An international team of scientists is assembling a barcoded genetic portrait of bird life in the United States and Canada - the prelude to a genetic portrait of all animal life on Earth.

Scientists have developed a new technique for species identification in the form of a DNA barcode, similar to ones used to identify consumer products in the supermarket, only a species barcode can identify unique animals or plants.

Based on DNA barcode identifiers, the scientists have discovered 15 new genetically distinct species, nearly indistinguishable to human eyes and ears and thus overlooked in centuries of bird studies.

The barcoders also logged the DNA attributes of 87 bat species in the South American country of Guyana and reveal six new species, each characterized by its unique genetic make-up.

“People have watched birds for so long we might think every different tweet has been heard, every different color form observed,” says Dr. Paul Hebert of the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at Guelph University, who co-authored both the bird and bat papers. “However, there are a number of cases of deep genetic divergences within what are currently called single species.”

“Now, with the vast majority, 93-94 percent, of birds on the continent barcoded it’s hard to argue that barcoding might work for the easy stuff but miss the difficult cases of closely-related taxa,” Dr. Hebert said.
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All 18 endangered young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin last fall as part of a project to create a second migratory flock of the birds were killed in storms in Florida, according to the Associated Press.

The cranes were being kept in an enclosure at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River, Fla., when violent storms moved in Thursday night, said Joe Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration, the organization coordinating the project.

The various groups and agencies working on the project had seen the size of the flock grow to 81 birds with the latest arrivals, but the loss of the young cranes drops the total back to 63.

The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, was near extinction in 1941, with only about 20 left.

The other wild whooping crane flock in North America has about 200 birds and migrates from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migratory flock in Florida has about 60 birds.

For more information, consult these groups on the Web:
Operation Migration
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

Bush’s Judicial Nominees Who Wanted No Federal Protections for Birds Withdraw Nominations

This is a prime example of why and how politics matters.

The Democratic Party’s victory in taking back control of the United States Senate has already produced benefits for the nation’s birds, according to the wildlife activist group Birder’s United.

President Bush nominated William G. Myers III, an arch anti-environmentalist, to a lifetime judicial appointment on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals May 15, 2003. Myers, an Eagle Scout who has spent 180 days over the past 15 years as a National Park Service volunteer, nevertheless contended that the federal Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act were unconstitutional.

In a straight party line vote, in 2004, Myers’ nomination was sent to the Senate floor. But Senate Democratic leaders were able to block the nomination using the cloture rule which requires 60 votes. Myers received 53 votes in favor of his nomination.

Now with the Senate in Democratic hands, the Myers nomination has no chance. On January 9, Myers asked the president to withdraw his name from consideration.

Then, in September 2003, President Bush nominated William J. Haynes II to a key judicial seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

As a Harvard-trained lawyer for the Department of Defense, Haynes argued that the bombing of an island in the Marianas, an important haven for many rare species of birds, would actually be beneficial for bird watchers. Haynes and his team of Defense Department attorneys contended that the bombing would disperse the birds to other islands so many more people would be able to see the rare species.

Since his nomination was doomed as well, Haynes has asked the president to withdraw his name from consideration.

So you see, politics and policy do matter, for the welfare of birds as well as people.

Millions of migratory birds are killed every year when they collide with one of the thousands of communication towers scattered across the United States.

As more and more cell phone, radio and digital television towers are built, the escalating kills could soon spell disaster for many already at-risk songbirds like the Bell’s Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler and Bachman’s Sparrow.

Simple improvements to the structures, location, lighting and other details of new communication towers can significantly reduce the numbers of birds killed each year.

The Federal Communications Commission, which could require these improvements, has been reluctant to implement new regulations due to pressure from communications industries. But the FCC is taking public comments on the subject. The deadline for submitting comments is January 22.

The environmental group Earth Justice is urging the public to get involved and help pressure the FCC is take action. To learn more, go to the group’s online action alert.