Sonoran Joint Venture: About Us

April 2005

In the Spotlight: Importance of Northwestern Mexico in the Conservation of Burrowing Owls
(This column spotlights a different SJV-supported project each month. To submit information about your project, contact Jennie Duberstein.)

The Burrowing Owl ( Atiene cunicularia ) is a migratory grassland bird that nests in burrows. It has been extirpated or shown declining population trends through much of its reproductive distribution in North America. The largest population declines have occurred in northern Canada and the Great Plains region of the United States . Reasons for these declining populations are not known with certainty. Some potential causes include destruction and fragmentation of grasslands, reduced survival and reproduction caused by increased pesticide use, and reduced numbers of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.)

Burrowing Owl (Alberto Macias-Duarte)

In contrast, large, apparently resident populations of Burrowing Owls are thriving in association with irrigated agriculture in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico . Without doubt, these breeding populations probably didn't exist before the development of extensive irrigated agriculture. Predominant vegetation types in northwest Mexico , such as Sonoran Desert shrublands and tropical deciduous forest, do not naturally provide the open spaces required by Burrowing Owls for nesting. With this in mind, the expansion of the reproductive distribution of Burrowing Owls in northwestern Mexico is probably a recent event that coincides with the development of agriculture in the region.

The decrease in northern populations and the expansion of the reproductive distribution of Burrowing Owls toward northwestern Mexico are possibly related. Our investigation explores the hypothesis that the reduction in northern Burrowing Owl populations is a result of owls that were once migratory becoming residents when they find new agricultural habitat available in northwestern Mexico during their migration.

Burrowing Owl (Robert Mesta/USFWS)

Such an abrupt change of migratory behavior seems a bit improbable in light of the high breeding site fidelity shown by migratory birds. Nevertheless, recent anecdotal evidence suggests that this change is feasible. An analysis of stable isotopes from feathers and a band recovery suggest that a Burrowing Owl born in southern Saskatchewan , Canada in 2002 nested in southern Arizona in 2003.

University of Arizona researchers intend to test this hypothesis using two methods: genetic analysis of blood samples and stable isotope analysis of feathers. If this hypothesis of change in migratory behavior is true, we hope to find more genetic similarity between Burrowing Owl populations in agricultural areas of northwestern Mexico and populations in the northern United States and Canada than what one would expect based on geographic isolation. We will use stable isotope analysis to test that migratory owls that come from northern populations are found in higher proportions in agricultural areas in northwestern Mexico than in any other population.

The implications of this investigation to Burrowing Owl conservation are relevant. If the migratory behavior change hypothesis is supported by the study, then the redistribution of Burrowing Owl populations toward agricultural areas could cause the extinction of populations of this species across North America as the long-term sustainability of irrigated agriculture in northwestern Mexico is questionable. The investigation also deals with the unresolved question of how migratory behavior evolved in birds. If this hypothesis is supported, then investigating the factors that attract Burrowing Owls to agricultural areas probably will lead to the factors that promoted the beginning of migratory behavior in the species.

To learn more about this project, contact Alberto Macias-Duarte or Courtney Conway.

Celebrate National Environmental Education Week in April
National EE Week is a week of "Educational Preparation" for Earth Day 2005. Every year, millions of students and educators participate in the annual observance of Earth Day. Recognizing this, the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation and its many outstanding environmental education partners elected to enhance the educational impact of Earth Day through the creation of a full week of educational preparation in K-12 classrooms, university campuses, and informal settings such as nature centers, zoos, aquariums and museums.

This year National EE Week will be celebrated from 10-16 April 2005. Visit http://www.eeweek.org/ for more details.

Southwest Landbird Migration Workshop white paper now available
A synopsis from the Southwest Landbird Migration Workshop was recently published as a USGS Open File Report and is available in PDF format by clicking here.

If you would like to receive one or more hard copies of the report please contact Cynthia Melcher with your request. Include your surface mailing address. If you would like hard copies before 1 April, please reply to both Cynthia and Susan Skagen.

Weeding out buffelgrass in the Sonoran Desert
On 4 March 2005, the state of Arizona listed buffelgrass as a noxious weed under the "prohibited and regulated rules of the noxious weed listing." Introduced from Africa into south Texas in the 1940s and extensively in Sonora, Mexico since the 1960s, buffelgrass has recently begun to spread vigorously in southern Arizona, invading even remote backcountry areas of national parks and wildlife refuges. A study by USGS scientists at Saguaro National Park is investigating the most cost-effective techniques for removing buffelgrass and restoring the desert’s native vegetation. USGS scientists have also helped launch a buffelgrass eradication and outreach program at the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, which is operated jointly by the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey. There scientists estimate that buffelgrass covers 30-40 percent of the 860 acres. Last week, UA and USGS representatives of the Desert Laboratory met with state of Arizona officials to request listing of buffelgrass on the state’s noxious weed list; the petition included letters of support from other agencies and organizations.

To view the noxious weed listing,
see Arizona Department of Agriculture media advisory, Buffelgrass Added to Noxious Weed Rules. For more information, contact Julio Betancourt, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-6821 x107.

Job announcements

Development Director, Tucson Audubon Society. TAS seeks an individual to assist the Executive Director and Board of Directors in all aspects of organizational development and fundraising. Candidate will have frequent contact with Tucson Audubon staff, board of directors, donors, volunteers, and the public. Read the full announcement.

Click here for details about other available job and volunteer opportunities.

New curriculum available for educators
This new curriculum helps educators introduce students to bird conservation through classroom activities and school bird festivals. The 358 pages are full of great ideas, hands-on learning opportunities, and facts. Recommended for middle-school, but adaptable to all grades. It is available from the International Migratory Bird Day website for $15.95/copy plus shipping and handling.

SJV Technical Committee to meet in Sinaloa
The next SJV Technical Committee meeting is planned for 2-3 June 2005 at El Palmito, Sinaloa. The focus of the meeting will be coordinated monitoring and the development of the SJV Monitoring Plan. Contact Carol Beardmore for more details about the meeting or travel.

Border Ecology Symposium held in Tucson
A group of approximately forty biologists, educators, agency personnel, elected officials, and funders met in Tucson on 9-10 March 2005 to discuss the effects of border security actions on the ecology of the region. The goal of the symposium was to engage in a truly collaborative opportunity to address the serious and important challenge of incorporating ecological concerns into border security operations. Symposium facilitators are currently working on creating an Ecological Guidelines document based on the discussion at the symposium. The document will address the various concerns and provide recommendations for future actions. To learn more contact Kim Vacariu.

North American Association for Environmental Education Conference
Joint the NAAEE for its 34th Annual Conference on the theme Sustainability and Environmental Education: Focus on the Future.

The conference offers 5 strands:
1. Environment
2. Society
3. Economy
4. Global Responsibility and Perspectives
5. Traditional and Leading-Edge Environmental Education

At the 2005 Conference in Albuquerque, NAAEE's goal is to offer in each
strand a significant number of sessions that are inclusive of three
specific groups: Spanish language speakers, K-12 teachers, and
researchers.

You can find full details about the conference by visiing the NAAEE website.

Upcoming grant deadlines

Migratory Bird Conservancy. The Migratory Bird Conservancy is a bird conservation grant fund supported by donations from birding businesses and their customers. Grant awards are made through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and are typically federal in origin. All grantees will be required to match Migratory Bird Conservancy awards on a minimum one-to-one level with cash or tangible in-kind contributions. The MBC will fund projects that directly address conservation of priority bird habitats in the Western Hemisphere. Acquisition, restoration, and improved management of habitats are program priorities. Education, research, and monitoring will be considered only as components of actual habitat conservation projects. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is 13 May 2005. Full proposals are due by 24 June 2005.
NRCS Conservation on Private Lands. These grants support high quality projects that engage private landowners, primarily farmers and ranchers, in the conservation and enhancement of fish and wildlife and natural resources on their lands. Primary focus for this year includes conservation projects that would enhance sage grouse, grasslands, and agricultural land upstream from or adjacent to coral reefs. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is 13 May 2005. Full proposals are due by 24 June 2005.

News and Headlines

January 26, 2005 - Decomisan aves de contrabando. Por Omar Millán González. © La Frontera.

Febfruary 16, 2006 - 'Bird Atlas' beyond winging it. By Scott LaFee. © San Diego Union-Tribune.

March 1, 2005 - West Nile mosquitoes found in Santa Ana trap. By Ben Fox, Associated Press. © Pasadena Star News.

March 2 , 2005 - Rains are a boost for West Nile Virus--it's here earlier, poses a greater risk. By Hugo Martín and Dave McKibben. © Los Angeles Times.

March 4 , 2005 - Buffelgrass unwelcome here. By Mitch Tobin. © Arizona Daily Star.

March 4 , 2005 - Tumacoc Hill finds nasty intruder on the rise. By Mitch Tobin. © Arizona Republic.

March 5, 2005 - State fight against West Nile begins. By Associated Press. © Arizona Daily Star.

March 7, 2005 - Owl decline in Sonora raises concerns. By Tony Davis. © Arizona Daily Star.

March 8 , 2005 -Rain increases W. Nile risk. By Troy Anderson. © LA Daily News.

March 8 , 2005 -Rivals pitching their plans for future of the Salton Sea. By Michael Gardener. © San Diego Union-Tribune.

March 9, 2005 - Will the plan to divide the Salton Sea save it or simply cause other problems? By Neal Matthews. © San Diego Union-Tribune.

March 28, 2005 - Grand Canyon, Arizona. - First condor chick to hatch in wild in decades found dead.

Upcoming Meetings

PIF West Working Group Meeting: 13-15 April 2005, Logan, Utah. Contact: Jim Parrish.

Wilson Ornithological Society and Association of Field Ornithologists: 21-24 April 2005, Beltsville, Maryland. Contact: Richard Banks at 202-357-1970

Pinyon/Juniper and Sagebrush Ecology and Management: 16-19 May 2005, Montrose, Colorado. Contact: Steve Monsen.

SJV Technical Committee Meeting: 2-3 June 2005, El Palmito, Sinaloa. Contact: Carol Beardmore.

Cooper Ornithological Society: 15-18 June 2005, Arcata, California.

Click here for complete details about upcoming meetings.