Septiembre 2005

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In the Spotlight: Wading birds on Isla Alcatraz, Sonora
(This column spotlights a different SJV-supported project each month. To submit information about your project, contact Jennie Duberstein.)

Prior to joining the staff at the Sonoran Joint Venture, Education and Outreach Coordinator Jennie Duberstein was a fellow at Prescott College's Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies in Bahía Kino, Sonora. As a fellow, Jennie worked on a variety of different projects, one of which was the monitoring of a wading bird colony on nearby Isla Alcatraz. During the spring of 2005, Jennie mentored Prescott College student Emily Gable, whose senior project focused on studying the wading birds on the island. The following is a brief summary of Emily's results.

Isla Alcatraz is a 1.44 square kilometer island located on the eastern edge of the productive waters of the Midriff Island Region of the Gulf of California, approximately one kilometer offshore from the community of Bahía Kino and five kilometers from Estero La Cruz, an estuary which provides important habitat for birds and other wildlife. The island is characterized by a variety of geographic features, including flat, sandy, and large cobble beaches, salt flats, and a mountainous region bordered by cliffs.

Isla Alcatraz supports a diverse colony of wading birds, which were first observed nesting on the island in 1998. In 2000, Prescott College researchers documented eight Ciconiiformes species nesting on the island: Great Blue Heron (Area herodias), Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens), Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor), Cattle Egret (Bulbulcus ibis), Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), and White Ibis (Eudocimus albus). The island also supports a number of other nesting bird species, including one of the largest colonies of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Gulf of California, Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens), Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), and Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).

We observed wading birds on Isla Alcatraz for a total of twelve days from 26 February to 22 April 2005, documenting eight species of wading birds nesting in the colony over the course of the study. Nesting began in late February and appeared to peak in late April. Snowy Egrets were the most numerous species in the colony, with a high count on 22 April 2005 of 113 individuals. This was followed by Yellow-crowned Night Heron, with a high count of 95 on 22 April 2005. Reddish Egret was the third most numerous species in the colony, with a peak count of 50 individuals on 9 March 2005. Peak counts for each species yielded a high count of 363 individuals of all species combined. There were only six pairs of Tricolored Heron and five pairs of White Ibis nesting in the colony, and they did not arrive until the end of March and beginning of April, respectively.

To learn more, contact Jennie Duberstein.

Arizona breeding bird atlas published
After more than a decade of work and help from hundreds of volunteers across the state, a must-have reference book for Arizona bird watchers is finally available. Forty-six million Americans are birders, and the new Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas, sponsored by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, offers them the first book of its kind about this state.

"The creation of this book has been a labor of love," says Troy Corman, one of the book's editors and a bird biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department for 15 years. "We've been wanting to make a reference like this available for a very long time."

Cathryn Wise-Gervais, a former Game and Fish bird biologist, is Corman's co-editor of the new atlas. It's the first book focusing on all of Arizona's hundreds of breeding bird species. The creative process for the new book began in 1993, when Corman started asking Audubon Societies across the state for help with the research. Both Corman and Wise-Gervais wrote newsletter articles and made presentations at bird club meetings, where they asked for volunteers to go out and help gather data. Hundreds of people answered the call, carrying out bird survey missions in 10-square-mile blocks in more than 1,800 areas of the state. The volunteers looked high and low in a variety of habitats, from deserts to mountains. A total of more than 700 surveyors, including some hired crews, did research for the book over eight years. They found 376 bird species in the state. Of those, 283 were confirmed as breeding in Arizona.

One of the most amazing discoveries from the book's research was actually Corman's own find of a nesting pair of streak-backed orioles. The 1993 discovery along the lower San Pedro River marked the first nesting record for this bird in the United States. Over the next several years, many people traveled to Arizona to see the orioles.

This book is particularly special for birders, educators, and biologists because it contains more comprehensive and current information than any Arizona bird reference book published in the past. It also has more maps and serves as an easy reference guide for those who want to learn more about the range and natural history of different bird species in Arizona. The book contains more than 300 color photos and 280 maps.

The Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas was published by the University of New Mexico Press with assistance from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The 656-page high-quality hardcover book costs $45. It can be purchased at any Arizona Game and Fish Department office, through the department's Web site at azgfd.gov, at amazon.com, at various bookstores in Arizona, and through some Arizona Audubon Societies.

Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl’s Eligibility for Endangered Species Act Protection Revisited
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has published a proposal to remove the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl from the list of threatened and endangered species in response to a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' opinion. The court found that while the Arizona-based owls are discrete from other pygmy-owls, the Service did not adequately articulate that they are of sufficient biological and ecological significance to the whole pygmy-owl subspecies to qualify for listing as a distinct population segment. In addition to this proposed delisting rule, the Service will also withdraw its proposal to designate critical habitat for the pygmy owl.

The District Court of Arizona ordered the Service to reconsider the owl's eligibility for endangered status as a distinct population segment, consistent with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling.

The Service listed only the owls in Arizona as endangered in 1997, rather than including the entire subspecies of Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, which are located through Mexico 's west coast states and a portion of the east coast of Mexico and Texas.

The Court determined that the owl's endangered status was not supported by a demonstration of biological and ecological 'significance.' While the proposed rule recommends removing the owl from the list of endangered species and voiding its proposed critical habitat designation, it also solicits any new information that would have a bearing on the final decision.

If the pygmy-owl were removed from the list of endangered species, the Service would not complete the proposed critical habitat designation or a recovery plan for the species but would continue to conduct surveys. Other federal agencies would be relieved of their responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act. The owls would continue to receive protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which prohibits the taking (killing, pursuit, or harassment) of pygmy-owls or the possession of its parts (feathers, eggs, etc.). The Service would continue working with county officials, local officials, and concerned parties on cooperative conservation measures for the owl and rare species found in the same area as pygmy-owls.

Written comments should be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Ecological Services Field Office, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 or by facsimile to 602/242-2513. Electronic comments can be submitted to: cfpo_comments@fws.gov. The deadline for comments is 2 October 2005. The deadline for requesting a public hearing on the proposal is 17 September 2005.

SJV, Pronatura receive honorable mention
The Sonoran Joint Venture and partner Pronatura Sonora received an Honorable Mention for the 2005 Department of the Interior (DOI) Environmental Achievement Awards competition. This award recognizes DOI Bureaus, offices, employees, and contractors for exceptional achievements that conserve our Nation's natural resources through communication, consultation, and cooperation, all in the service of conservation. The SJV/Pronatura project, Laying the Tracks for Rail Conservation, focused on marshbird conservation efforts in the Colorado River delta.

To learn more about Pronatura's work in the Colorado River delta, click here.

Border Ecology Symposium final results released
The Wildlands Project and Defenders of Wildlife recently released Ecological Considerations for Border Security Operations: Outcomes and Recommendations of the Border Ecological Symposium. This paper summarizes the discussion held at the Border Ecology Symposium in March 2005 in Tucson, Arizona and addresses the current ecological status of the U.S.-Mexico border border region. It identifies information gaps and how they might be resolved, ecological concerns and potential solutions, and outlines the next steps in a process to fully incorporate ecological considerations in current and future border security operations.

Click here to read or download a copy of the report.

SJV Conservation Plan moving along
For those of you who have been involved with the SJV Technical Committee for the past few years, you know the amount of work that has gone into developing the SJV Conservation Plan. The size and diversity of the birds and habitats of the SJV region, combined with the varied threats to the environment, make this a monumental undertaking.

If you are interested in reviewing the chapters in progress (Arid Borderlands, Californian Coast and Mountains, Mexican Highlands, and Pacific Lowlands) or to learn more about the SJV Conservation Plan, contact Carol Beardmore.

Upcoming grant deadlines

• Natural Resources Conservation Science: Conservation on Private Lands. This partnership supports 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. The primary focus for this year includes conservation projects that enhance sage grouse, grasslands, and agricultural land upstream from or adjacent to coral reefs. Preproposal deadline: 15 September 2005.
• Acres for America. Acres for America is a partnership between Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Acres for America program was established to provide funding for projects that conserve important habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants through acquisition of interest in real property. The goal of the Acres for America program is to offset the footprint of Wal-Mart's domestic facilities on at least an acre by acre basis through these acquisitions. Applicants are urged to contact the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation regional director in their area to discuss project ideas prior to submitting preproposals. Preproposals deadline: 17 September 2005. Full proposal deadline: 29 October.
• Legacy Resource Management Program. This program assists DoD in protecting and enhancing resources while supporting military readiness. A Legacy project may involve regional ecosystem management initiatives, habitat preservation efforts, archaeological investigations, invasive species control, Native American consultations, and/or monitoring and predicting migratory patterns of birds and animals. Preproposals deadline: 30 September 2005.
• Musser Fund. Grants are available to promote collaborative process in environmental decision making. The Laura Jane Musser Fund proposes to assist public or not-for-profit entities to initiate or implement projects in rural areas to undertake consensus-based activities in environmental stewardship or dispute resolution. State and Federal agencies based in the U.S. are encouraged to apply. Grants maximum is $35,000. Application deadline: 30 September 2005.
• William Belton Fund. American Bird Conservancy's William Belton Fund, the Americas’ longest running bird conservation grants program, will again provide support for projects to conserve Critically Endangered and Endangered bird species across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2006. Up to twenty grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded, but larger grants will also be considered. For additional details, please visit the website or contact Dr. Robert Chipley. Proposal deadline: 30 September 2005.
• Wildlife Without Borders. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico Program is currently soliciting proposals for projects that address the conservation and sustainable use of Mexico's wildlife and plant resources. Of particular interest are projects that strengthen Mexico's capability to conserve and use sustainably its biological resources, contribute to the integration of environmental concerns with sustained development processes, and results in specific and measurable on-the-ground management actions. VIsit the Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico Program grant application website for the official Request for Proposals and Assistance Awards Guidelines. If you have any questions after reading the guidance materials, please contact Melida Tajbakhsh. Proposal deadline: 1 October 2005.
• Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. We are pleased to announce the 2006 Request for Proposals under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The Act establishes a matching grants program to fund projects that promote the conservation of these birds in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Projects may include activities to benefit bird populations and their habitats, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and outreach and education. All grant requests must be matched by partner funds at least 3:1. Partner funds from a U.S. federal source may be involved in the project, but are not eligible as match. Proposal deadline: 1 December 2005.

News and Headlines
Note: As you may have noticed, this month's News and Headlines section is a little slim. Please contact Jennie Duberstein with any publicity or press that your organization or project receives or information about newspaper and journal articles of relevance to SJV partners.

August 1 , 2005 - Más aves muertas y menos peces en las costas de E.U. © Associated Press/El Cambio.

Upcoming Meetings and Workshops

SJV Management Board Meeting: 5 October 2005. Tucson, Arizona. Contact: Robert Mesta.

80th Annual Meeting of the Western Bird Banding Association: 29 September-2 October 2005. Camarillo, California. Contact: Jan Wasserman.

Raptor Research Foundation Annual Meeting: 12-16 October 2005, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Joint State/Federal Wetland and Riparian Area Legal Workshop: Identifying "Waters of the U.S." After SWANCC: 18-19 October 2005, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Contact: Jon Kussler.

Western Wetland Conference: Collaboration Across
Boundaries: 24-26 October 2005, Denver, Colorado. Contact: jkeigley@montana.edu.

SJV Technical Committee Meeting: 27-28 October 2005, Tucson, Arizona. Contact: Carol Beardmore.

Partners In Flight Western Working Group: 2-4 November 2005, Lockeford, California. The meeting will take place at The Inn at Locke House. Rooms are available at a special
conference rate of $115/night through September 1. Contact details to follow.

Integrated Restoration of Riverine Wetlands, Streams, Riparian Areas, and Floodplains in Watershed Contexts: 15-16 November 2005, Amherst, Massachusetts. Contact: Jon Kussler.

Click here for complete details about upcoming meetings.