New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Bird Migration

NYS ‘Lights Out’ Initiative Launched to Protect Migrating Birds

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bird watcher by decNew York State agencies have announced two initiatives designed to protect and foster increased appreciation for birds – a new ‘Lights Out’ initiative to help protect migrating birds as they navigate night skies, and the launch of the Capital Region segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the State’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

State buildings participating in Lights Out will keep non-essential outdoor lighting from affecting the ability of birds to migrate successfully, both in the Capital Region and throughout New York. [Read more…] about NYS ‘Lights Out’ Initiative Launched to Protect Migrating Birds

When Ice Goes Out The Loons Arrive

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Loon in AdirondacksIt is always difficult to predict when the ice will go out on a given body of water in the Adirondacks, however, it is easy to say when that waterway will be occupied by a loon, as this symbol of the northern wilderness always seems to arrive within hours of the ice disappearing.

The urge to return to its breeding territory is especially strong in male loons. Because of a recent population increase in this species, there can be intense competition for the remote sections of the large lakes and back country ponds that are highly attractive to this bird with the haunting voice. [Read more…] about When Ice Goes Out The Loons Arrive

Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines

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Eastern Mallard Spring Migration GraphOver the past 20 years, mallard populations in New York and the Northeast have declined significantly, leading to limits on hunting them starting in 2018.

To understand what factors may be contributing to the decline, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ducks Unlimited, SUNY Brockport, and the University of Saskatchewan partnered with 22 state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to start one of the largest telemetry projects ever conducted in North America. [Read more…] about Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines

Migratory Birds Face Increasing Light Pollution

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continental U.S. at night from satellite photosNighttime light pollution levels are increasing the most in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Central America according to findings based on year-round data collected over the last two decades in the Western Hemisphere.

This trend is a real concern for birds that fly at night during spring and fall migration and even during non-migratory seasons. Results of the study by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University are published in Ecosphere. [Read more…] about Migratory Birds Face Increasing Light Pollution

Long Island Section of NYS Birding Trail Goes Live

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Long Island NYS Birding TrailDEC has announced the grand opening of the Long Island segment of the New York State Birding Trail. The Long Island segment includes 20 locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. [Read more…] about Long Island Section of NYS Birding Trail Goes Live

Greater Niagara Birding Trail Opens To Public

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Greater Niagara Birding Trail Region mapNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the grand opening of the Greater Niagara segment of the New York State Birding Trail. The route highlights the State’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

The Greater Niagara segment includes 36 locations throughout Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences. [Read more…] about Greater Niagara Birding Trail Opens To Public

How Birds Weather New York Winters

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female northern cardinal courtesy Wikimedia user Rhododendrites Were it not for compelling evidence to the contrary, I’d believe I descended from birds – migratory birds in particular. So familiar to me are the urges and behaviors of migratory birds, I’m pretty sure I blushed, or at least looked around sheepishly, when learning of them in my undergraduate ornithology class. Take hyperphagia (excessive eating), if you will.

Every fall, like a songbird building fat reserves for its epic flight, I ransack my environment for calorie-dense foods. As the temperature drops, my hunger grows. By November, I’m buttering Fig Newtons. [Read more…] about How Birds Weather New York Winters

Iced-In Loons Rescued on Lake George

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Common Loons on Lake George’s ice (photo by Nick Weis)On two different days this week, the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation received reports about Common Loons which had been iced-in on Lake George.

Ice fishermen Nick Weis and Mattie Riley found and protected two loons from an eagle attack on Sunday, and ice fishermen Jason Jordan and Tim Denno found a third loon on Tuesday. The fishermen caught and carried the birds to safety, then reached out to local wildlife professionals for help. [Read more…] about Iced-In Loons Rescued on Lake George

The Perils of Bird Migration

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Flocks of birds assembling before migration southwards courtesy Wikimedia user SchnaggliOne morning in early autumn, I was running errands in downtown Keene, New Hampshire, when I was stopped in my tracks by a flash of yellow. Crouching down, I found a gorgeous, palm-sized bird, olive above, with a belly as gold as sunshine. It was a species I’d never seen before, and it was lying dead on the ground beneath a store window.

After consulting several field guides and two friends who know the intricacies of warbler identification far better than I ever will, I deduced that it was a mourning warbler – a secretive songbird of boreal and high-elevation forest clearings, with a migration route that tracks to Central and South America. Imagine flying all that way – a wonder of beauty and color – only to be felled by a run-in with a pane of glass. [Read more…] about The Perils of Bird Migration