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Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Biologist Howard Clark (@lordorman) monitors Imperial Valley's Burrowing Owls. While out in the field he saw an unusual looking bird in a flock of blackbirds, last week. He snapped these four photographs and emailed them to his friend, Jeff Davis of Fresno Audubon, who confirmed that the bird is an amelanistic Yellow-headed Blackbird. An amelanistic bird differs from an albino in that it is not completely devoid of color. Clark reports this flock of blackbirds is consistently at the intersection of Blair Road and Sinclair Road near Calipatria each morning.
Audubon California last week voiced its support before the California Fish and Game Commission for listing the Tricolored Blackbird under the State Endangered Species Act. This petition was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Commission in June denied another listing petition, but supporters of the bird are keeping up the pressure. Tricolored Blackbirds once numbered in the millions, but today only an estimated 145,000 birds remain.
People have long been fascinated at how crows will gather around a dead colleague. Now researchers have begun to figure out exactly what's going on at these "crow funerals," and it's fascinating. Apparently, the birds are trying to learn what killed the bird and how to avoid falling victim to the same fate.
Gov. Jerry Brown Friday signed an important bill (Assembly Bill 1095) that will help accellerate projects to benefit the Salton Sea, and also took a number of executive actions aimed to protect Salton Sea habitat and neighboring communities. The Salton Sea is one of the most important places for birds in California and the Pacific Flyway. As the waters of the Salton Sea recede due to drought and reduced water allocations, bird habitat is becoming increasingly affected. Dust left behind is also creating a massive public health hazard for the Imperial Valley.
Every year, we close off our Richardson Bay sanctuary (part of the larger San Francisco Bay) to boat traffic to protect the tens of thousands of waterbirds that rely on these waters over the winter. This year, Audubon Youth Leaders created a cool PSA to spread the word about the need to protect the bay.
Check out this cool video from Dairy Cares, highlighting the efforts of Central Valley dairy farmers to save the rare Tricolored Blackbird. The video also features Audubon California's Samantha Arthur, who leads our Tricolored Blackbird conservation efforts.
Author/advocate Carl Safina visits the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary. Author and advocate Carl Safina, center, has written elegantly about the health of our oceans and the wildlife that many of us take for granted. He is also a good friend to Pete and Sandy DeSimone, who manage and run science/education programs at the Audubon Starr Ranch. he recently paid the sanctuary a visit.
Audubon California at the Griffith Park signing ceremony for Senate Bill 350. Audubon California's Sarah Miggins attended the signing ceremony for Senate Bill 350 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles this morning. Audubon California hails the legislation as a great step forward to cleaning California's air and creating healthier community and environments for birds. A big win!
California is a global biodiversity hotspots, with one of the greatest concentrations of living species on Earth.
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