Mt. Mansfield Yields Avian Surprises
VCE’s seventh weekly visit to our long-term study site on the Mt. Mansfield ridgeline yielded a few avian surprises, including the only Indigo Bunting recorded in 25 years of field work.
Mansfield Update: Hardy Survivors and a Site-faithful Sharpie
After forced cancellation of a planned field trip to Mt. Mansfield in early June, when wind chills on the ridgeline plummeted to 14 degrees F, VCE returned on June 15-16. The avian chorus was subdued, but the hardiness of resident birds was evident. A male Sharp-shinned Hawk banded in 2013 was a surprise returnee in our nets.
Counting Birds: When Zeros Equal One or More
We’ve all been there. A friend visits from out of town, and you take them birding at a reliable spot for your locally uncommon bird—say, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. After hours of listening and walking around the woods, your search turns up empty. “I don’t get it,” you apologetically exclaim to your friend, “they are usually here—I just saw one yesterday.”
Puerto Rico Scorecard: Endemics 17, Bicknell’s Thrush 7
VCE’s second winter of Bicknell’s Thrush surveys across Puerto Rico has so far confirmed 7 birds, all in high-elevation forests of Cordillera Central. While the island may not qualify as an epicenter of the species’ overwintering distribution, it is important and reassuring to know they are regular, if rare.
On the conservation of tropical birds and the fruits of long-term research
VCE scientists began operating bird-banding stations in the cloud forests of the Dominican Republic 20 years ago. New research published yesterday reveals the value of long-term field work for conservation.
International Experts Convene for Bicknell’s Thrush
Twenty-one stakeholders of the International Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Group convened recently in Woodstock, VT to launch a revision of the 2010 conservation action plan for this globally rare and vulnerable migratory songbird.
Bicknell’s and Blues Highlight VCE Wrap-up Mansfield Visit
VCE’s 2015 wrap-up visit to our long-term Mt. Mansfield study site featured a strong showing by Bicknell’s Thrushes and Black-throated Blue Warblers.
An Historic Collaboration for Birds on Hispaniola
An historic collaboration between Haiti and the Dominican Republic promises to build a better future for bird conservation on Hispaniola.
Mountain Birds and Jail Birds: Another Season of Mountain Birdwatch
Trees fall over trails. Bridges wash out. Gullies form and block routes. During Mountain Birdwatch, these are trivialities … compared to a couple of escaped convicts.
Streamertails and Jamaica – VCE Attends BirdsCaribbean Meeting
VCE played a prominent role in the recent BirdsCaribbean meeting on Jamaica. The five-day conference also afforded a chance to see 20 of Jamaica’s 30 endemic birds.
Illegal Deforestation Continues in the Dominican Republic
Sierra de Bahoruco National Park is a vital haven for some of the rarest endemic birds in the Caribbean Basin. But its cloud-forest habitat is being illegally logged and cleared for crops. And conservationists say the government of the Dominican Republic is doing little to stop it.
Summer Banding on Mansfield Ends with a Flourish
VCE’s July 20-21 Mt. Mansfield banding session capped another productive field season, our 24th studying the ridgeline’s breeding bird community. After several weeks that brought record rainfall to the mountain,…
