Published on 4 Nov 2010

The latest death toll of birds of prey is a distressing one.

In the first six months of this year, four golden eagles, a sea eagle, five red kites, three buzzards, two peregrine falcons and one sparrowhawk were poisoned in Scotland. This wanton destruction of our most majestic birds is bad enough. It is doubly disturbing, however, that some estate owners or their staff are still prepared knowingly to break the law to protect commercial interests, despite increased awareness of public opposition to the practice and of the benefits of not disrupting the ecological balance.

Making employers responsible for illegal poisonings carried out by their employees, with a penalty of a fine of up to £5000 or six months in prison might seem to be taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Nevertheless the continuing toll of raptors shows illegal poisoning persists in defiance of the available sanctions. Vicarious liability, as proposed by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham, is an important step forward because it clarifies that the buck stops with the employer. Too many prosecutions for crimes against wildlife have left an uncomfortable feeling that a gamekeeper or estate worker was in the dock for carrying out his employer’s wishes and protecting his livelihood. If estate owners have a specific duty to ensure their employees comply with the law, even workers who live in tied houses should be able to refuse to break it.

Enlightened landowners should welcome this step because it can only enhance their reputation for good practice. While game sports, including stalking, shooting and fishing, bring in £136m a year to the Scottish economy, they must have a positive relationship with wildlife tourism, which is worth £127m and brings in a million visitors a year. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Whether it is the result of a greater awareness of the environment, or sparked by television programmes, there is no doubt of the increased interest in nature. The red kite trail in Dumfries and Galloway has brought more than £20m into that area since 2003 and the careful protection of osprey nests has not only been a phenomenal success in wildlife terms but has brought visitors to Scotland for the past 40 years. Yet last year saw the highest number of confirmed raptor poisoning incidents in a single year for more than two decades. Ms Cunningham is right to get tough with those who are so out of step with 21st-century thinking.
Source: herarldscotland

This year has seen 46 breeding pairs – two more than 2008 – and 36 chicks fledge and leave their nests.

RSPB Scotland said it could be the healthiest population for 150 years.

Sea eagles were hunted to extinction in Scotland during the early 19th Century. Birds were first reintroduced to Mull between 1975 and 1985.

There are now more than 200 individual birds in Scotland, with recent releases of young in Fife.

Among the breeding birds this season were a new pair setting up on Lewis in the Western Isles and another in Lochaber.

Five of this year’s chicks have been fitted with satellite tags, and several of these are starting to make exploratory flights away from the immediate nest site areas.

The progress of two of these chicks on Mull is being tracked via the RSPB website at www.rspb.org.uk/mulleagletracking.

Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said a record-breaking year for sea eagles was “wonderful news”.

She said: “Everyone involved should be congratulated on their achievements as thanks to this reintroduction a little piece of Scotland is being restored to its former glory.”

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said landowners and land managers deserved thanks for their part in helping the raptors establish territories.

Prof Colin Galbraith, SNH policy and advice director chairman of the Sea Eagle Project Team, said: “This is important progress in re-establishing sea eagles across their historic range in Scotland, and is the result of a huge effort by many people over the past 30 years.

“It shows what can be done to reinstate a key part of our natural heritage.”

Radio tagged

Prof Jeremy Wilson, head of research for RSPB Scotland, added that there were plenty of vacant territories available for the eagles across Scotland.

However, crofters on Skye and in Wester Ross have blamed the birds for taking lambs.

In April, it was announced the fortunes of 60 lambs were to be monitored from birth to weaning to help determine whether large numbers of livestock fell prey to sea eagles.

Lambs on two holdings in Gairloch, Wester Ross, were radio tagged and observed by field workers.

SNH appointed FERA (Food and Environment Research Agency) to do the study.

The natural heritage agency said the study aimed to provide a scientific measure of the true level of lamb deaths directly attributable to sea eagles as opposed to other causes.

well, hope this will encourage other cities in the world to try to provide a good place for peregrine falcon to pair up and breed, since this species is one of the widest distribution falcon in the world…

I am not sure but in my opinion, falconry and falconer can take part in this issue… some falconer is very good and can breed falcon especially peregrine falcon successfully. He can share the experiance and the tips with the wildlife department of his country or the municipal of the city on how to encourage peregrine falcon to come and breed at that place.

ok, here is the news:

Record Number of Peregrine Falcons in New York State

By MIREYA NAVARRO
Published: February 12, 2009
More peregrine falcons made New York City home in 2008, reflecting a record-setting year in the state’s effort over several decades to bring back the population of the birds, an endangered species.
In a report released on Thursday, the Department of Environmental Conservation said it had documented 67 territorial pairs of peregrine falcons in the state last year, four more than in 2007 and more than double the population in the mid-1990s. The numbers also increased in what state officials called “productivity categories”: breeding pairs, successful pairings and the number of young produced.

In New York City, where the birds nest on bridges and building ledges and in church bell towers, the falcon pairs rose to 13 from 10 in 2007. That the city absorbed most of the state’s yearly increase is not surprising given the attractions: pigeons to feast on and tall buildings and bridges that give an excellent vantage point from which to dive for prey.

In short, “a very good supply and a suitable habitat,” said Barbara Loucks, a research scientist and the peregrine falcon program coordinator at the conservation department.

Peregrine falcons were removed from the federal government’s list of endangered species in the 1990s, but they remain on the state’s endangered list and are vulnerable throughout the Northeast. Their numbers dwindled in the late 1950s because of the effects of the pesticide DDT. Residue in the birds’ food caused the peregrines to lay eggs whose shells were too thin.

Through a restoration program after DDT use was banned, 169 young peregrines were released in the state in the 1970s and 1980s. Their comeback began in 1983 in New York City, where the first new pairs nested on the Verrazano-Narrows and the Throgs Neck Bridges.

The city is now believed to be home to one of the largest urban peregrine falcon populations in the world.

In 2008, 9 of the 13 pairs in New York City produced 28 more peregrines, but the total number in the city is hard to pin down. As many as half of the young do not survive, succumbing to big-city perils like being hit by cars.

In the effort to keep the population growing, an army of building managers, bridge officials and other volunteers band together to help the birds breed successfully. During a courtship and nesting season that can last from April to July, nests are protected by placing trays on ledges to secure the eggs and by avoiding disturbances like construction work as much as possible.

Statewide, 60 of the 67 pairs bred in 2008, producing 129 young.

“Most people are very happy with the growth and consider it a huge success,” Ms. Loucks said. “Hopefully within the next five years I anticipate the peregrine falcon coming down from endangered to threatened.”

(source: nytimes.com)

Because of the improvement in the status of peregrines, the Fish and Game Department recently moved the fast-flying raptor from the endangered to the threatened category on the state’s List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife.

However, there is concern that the birds are threatened by flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs.

Overall, the peregrine breeding population in New Hampshire has increased by 50 percent over the past decade. The average number of young doubled in the last decade to 22.5.

This year, the 27 reaching fledging age equaled the number in 2002, said Chris Martin, who coordinates the state’s peregrine monitoring program.

He and a team of rock climbing volunteers reached nine peregrine nests this year, examining and banding nestlings and recovering nine eggs that went unhatched.

The unhatched eggs will be used to study the impact of contaminants on New England peregrines. Similar egg-collection efforts over past years are providing information about contaminants in wildlife.

For example, flame-retardant chemicals, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are commonly added to many consumer products. Martin said PBDEs gradually escape into the environment and contaminate air, water, soil, wildlife, and humans.

One recent contaminant study in the technical journal Environmental Science and Technology reported unusually high levels of the PBDEs in 114 nonviable peregrine falcon eggs recovered from 35 nests in New England states from 1996 to 2006.

(source: Boston.com )

Shaikh Khalifa’s gesture aims at highlighting the significance of preserving the endangered species.

Mohammad Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Head of the Higher Organising Committee of the exhibition and Board Member of the Emirates Falconers Club, applauded the efforts of Shaikh Khalifa in preservation of the land birds, adding that the gift highlighted the UAE’s efforts at breeding captive birds and using them in falconry — a very important sport in the UAE and other GCC countries.

“The President has been generous with us since the very first edition of the exhibition,” Al Mazrouei said.

Preservation

“The gesture underlines preservation of the heritage in order to pass it on to another generation intact, alongside the protection of the environment,” he added.

Al Mazrouei stressed on the importance of supporting falconers and awareness programmes aiming at encouraging people to preserve and sustain nature and wild life — in keeping with the President’s instructions.
Source: http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/General/10251028.html

(source: lethbridgeherald.com)

Carr Island in the Merrimack River is home to the newest pair of nesting bald eagles in Massachusetts, a sign that the waterway is living up to its potential as an ideal habitat for the majestic birds, state environmental officials announced recently.

“It is exciting, because we’ve said for five or six years now that the last remaining frontier for eagles to really begin to occupy is the Merrimack River,” said Tom French, assistant director of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

MassWildlife biologists found the eagles during a statewide survey in early summer, but the results were released in late September. Biologists found 26 pairs of eagles, one more than the previous survey in January. Carr Island, which lies between Newburyport and Salisbury, was home to the new arrivals.

Because ocean tides enter the mouth of the Merrimack, the water around Carr Island rarely freezes, said French, giving eagles migrating south from Maine and Canada during the winter a perfect place to feed on fish and ducks. But until now, new eagles have not set up residence there year-round.

“This specific part of the river has been well known to bird watchers as a good place for eagles in the wintertime,” French said. “To have a nesting pair is the next step.”

In 2005, MassWildlife scientists cut some branches from a tree on the state-owned island and set up a roost that might attract eagles, said French. “Sure enough, that’s where they nested,” he said. “It just shows things like eagles will respond positively to a boost.”

The Carr Island birds are part of a trend statewide.

The eagle population has grown steadily in Massachusetts since eagles were reintroduced to the state nearly 20 years ago, said French. The summer survey found 78 adult eagles in Massachusetts, seven more than in January. About 300 eagles have been reared in the state since their reintroduction, French said.

Before eagles were reintroduced in the 1980s, they had not nested in Massachusetts since 1905. Habitat loss and hunting and then chemicals like DDT that damaged eagle eggs almost rendered the birds extinct in the continental United States.

French said he hoped that the eagles would begin to populate all the available space along the entire Merrimack, from the mouth of the river to wilderness inland. That process has already happened along the Connecticut River, where the majority of Massachusetts eagles now live, he said.

The pair on Carr Island are probably about 4 years old, French said. They were incubating a chick in May, but that eaglet is now grown and was probably kicked out of its nest around August. Adult eagles can travel 150 miles in a day, so it is uncertain where the young eagle is now.

“Some chicks could stay home on the Merrimack,” said French. “Some could be in eastern Pennsylvania by now. It depends on the personality of the chick.”

Not all the news from the summer survey was cheery.

A windstorm blew down an eagle nest near the Wachusett Reservoir this summer, said French. One chick died, but biologists rescued the remaining chick, nursed it back to health, and released it near the Connecticut River.

(source: boston.com)

Bonita Bay also is named in the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday.
The suit asks for an emergency temporary restraining order on city-issued development orders that allow construction within 330 feet of the eagle’s nest, which was discovered 30 years ago.
It states the development violates the city’s own ordinances and long-term planning guides.

Bonita Bay’s rezoning request was denied by the city last year.

Bonita Bay appealed the decision and a state administrative hearing judge overruled the city’s decision in April.

The Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, comprised of Gov. Charlie Crist and his Cabinet, upheld that decision in July.

The city did everything it could to protect the eagles, said Mayor Ben Nelson, but decided not to appeal the state decision.

He said the lawsuit was not unexpected, but he said it could result in more protection for the eagles.

The city council will discuss the lawsuit at its Nov. 5 meeting.

here is the article (originally from telegraph.co.uk)

Independent inquiry into reintroduction of sea eagles

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 01/10/2008

Conservationists have announce an independent inquiry into the reintroduction of sea eagles into Scotland.
# Sea eagles ‘make sheep farming impossible’
# Paying the price of sea eagles
# Re-introduced sea eagles killing hundreds of lambs in Scotland

During a heated public meeting in Poolewe, Wester Ross, farmers claimed that hundreds of sheep are being killed by the raptors and said that their livelihoods were at stake.
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The birds were reintroduced into the west of Scotland in the 1970s and have been increasing in numbers ever since to around 80 individuals. A further 30 birds were recently reintroduced to the east coast and another 60 could be released over the next three years.

Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, who are responsible for reintroducing the birds to Scotland after almost 100 years, gave presentations to try to reassure the crofters.

The organisations claim sea eagles, that can have a wing span of up eight feet, will only eat a handful of lambs every breeding season.

But it was the local crofters who stood up to give emotional accounts of losing their lambs to “invasive alien species” who got the loudest cheer.

Kenny Mackenzie, 70, who has kept sheep in the area all his life accused conservationists of ignoring the crofters concerns.

“This community cannot stand another year of this beast and I think we should start shooting them this spring,” he said.

Willie Fraser, chairman of the Gairloch branch of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, said 200 lambs have been killed in the area this breeding season, around two-a-day. He said half of the lambs in the area have been taken every breeding season for the last five years when sea eagles settled in the area.

He pointed to a labatory report from a regional vet who believed a 5.4kg lamb was attacked by a sea eagle and described lambs being left with broken necks after being dropped by Britain’s largest bird of prey.

“We have lived with his for over five years and it is a nightmare,” he said.

“We have farmed sheep here for generations but we will see the end of sheep farming in this area if this is not sorted out.”

Alison MacLennan of the RSPB used a 500g bag of sugar to demonstrate the weight of the average daily intake of a sea eagle and brought along the remains found in a nest to show the variety of foods eaten.

She said scientific studies show the birds survive mainly on sea birds and fish and said it would be unheard of for the three nesting pairs in Wester Ross to have eaten 200 lambs in one season.

“Yes birds are taking lambs but they are not taking a lot in comparison to other food stuffs,” she said.

However the crofters insisted sea eagles are killing lambs, “terrorising” adult sheep and are capable of taking domestic cats and dogs.

Fiona Cameron, 26, whose family breed 200 lambs every season said 50 were lost to the sea eagle this year and the family risk going out of business.

Speaking on behalf of her family, she said: “The sea eagle is like a thief in the night attacking our flock. In the past we would have been able to protect our sheep from the thief but if we do anything to the sea eagle we would be jailed or fined. SNH must do something this winter. The sea eagle has ravaged and killed our lambs for over five years.”

She added: “I would like to see sheep farming continue on the west coast but if nothing is done it will not continue.”

Ron Macdonald, head of policy and advice at Scottish Natural Heritage, said if the two sides cannot agree an independent inquiry was needed to establish how many lambs are being killed.

“You are not believing what we are telling you, so we need to draw a line under and have a independent inquiry,” he said.

Crofters welcomed the move but said interim measures were needed to compensate farmers and called for a halt on the further reintroduction of sea eagles until the inquiry is complete.

The National Farmers Union and Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who were also represented at the meeting, voiced concern for lamb stocks and the sea bird population in the long run when the sea eagles become established on the east coast.

They said farmers need to be able to control re-introduced species on managed land once they start killing other protected species or domestic animals.

Jamie McGrigor, the Scottish Tory MSP for the Highlands and Islands, called for compensation or control to be made part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

“The sea eagle is a carrion-eating vulture that will eat anything dead or alive,” he said. “This is a situation that must be controlled by the Scottish Government somehow either by allowing control or giving compensation.”

The importance of birds to the environment

It would surprise you the numerous species of birds that Mother Nature has bequeathed to mankind and the many benefits that they bring to us. In fact I was both bemused and astounded when I heard some of the strange and interesting names of birds in the world. And to think that all along I perceived all birds as plain birds, though I occasionally saw a strange bird either perched on a tree or fly past.

Different Bird Species
Talk about the Plantain Eater, Crocodile Bird, Nightjars, Bulbuls, Goliath Heron, Bustards, Red Bishop, Tits, Laughing and tambourine Doves and (you can’t help laughing at this) – the Secretary Bird, which has its scientific name as Sagittarius Serpentarius. An attempt to give a rundown of the different species of birds would leave us gasping for breath if not suicidal.

Bird-watching
Well, though it is an undisputed fact that birds are so beautiful to behold, it goes without saying that the Bird-watching sport, or is it pastime, is not very popular in our part of the world. As revealed when this author called at the offices of the Forest and Wildlife department, this phenomenon is largely due to the fact that our forbears concentrated all their efforts at just a nice meal of wild birds and animals. However as gathered now, birds are a great source of revenue for many countries through ecological tourism. “If we develop that aspect of tourism, it would add up tremendously to the earnings of tourism. Bird watching is catching on with many people who visit bird-watching sites to look out for birds, which have migrated over long distances. Currently even in almost all Northeastern states, birds can be watched at all designated protected areas, which are made up of resource and game reserves or wildlife sanctuaries. As mentioned  above, bird-watching has really not caught on with  Nagas, though that sport or pastime is not new in India and other places in the world. The fact that birds are a delight to watch especially with lenses (binoculars and telescopes) to really come to terms with their diversity and intricate colours patterns cannot be disputed. Research has shown that back in Europe watching birds goes beyond delight to offering a lot of comfort to widows and people who lack company.
It is said to give watchers a sense of fulfillment or happiness as they observe the feeding habits of the birds as well as construction of their nests among others.

Birds in flight and plumage change
Birds, research has shown, travel several thousands of kilometers as the weather pattern changes. Most of these birds migrate from Europe to Africa from August every year to escape the harsh wintry conditions and only fly back when the weather normalizes. Talk about birds also enjoying their summer holidays in Africa every year. Why do Birds don’t spend there summer holidays in Nagaland? Because the birds can’t effort to holiday both summer and winter in this serenely beautiful place, its too expensive for them at the same time the entry formalities are too strict, the customs officials give entry permits for the able bodied only (those who can out run the guns because Nagas eat everything with four legs except Tables and everything that flies except Airplanes. Another interesting feature of  birds is the changing of their plumage (Molting) as the weather pattern changes. In other words, birds have their summer as well as winter plumage, a feature which has the propensity to make one think of a particular bird as new species, save a trained eye. The changing of their dress, so to speak, also comes in handy during breeding. In fact it has been established that while changing of plumage is pronounced in water birds it is mostly forest birds, which wear very beautiful plumage to attract their females instead of what is conventionally known. But do birds only flap their wings, fly, chirp or squawk?  Definitely not! Birds do not only fly, chirp or squawk. They perform many roles other than chirping to signal the dawning of a new day. In fact come to think of it, how would you feel and most importantly what would go on in your mind, if you should wake up one day from bed to realize that the birds have gone on strike with their chirping?
I guess you would see it as strange and really be scared, thinking that the world is coming to an end, more especially if you should receive confirmation from some friends that the birds did not and are not chirping. But well, as it is with many freebees of nature, we tend to take both the cacophony and harmony of chirps to wake us from our beds for granted. Some may argue that birds are a nuisance because some make their nests in the roofs of our buildings. Others may tow that same line, arguing that they (birds) pick on our fruits and grains, (maize and rice especially) but wait till the end of this piece and judge whether they are more of a nuisance than a blessing or vice versa.

Aviation and birds:
The importance of birds even stretches to aviation. It was by critically observing the flight of a bird that manufacturers of aircraft developed the concept of flaps to aid the plane to fly better. Ask any pilot or aviation engineer and he would confirm this assertion on the development of the wing and tail flaps of the aircraft. Also, have you ever been to an air show or witnessed aircraft flying in formation? That was all taken from the birds which love to fly certain times in beautiful patterns when traveling in a group or flocking together. Remember this cliché “Birds of the same feather flock together”? This is how it came about.

Promotion of Eco-Tourism
Eco-Tourism is fast becoming a major foreign exchange earner for many countries, a situation which begs Nagas to develop her potential in this regard, in view of the numerous species of birds, which can be sighted all across the state all year round. We Nagas are natural Bird watchers (as of my own experience) the first thing that comes to ones mind when coming across a bird is to go as near as possible and shoot it. That’s it, if you are also one among these groups; you have very high chance to be the world’s best Bird watching guide if instead of the urge to shoot, just take a deep breath and look at the bird in admiration. Congratulation!!!!!! It’s not as hard as you thought it would be.

Birds, the fisherman’s friend
Though this may sound outrageous, it has been proven that fishermen and birds share a special bond of friendship. Apart from testifying that birds become their guides to shore whenever they are lost at sea, sea birds such as the Terns (10 species) also lead the fishermen to shoals of fish and thus aid to rope in big catches.

Ornithology and other gains:
The study of birds has very much enhanced study of the migration concept and also become a boost to scientific research. It has been noted that the interesting features of birds has resulted in much research of the two-winged flying creature. Ringing, which involves putting of a labeled ring on the leg of a bird aids in studying the ecology of birds through their migratory patterns. This is practiced in many bird areas. By this method, the life span of birds as well as how far they can fly is easily figured out through cooperation between ornithologists in the opposing countries or areas (where the bird was ringed and where they are sighted).
Bird studies also promote good relationship between universities in India and abroad and also bring about support and assistance from organizations associated with birds.

Birds and the environment:
Birds serve as one of the best environmental indicators. Their presence anywhere speaks volumes of the environment as to whether all is well or there is something amiss. The presence of birds also shows the biological importance or going technical, the biodiversity significance of an area. The presence of carcass would always attract members of the vulture family, whilst the prevalence of fruits and flowers would always attract Nectar and Seed Eaters.

Agents of seed dispersal:
I remember that when I was just a kid, I always assumed that fruit tress that sprung up in our backyard without us planting them was cultivated by God himself. However I now know that Seed Eaters and other birds in view of their eating habit become agents of seed dispersal.

Indication of pollution:
Over the years, oil slicks, which have resulted from oil spill from tankers, have killed many fishes as well as many a water bird and birds which have been fortunate to escape death, have been picked up and cleaned by some environmental groups. Just as these oil spills, wherever birds have been found dead in their numbers it has pointed to one thing- pollution.

Dealing with pests and dangerous reptiles
Though hard to believe, birds prey on roaches, pests and others that are seen as a nuisance to man. I was very bewildered the first time I saw a domestic fowl feeding on a cockroach, and then the following new findings gave and still give me the jitters. Can you imagine a bird eating up a snake of all animals? Yet that is the delicacy of … (you wouldn’t believe it) the Secretary Bird and some hawks.Research has also shown that owls are very good pest controllers. They feed on mice and little lizards. There are other birds such as the Cattle Egrets which follow cattle when they are grazing to feed on insects that fly up with the advance of the cattle. To add a few more, other pest species are the Bee-Eaters, Flycatchers and Bat Hawk.
In view of the above and the fact that some bird species in Nagaland are considered endangered, the Wildlife Laws should offer protection for them and every one of us should come forward and protect our birds not only because they are beautiful but many of our unemployment problems can be solved through the conservation and preservation of our Natural Environment instead of destroying them. Come on guys, it’s a win – win situation. We save our environment and at the same time we also made ourselves a way to earn a living.

Protect our chirping birds
Angulie Meyase
Nature Watch

(source: morungexpress.com )