November 2008

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SJV 2009 Awards Program Request for Proposals
The official Request For Proposals for the 2009 SJV Awards Program will shortly be available online. The objective of the Sonoran Joint Venture Awards Program is to support the investigation and conservation of all birds and their habitats within SJV boundaries by providing funds through a competitive program. Proposals for projects that support the SJV mission and objectives are eligible for funding. This includes: habitat improvement, bird monitoring and research, outreach and education, community involvement, and training projects. SJV Awards generally range from $1,000-$10,000, with an average of $5,000.

Please visit the grants section of the SJV website after 1 December 2008 to download the application cover sheet, proposal requirements, and view frequently asked questions and other important information for preparing your proposal. All proposals must be emailed to both Robert Mesta and Carol Beardmore. The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2009 funding cycle is 1 February 2009.

Scholarship opportunity for Mexican biologist
Since 1996, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has partnered with various wetland organizations and scientists from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the Ramsar Convention, to offer training opportunities for wetland managers in Mexico. From 2-15 February 2009 the 11th Workshop on the Conservation of Wetlands in Mexico, co-sponsored by the Sonoran Joint Venture and a number of other organizations and agencies, will take place in Ensenada and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The training course consists of lectures and field exercises focusing on the principles and basic techniques and methodologies of modern wetland definition, classification, evaluation, legislation, conservation, and management, including resident and migrant bird species, with special emphasis on shorebirds and waterfowl.

The SJV and the Arizona Game and Fish Department are offering one full scholarship to attend this workshop to a biologist from the Mexican portion of the SJV region (Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California, or Baja California Sur). The scholarship includes lodging, meals, and transportation during the workshop. The recipient will be responsible for his/her own travel to the workshop and must be able to commit to attending the entire workshop.

Only applicants from within the SJV region will be considered for this scholarship, and special consideration will be given to applicants who are working in wetlands conservation/management in northern Baja California or northern Sonora. To apply for the scholarship, please submit a short letter of application to Jennie Duberstein by 15 December 2008. The letter should include the following information:

1. Name
2. Email
3. Organization
4. Title
5. Office/Program
6. Street Address
7. City
8. State
9. Zip code
10. Phone (including area code)
11. Extenstion
12. Cell phone (including area code)
13. Fax
14. A short description (<200 words) of why you want to attend the workshop and how participating in the workshop will benefit your work. The more specific you are, the better.

Contact Jennie Duberstein for more details.

Birds of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
We are pleased to announce the publication of Studies in Avian Biology Volume No. 37: Birds of the US-Mexico Borderlands: Distribution, Ecology, and Conservation. It includes a preface and 12 chapters about various avian topics. The concept for this Studies in Avian Biology (SAB) began as a scientific symposium at the North American Ornithological Conference in Veracruz, Mexico in October 2006. The research of many SJV partners in included in the volume. You can contact any lead author for a reprint of a particular chapter of interest. Information about how to order the complete volume can be found on the Cooper Ornithological Society website.

Full Citation:
Ruth, J.M., T. Brush, and D.J. Krueper (Assoc. Editors). 2008. Birds of the US-Mexico borderlands: distribution, ecology, and conservation. Studies in Avian Biology No. 37. 165 pp.

PREFACE – J.M. Ruth, T. Brush, and D.J. Krueper

CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE
Additions to the Breeding Avifauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas – T. Brush

Avifaunal Changes in Big Bend National Park, Texas – R.H. Wauer and M. Flippo

Distribution and Status of Breeding Landbirds in Northern Sonora Mexico – A.D. Flesch

The Distribution and Status of Royal Terns on the Pacific Coast of southern California and Baja California, Mexico – C.T. Collins and E. Palacios

POPULATION TRENDS AND ECOLOGY OF RIPARIAN AND WETLAND BIRDS
Habitat use of Wintering Bird Communities in Sonora, Mexico: the Importance of Riparian Habitats – J.F. Villaseñor-Gómez

Population Trends of Yuma Clapper Rails in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico – O. Hinojosa-Huerta, J.J. Rivera-Díaz, H. Iturribarría-Rojas, and A. Calvo-Fonseca

Densities, Species Richness and Habitat Relationships of the Avian Community in the Colorado River, Mexico – O. Hinojosa-Huerta, H. Iturribarría-Rojas, E. Zamora-Hernández, and A. Calvo-Fonseca

POPULATION TRENDS AND ECOLOGY OF GRASSLAND BIRDS
Influence of Desertification on Site Occupancy by Grassland and Shrubland Birds during the Non-breeding Period in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert – M.S. Agudelo, M.J. Desmond, and L. Murray

Winter Diets and Seed Selection of Granivorous Birds in Southwestern New Mexico – M.J. Desmond, C. Mendez-Gonzalez, and L.B. Abbott

Distribution and Abundance of Breeding Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) in the Southwestern United States: Past, Present, and Future – J.M. Ruth

NEW TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS AND BIRD CONSERVATION PLANNING
Seasonal Passerine Migratory Movements over the Arid Southwest –R.K. Felix Jr., R.H. Diehl, and J.M. Ruth

Applied Conservation Planning and Implementation in the US-Mexico Borderlands – D. Mehlman