A Sad but Important Record

Unfortunately, in the world of bird-watching, not all sightings bring joy.

To those of us who love and watch birds, seeing a dead one elicits great sadness. While it might be something we would rather forget, recording bird deaths generates important data that helps other birds.

Many bird-watchers use eBird to track their sightings of living birds. On the other hand, dBird.org helps collect data on where dead birds are found.

An online tool from the Audubon Society, dBird.org collects information that can be used to mitigate bird mortality, especially deaths related to collisions with windows.

Although seeing a dead bird produces a sense of loss and powerlessness, reporting the sighting to dBird.org can be a powerful way of helping other birds.

The Real Lost World

It's quite an irony that we make films about the dangers of bringing dinosaurs back from extinction while we threaten the existence of their avian descendants.

Jurassic Park and its four sequels like The Lost World: Jurassic Park have hit home the consequences of wielding genetic power to resurrect the dinosaurs. One of the themes from the films challenges humans to think about the damage they may inflict before mindlessly plowing ahead with a harmful action.

We aren't bringing dinosaurs back at any point in the near future though, so it might be best to first examine how we already impact existing species. If we don't want to stray too far from dinosaurs, let's check out what we are doing to birds, the dinosaurs' living legacy.

A rufous hummingbird, one of the species
most at risk of extinction from global warming.

In a new report, Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink, the Audubon Society shows how global warming threatens two-thirds of all bird species in North American with extinction. Half of the species in Washington state alone face extinction from a temperature increase of three degrees Celsius. Instead of the power to create addressed by Jurassic Park, we are wielding the power to destroy, and we are doing it just as recklessly as John Hammond and the host of other characters who tried to cash in on dinosaurs.

The report from the Audubon Society does a great job of helping us visualize the possible consequences of our actions. We should take it as an opportunity to consider where we go from here.

No horror from any of the Jurassic Park stories could match the awfulness of wiping out the animals most closely related to dinosaurs.

Bye-Bye Birds

We're not talking about just spring that could be silent.

Pesticides threatened bird species, and Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. Global warming threatens birds on a whole other level by stripping them of habitat, and to communicate the issue, the Audubon Society has released a great new Web site. The site details and articulates how global warming is impacting bird species in the United States. It also contains interactive features and collaborative content.

Using data compiled with the help of citizen science, the site provides visuals of ways global warming affects bird habitat. It spotlights certain species and gives people the chance to see the impacts on their local area. (For instance, it was sad to see that the ruffed grouse, one of my favorite birds, is likely to leave the region of Washington state where I grew up.) Another cool aspect of the site is that it contains content that others have produced in response to the Audubon Society's report, expanding the conversation about the issue. Finally, the site also provides ways to help address global warming.

Perhaps the most startling part of the Web site is the information that 314 of the country's bird species are severely threatened by global warming. Considering that fact, it's vital we put this puzzle together and address global warming soon.

It's either that or we'll be forced to get used to the sounds of silence.

This One Counts

Another opportunity for citizen science is coming up this week. The Great Backyard Bird Count runs February 17-20.

By enlisting the aid of the general public, the count helps scientists track bird populations and provides insight into the overall health of different bird species. Individuals can participate by watching birds for as little as 15 minutes during one of the days, or they can commit even more time if they like. Sharing the results online gives everyone an easy way to contribute and see what others are finding.

The count is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. For more information, click here.

Something Small, Something Great

We're coming up on the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the horrific story of the event continues to unfold as sea turtles and baby dolphins wash up dead in record numbers this spring.

Although many responded to the spill by denying their responsibility and/or complicity in what happened, an 11-year-old girl got active and sought to make a difference.

Olivia Bouler called the Audubon Society and offered to help. She began selling her bird drawings to raise money for the Gulf cleanup, and she has now released a book of drawings, Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf, for the same purpose.

It's heartening to see Olivia step up like this, and her actions send a great message to anyone--adults and children alike--about how to be proactive on environmental issues. Her efforts represent an awesome story about a small act that stood in the face of a massive disaster.

Check out the book. It's available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, and I'm sure you can find it at other booksellers as well.

Crying Fowl

I enjoy watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. However, sometimes, the messages on the show appear counterproductive to the ideas it promotes. A segment from yesterday's show demonstrates this.

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The segment succeeds in making clear that the abominable way the people of Turkey Creek have been treated results from racism. Scenes from the mall (without and then with the bird costume) show how using comedy to hold a mirror to society is done, and the story about a cemetery being bulldozed is disgusting and heartbreaking.

However, as occasionally happens on the show, Stewart and his team fail to distinguish friend from foe, attacking and deriding those who actually take action against problems. The Audubon Society is not the villain here, yet it is mocked and ridiculed. What is most unfortunate is that this strategy by The Daily Show delegitimizes what could be even greater benefits of Audubon's involvement in Turkey Creek.

First, the "reporter," Wyatt Cenac, sneers at the very participation of the group. Then, he mocks the idea of giving the residents pamphlets for bird-watching, choosing not to consider the proven health benefits of being out in and connecting with nature. Finally, he fails to recognize that bird-watching represents a massive economy and that further cooperation between the Audubon Society and the Turkey Creek community could bring substantial benefits to the town.

Maybe the Audubon Society can't solve every issue facing Turkey Creek, and we should always confront any situation in which people are robbed of their humanity. However, this report from The Daily Show perpetuates the kind of cynicism Stewart says he opposes; contains damaging stereotypes about how people connect with nature and animals; and drops the ball on an important chance to bring people and the environment together in a healthier relationship.

Green at Heart

With Valentine's Day less than a month away, it's time to start thinking about special gifts, but this year, don't forget the environment.

Buying things may have become a major part of February 14, but we can still make statements with what we buy. Hopefully, one of those statements is, "I love you." Another can be, "I love the planet."

Flowers are a traditional Valentine's gift, but their growth, harvest, and shipment can leave quite an impact on the environment. Therefore, if your gift plans include flowers, consider Organic Bouquet. As the name implies, the company sells organically grown flowers. It also operates under fair-trade policies and offsets the carbon footprint of its operations and shipments.

What is more, by going to the company's Flowers for Good page, you can choose flower arrangements that benefit nonprofit groups. Organic Bouquet donates a portion of the proceeds from the arrangements to various charities, including animal and environmental groups. Just look through the different arrangements and see what charity each one supports. Personally, I like the Defenders of Wildlife and the Audubon Society arrangements.

This is a great way to make sure Nature gets a Valentine too.
♡