Bird Highlights is our annual summary of the previous season’s results. The 2012 issue is being mailed to Canadian FeederWatch participants in their kits and will be mailed to U.S. participants with the fall issue of Living Bird News (late October). You can also get a PDF version online and read it immediately.
• A new resource for educators. Pennington Wild Bird Feed and the Cornell Lab have developed a new program for educators who want to use wild bird activities to teach K-12 science concepts. Teachers can even get a free window feeder from Pennington by attending BirdSleuth’s “Feeding our Feathered Friends” webinar. Note: We can ship the window feeders to U.S. school addresses only. Learn more about this great offer.

To learn more about joining Project FeederWatch and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call the Cornell Lab toll-free at (866) 989-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Cornell Lab members), participants receive the FeederWatcher Handbook and Instructions with tips on how to successfully attract birds to your feeders, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds, and a calendar. Participants also receive Winter Bird Highlights, an annual summary of FeederWatch findings, as well as the Cornell Lab’s quarterly newsletter, Living Bird News.

(Project FeederWatch is a joint research and education project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Image: American Tree Sparrow by Susan Szeszol, from our 2012 FeederWatch Photo Gallery.)

The Syracuse teens belong to a group called LACE: Latino Achievement, Commitment, and Excellence.The group was created to provide education and job training for Latino youth in the area, many of whom are recent arrivals from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. It was formed by Nosotros Radio Inc., “Your Latino Voice,” and is directed by Fanny Villarreal.

This summer, members of LACE wrote a proposal to the Cornell Lab through our Celebrate Urban Birds mini-grant program. They won funds, training, and support for their neighborhood project: creating a “bird garden” in an abandoned train yard. The young people built benches, painted a mural, planted a garden, and put up bird feeders.

“Thicklets” In the Thick of It

The Long Island students call themselves the Thicklets because of their habitat restoration work at the Fish Thicket Land Preserve in Medford, New York. The project also promotes community awareness about the environment. The young people have installed screech-owl nest boxes, planted a garden, and conducted cleanup in the preserve. They’ve learned how important it is to connect with and preserve nature and how to work as a team.

Members of both groups blended as they moved through activities during their field trip to the Lab and concluded the day with presentations about their community projects.

“That’s when the kids got to really shine,” said Celebrate Urban Birds leader Karen Purcell. “They were nervous and excited. But you could see some of them get five inches taller as they spoke about what they’d accomplished over the summer.” Both LACE and the Thicklets also took the show on the road, explaining their habitat projects at tables in the 4-H building during the New York State Fair the following day. 

Building For the Future

The workshop concludes year one of a three-year grant for youth development in New York from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Years two and three will build upon this year’s successes, bringing in more Latino groups to learn about birds, citizen science, habitat, and about connecting people to nature.

“It’s just a little seed,” says Karen Purcell. “We hope that seed will bloom into something strong…that’s all we can hope for.”

If you know a Latino group that could benefit from this project, write to urbanbirds@cornell.edu. Celebrate Urban Birds supports other projects across North America, including one that brought urban students to the Lab from as far away as California for a weekend of art and science. CUBs also offers annual mini-grants, a remote internship program for youth created with help from Kaytee Avian Foundation, and ideas for community projects that combine citizen science and art.

(Text and images by Pat Leonard. Images: Alexis and Cornell undergraduate Luke DeFisher band a Song Sparrow; students explore the trails in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary.)

With breeding season in full swing, birds are in a flurry of nesting—that means it’s time for another Funky Nests in Funky Places contest held by our Celebrate Urban Birds project—and you could win prizes for yours.

Birds don’t always build in the places you might expect. People have discovered bird nests in boots, grills, flower pots, traffic signals, fence posts, rakes, old tires, and all manner of assorted odd places. Part of the fun of watching birds is seeing the imaginative places they decide to call home. Visit the project website to see some examples of some truly funky nests from past years, and get inspired.

“If there’s a funky nest in your neighborhood, we want to know about it,” said project leader Karen Purcell. “You can send in a photo or video, write a story, produce some artwork or a dance—use any creative way you can think of to show or describe a bird’s nest in a funky place.”

Many prizes are being offered, including binoculars, regional bird-sound audio guides, waterproof field guides, bird journals, bird notepads, and bird game cards. Children’s picture books by Henry Cole and the book “Sparrow” by Kim Todd will also be awarded.

How to participate:
1. Email your entry to urbanbirds@cornell.edu
2. Write your FirstName_LastName_City_State_FUNKY2012 in the subject line
3. Include your address in the body of the email
4. Please explain where the photo was taken and the name of the bird if you know it
5. Read and agree to the terms and conditions of the Challenge

We’re looking forward to your entry—just remember that the deadline for entries is July 15, 2012.

(Image: Dawna Van Overschelde of South Dakota found this American Robin’s nest on a wooden fence.)

Update: You can now listen to the archive of this broadcast at Bird Calls Radio

It’s a week before the start of the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, or GBBC for short. If you’re new to the count, or just want to hear more about how and why it’s done, tune in to Bird Calls Radio this Sunday afternoon at 1:00 EST. Our director, John Fitzpatrick, will spend the hour talking with host Chris Bosak. The program streams over the Internet, so you can hear it anywhere (and we’ll post a link to the archived episode once it’s available, in case you miss it on Sunday).

Chris is going to ask Fitz about the history of the GBBC, the rationale for holding it in the middle of winter, and what kinds of trends have been discovered as a result of so many people’s participation over the years, among other topics. This year we’re hoping to exceed 100,000 checklists for the four-day count period for the first time. Participation is free, and you can submit your counts online, from backyards or anywhere else you happen to be. (Last year, I made a count from Antarctica, although I couldn’t find “Emperor Penguin” on the reporting checklist). A near real-time map of the continent shows your checklists as they come in to our database.

More aspects of the GBBC that Fitz is sure to cover:

• anyone, with any level of experience, can contribute
• it takes as little as 15 minutes of counting per day
• it’s a great thing to do with kids and friends
• the data help us track the spread of species like Eurasian Collared-Doves and irruptions of birds like Snowy Owls and Common Redpolls

So listen to Bird Calls Radio at 1:00 EST this Sunday, and be sure to send us your sightings next weekend!

(Image: John Fitzpatrick with a Florida Scrub-Jay, by Molly Fitzpatrick)

Learn more and apply by filling out a short online form before the December 31 deadline. We’ll choose 10 applicants to receive awards for travel costs up to $1,000 plus accomodations. Applicants must be aged 10 to 18 and must have a chaperone. The scholarships are open to anyone, whether in the U.S. or abroad.

The workshop will focus on teaching students how to use art to teach and inspire people about the natural world. It willfeature classes with our professionally trained science illustration interns. We’ll also introduce participants to people who have made a career out of their love for science and art, explore some of the Cornell Lab’s extensive collection of bird art, and offer ideas about how art can inspire others.

(Image: Wire-tailed Manakin by science illustration intern Evaristo Hernández-Fernández.)

As you’re making your lists and checking them twice, consider holiday gifts that give twice—thoughtful gifts that are fun to receive and also help birds by supporting conservation, research, and education here at the Cornell Lab. We’ve put together a varied list of gift suggestions—from apps on your phone to trips into the field—that will delight nature lovers. A win-win!

1. Bird Apps from $1.99
Find more birds with BirdsEye, enhance your knowledge with the Cornell Lab Bird Q&A, or discover 24 North American birds in 4 games for kids with My Bird World.

2. The Birds of North America Online $5 or $42
A boundless gift for anyone who loves to learn more about birds. $5 stocking stuffer (30-day subscription) or $42 for an entire year.

3. Bird Cards That Sing $7.99
Open these colorful greeting cards to hear authentic bird sounds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library.

4. Birds & Beans Coffee from $11.70
Your purchase supports organic shade-grown coffee farms in Latin America that give shelter and sustenance to more than 60 species of migratory birds, including thrushes, warblers, and tanagers. $11.70 and up.

5. Wild Cards: Backyard Birds $12.95
A perfect stocking stuffer for ages 6 and up: 36 playing cards and 32-page book.

6. Singing Books and More from $14.95
Choose from the Bird Songs Bible, Backyard Bird Songs for East/Central or Western, BirdScapes pop-up book, or The Bird Watching Answer Book.

7. Celebrate Urban Birds 2012 Calendar $15
Funny, poignant, and eye-catching images from winners of Celebrate Urban Birds contests.

8. Project FeederWatch $15
For you or a loved one: An entire winter of bird-watching enjoyment while helping scientists! Kit with instructions, calendar, poster, and more.

9. Cornell Lab Membership $35
A gift that gives back to the birds by supporting the Lab’s nonprofit mission to improve the understanding and protection of birds. As part of your gift, your loved one will receive the Cornell Lab’s Living Bird magazine.

10. Spring Field Ornithology from $145
For those living in the Central New York region: Sign up for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s annual Spring Field Ornithology course before February 1 and receive a $10 discount on the weekly field trips! For more than 30 years this 8-week course has thrilled birders of all skill levels and helped welcome spring songbirds migrating back to the region. Begins March 21, 2012.

11. Online Bird Course $295
Your favorite birder will gain new insights through this five-week online course, “Courtship and Rivalry in Birds.” Next courses begin February 1 and March 14. (Lab members receive a $40 discount when enrolling by phone at 866-326-7635).

12. Sound Recording Workshop $985
Students spend a week learning professional recording techniques. Takes place June 16-23, 2012, at San Francisco State University’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the spectacular Tahoe National Forest.