Any Bird Watchers In Here?

[aquadoc]

Warren, here is a summary:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/the-birds-are-not-dinosaurs-movement/

While some details of maniraptoran phylogenies may prove incorrect, the “birds are not theropods” movement is based on erroneous argumentation and fails to account for the data as well as the theropod hypothesis does.

 

[olkofri]

Been watching a crows' nest lately. Dunno if that is enough to earn the qualification of watcher of birds (the feathered kind).

 

[aquadoc]

I think that qualifies, Olkofri. And watching crows/ravens/jays earns bonus points.

 

[warren]

Doc: I just read the article. Lucky me, I'm not an ornithologist so, I do not have to pick sides in, what is to me, a rather arcane discussion. I just get to pack my gear, shoot and enjoy the wildlife. I read the different opinions, theories and such as entertainment. Two friends, both respected ornithologists, can get into heated discussions while I simply drink my beer and enjoy as a bystander. For them, it's all business, defending or poking holes each other's hypothesis. They seem to do this respectfully. I keep hoping for fisticuffs. :puffpipe:

 

[aquadoc]

I give a seminar, usually once a year, on some aspect of evolution. I might tackle this issue for the next request. And biologist are apt to argue about the most arcane subjects within their areas of expertise. It can make for good theater. Or be boring as hell.

 

[fishnbanjo]

We have loads of birds being on the coast we see plenty of the regular forest and city varieties as well as sea birds. I am always looking for a chance to capture some with my cameras as well.

banjo

 

[aquadoc]

Banjo, those are great photos!

 

[mso489]

Terrific bird photos! One of my bosses of days gone by made a logical case that he'd spotted an Ivory Billed Woodpecker in Georgia, in its range, probably in the last years before its extinction. It was one of the largest woodpeckers and had specific markings shared by no others. It had a call like an alto party horn, one note. For years Petersons guide to birds listed it as possibly extinct, but I don't think guides carry it anymore. It hasn't had an authenticated sighting in decades. I keep hoping it will turn up, but it's wishful thinking.

 

[aquadoc]

MSO, there is still a population of a subspecies in Cuba. We looked in the recesses of the Okefenokee (primarily around Minnie's Island which required miles of walking through the Swamp trying to avoid the many pitfalls, and in East Texas to no avail but we did record some odd calls in Texas that were not identifiable but very similar.

 

[seldom]

Much of my research has focused on birds. I was involved in the Cornell University Ivory-bill hunt in Arkansas and Louisiana. Ivory-bills are almost certainly extinct including the Cuban subspecies (or species depending on who you talk to). There are other extant Campephilus but nothing very similar.

There was a complete albino Pileated in Arkansas suggesting that leucism may be in the population perhaps leading to a misidentification (white trailing edge on wings).

 

[fishnbanjo]

Thanks for the kind words aquadoc.

banjo

 

[mso489]

Serious expertise on the Ivory Bill Woodpecker here. Thank you. I'm also interested in the unlikely revival of the extinct Carolina Parakeet beautifully rendered in one of Audubon's plates, that has been proposed as a possible clone subject from existent DNA from museum specimens. Sounds like a remote possibility, and I'm not sure the 'keets could survive in the current ecosystem, since they live in flocks and might be easily decimated by current dominant species. Apparently they used to be everywhere in their region.

 

[aquadoc]

Seldom, would love to talk shop. My Cuban friend, a marine microbiologist living in Mayaguez, PR says that they can still be found in Cuba.

 

[aldecaker]

Love watching birds. Don't mind studying a broad once in a while, either. Ba Dum...

 

[seldom]

Aquadoc, I would love to be wrong about this but I believe that Ivory-bills are totally gone. Unfortunately so is the closely related and even larger Imperial Woodpecker from Mexico (the world's largest woodpecker).
Here is a nice article about an Ivory-bill search in Cuba from a couple of years ago. Can Ivory-billed Woodpecker be found in Cuba

 

[seldom]

Incidentally I also worked for a bit on PR (almost 20 years ago) but on the other side of the island on the critically endangered Puerto Rican Parrot. It's another situation where the only remaining habitat is a tiny area of extremely marginal quality.

 

[scloyd]

There's a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting in a drainage channel on the 8th floor of the Rockford Register Star News building downtown Rockford, Illinois. You can watch a live nest cam here.. Click the blue button.
Currently one of the falcons is sitting on four eggs.

 

[mso489]

Various birds were wiped out by the (mostly) women's hat industry back when hats were required wear everywhere, and feathers were central. People had no idea they could eliminate species until they'd been doing it for about a century or more.

 

[scloyd]

Update to my previous post. Three of the eggs hatched about a week ago.
Here are a couple of screenshots from this morning.

 

[mso489]

Spectacular. From this thread we may conclude there are lots of birdwatchers here.