Bird-Smart Glass Products Now Available to Prevent Window Collisions

Collisions with glass windows kill hundreds of millions of birds each year in the United States, but thanks to American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) new Bird-Smart Glass Program, a list of 18 tested, proven products is now available to help homeowners and architects identify simple but effective solutions to stop birds from hitting windows.

“This new market of bird-friendly products will go a long way toward reducing a tremendous threat to birds,” said Dr. Christine Sheppard, ABC’s Bird Collisions Program Manager. “Bird-Smart glass can and should be a standard component of sustainable design. We hope manufacturers develop even more products that help architects and homeowners make their buildings and homes bird-friendly.”

Also: Bird-friendly Building Design Guide Updated: ABC’s “Bird-friendly Building Design” guide, built on the pioneering work of New York City Audubon, adds a review of the science behind available solutions, updates solutions to the problem, and provides many visual examples of how those solutions can be applied to new construction and existing buildings.  A few examples of bird-friendly design techniques include frit patterns, frosted glass, and window screens. Interestingly, many award winning designs unknowingly incorporate bird-friendly design features.

Greater Sage-Grouse Sign On Letter Reminder

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to protect 10 million acres of the most important sagebrush habitats from mining.  This is part of the national sage grouse planning initiative, and an essential next step in preventing further declines in the Greater Sage-Grouse population.  ABC has drafted a sign on comment letter that supports the BLM’s proposal, and also asks that additional priority grouse habitat be conserved, as recommended by scientists and top grouse conservation experts.  To view the letter and sign on your organization please go to: http://support.abcbirds.org/ProtectMoreGrouseHabitat 

Lawmakers and Conservation Groups Stand Up for the Endangered Species Act

As Congress considers the spending bill for next year, numerous amendments have been proposed to weaken the Endangered Species Act and strip specific species of the Act’s protections.  To counter these threats, letters have been sent to the Obama Administration from 25 Senators, 165 Representatives, and over 150 conservation groups.  You can help by contacting your Senators and Representative today.  Please also forward this action alert to your activists.

 New Report Finds Hawai‘i’s Palila among Nation’s Most Isolated Wildlife

 Habitat loss and conversion, dams, roads, and other developments are among the leading causes of wildlife habitat fragmentation, according to a new report released today by the Endangered Species Coalition. The report, No Room to Roam: 10 American Species in Need of Connectivity and Corridors, highlights ten rare or endangered species that lack safe, navigable corridors to connect them to important habitat or other populations.

The report includes the endangered Palila, a rare Hawaiian finch-billed honeycreeper that used to be distributed widely on the island of Hawai‘i. Approximately 2,000 birds remain, and are limited to the southwestern slope of Mauna Kea—less than 5 percent of the species’ historical range. This bird depends on the māmane tree, and moves up, down, and around the mountain to find seed pods to eat. Habitat destruction and continued degradation by non-native sheep and other hoofed mammals have isolated the population from other areas of potential habitat.  For more on this story see ABC’s blog.

ABC Opinion on MBTA: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act remains a flagship piece of environmental legislation today. Its language is clear: Without a permit, it is illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, or kill migratory birds “by any means or in any manner.” Despite its straightforward language, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is now under attack. Read more: Court Rulings Could Undermine Safeguards for Migratory Birds by Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy

Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Saving America’s Waterfowl—One Stamp at a Time.  By the early 20th century, the beautiful Wood Duck had been nearly driven to extinction by overhunting and habitat destruction. But in 1934, an innovative federal plan (the Duck Stamp Act), brought together hunters, artists, and wildlife managers in a conservation partnership, and now the Wood Duck and other waterfowl have made a huge comeback. Read the full story of one of the most successful but underappreciated conservation successes of the last century.  Duck stamps are for birdwatchers, too. Hunters fund conservation by buying Duck Stamps—here are 8 reasons why birdwatchers should consider buying one too.

New Report Assesses Impacts of Emerging Threats on Gulf Coast Species:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released the Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment (GCVA), a comprehensive report that evaluates the effects of climate change, sea level rise and urbanization on four Gulf Coast ecosystems and 11 species that depend on them. The ecosystems are mangrove, oyster reef, tidal emergent marsh and barrier islands. The species are Roseate Spoonbill, blue crab, Clapper Rail, Mottled Duck, spotted seatrout, eastern oyster, American Oystercatcher, red drum, Black Skimmer, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and Wilson’s Plover.

Understanding Forest Plan Revision under the 2012 Planning Rule: The National Forest Foundation recorded a webinarthat provides a good overview of the 2012 Forest Planning Rule and Planning Directives by speakers from the U.S. Forest Service.

 Forest Service Webinar, Conservation Strategy for the California Spotted Owl: Tuesday, December 8, 2015, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. PT, the U.S. Forest Service will share information about its efforts in developing a conservation strategy for the California Spotted Owl. The Region has launched a Website where pertinent CSO Conservation Strategy information can be found. Sign in as “Guest” at https://usfs.adobeconnect.com/csocs-500/ and call 888-844-9904 Access Code 6857433#.  ABC submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in support of listing the California Spotted Owl as endangered due to ongoing habitat loss and a lack of adequate regulatory mechanisms to protect and restore its habitat.