Notes on seven birds taken near Charleston, South Carolina

This document contains notes on seven species of birds observed by Arthur T. Wayne in Charleston, South Carolina including the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, the Purple Martin, the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Cairn’s Warbler, Grinnell’s Water-Thrush, the Kentucky Warbler, and the Mockingbird.

Mitochondrial uncoupling as a regulator of life-history trajectories in birds: an experimental study in the zebra finch.

Mitochondria have a fundamental role in the transduction of energy from food into ATP. The coupling between food oxidation and ATP production is never perfect, but may nevertheless be of evolutionary significance. The 'uncoupling to survive' hypothesis suggests that 'mild' mitochondrial uncoupling evolved as a protective mechanism against the excessive production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because resource allocation and ROS production are thought to shape animal life histories, alternative life-history trajectories might be driven by individual variation in the degree of mitochondrial uncoupling. We tested this hypothesis in a small bird species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), by treating adults with the artificial mitochondrial uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) over a 32-month period. In agreement with our expectations, the uncoupling treatment increased metabolic rate. However, we found no evidence that treated birds enjoyed lower oxidative stress levels or greater survival rates, in contrast to previous results in other taxa. In vitro experiments revealed lower sensitivity of ROS production to DNP in mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscles of zebra finch than mouse. In addition, we found significant reductions in the number of eggs laid and in the inflammatory immune response in treated birds. Altogether, our data suggest that the 'uncoupling to survive' hypothesis may not be applicable for zebra finches, presumably because of lower effects of mitochondrial uncoupling on mitochondrial ROS production in birds than in mammals. Nevertheless, mitochondrial uncoupling appeared to be a potential life-history regulator of traits such as fecundity and immunity at adulthood, even with food supplied ad libitum.

Whales Get Beached, Don't They? An Essay on the Law and Economics of Copyrights in Music

L’auteur fonde son argument sur l’importance déterminante des conséquences économiques de la numérisation sur l’évolution des droits d’auteur afférant à la musique. La musique numérisée correspondant à un bien public, les prix de sa négociation tendent vers 0, et seules les contraintes légales telles que les droits d’auteur ou les ententes sur les prix, qui sont généralement proscrites par les lois sur la concurrence, peuvent sauver l’entrant intrépide ou l’opérateur mis sur le sable. Alors que les propriétaires de droits d’auteur maximisent leurs profits en prônant l’extension de leur champ d’application et en poursuivant leur application par les tribunaux, leur valeur sociale est mesurée en termes d’efficacité pour la promotion de l’innovation. L’industrie de la musique a projeté le champ d’application des droits d’auteur si grossièrement loin au–delà des limites de la raison par rapport à la musique numérisée que leur position légale sera attaquée inlassablement sur tous les fronts, que ce soit par une banalisation des infractions, ou par la résistance devant les tribunaux ou par des campagnes visant une réforme législative.

Birds.

Tiene como objeto explorar los pájaros y ofrecer respuestas a muchos de los qué, por qué y cómo que los niños pequeños preguntan sobre el mundo que les rodea. Para ayudar a los niños a entenderpor qué los pájaros tienen plumas,cómo las aves migratorias encuentran su camino. Cada dos páginas hay tres secciones organizadas por temas:un Ahora sé, es una revisión de los principales aspectos que refuerza lo aprendido. Eso es asombroso, ofrece características destacadas de la costa. Mira y encuentra sirve para alentar a los niños a identificar y asociar nombres con imágenes.

Can salvage logging affect seed dispersal by birds into burned forests?

The recovery of vegetation in Mediterranean ecosystems after wildfire is mostly a result of direct regeneration, since the same species existing before the fire regenerate on-site by seeding or resprouting. However, the possibility of plant colonization by dispersal of seeds from unburned areas remains poorly studied. We addressed the role of the frugivorous, bird-dependent seed dispersal (seed rain) of fleshy-fruited plants in a burned and managed forest in the second winter after a fire, before on-site fruit production had begun. We also assessed the effect on seed rain of different microhabitats resulting from salvage logging (erosion barriers, standing snags, open areas), as well as the microhabitats of unlogged patches and an unburned control forest, taking account of the importance of perches as seed rain sites. We found considerable seed rain by birds in the burned area. Seeds, mostly from Olive trees Olea europaea and Evergreen pistaches Pistacia lentiscus, belonged to plants fruiting only in surrounding unburned areas. Seed rain was heterogeneous, and depended on microhabitat, with the highest seed density in the unburned control forest but closely followed by the wood piles of erosion barriers. In contrast, very low densities were found under perches of standing snags. Furthermore, frugivorous bird richness seemed to be higher in the erosion barriers than elsewhere. Our results highlight the importance of this specific post-fire management in bird-dependent seed rain and also may suggest a consequent heterogeneous distribution of fleshy-fruited plants in burned and managed areas. However, there needs to be more study of the establishment success of dispersed seeds before an accurate assessment can be made of the role of bird-mediated seed dispersal in post-fire regeneration

Blood transfusion in birds

Birds, both companion and wild, have become frequent patients in veterinary clinics and hospitals as well in wildlife rehabilitation centers in the last two decades. In emergency situations, it is imperative to give the best critical care to these patients, which frequently implies reversing shock and re-establishing homeostasis. In order to do so, a blood transfusion can be life-saving. It is important to the clinician to properly evaluate these critical patients and decide when to administer blood or blood products.

Predation in Ground-Nesting Birds: an Experimental Study Using Natural Egg-Color Variation

We tested the hypothesis that cryptically colored eggs would suffer less predation than conspicuous eggs in the ground-nesting red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa. We used A. rufa as a model species because it has a wide range of natural egg colors, the eggs are widely available from breeding farms, and nests are easily mimicked because they are scrapes containing no vegetation. The study was conducted in the spring of 2001 in forest and fallow fields of central Spain in Castilla La Mancha, Ciudad Real. We used 384 clutches of natural eggs that were white, white spotted, brown, or brown spotted. Within clutches, eggs were consistent in color and size; among clutches, color differences were distributed across habitats. Clutches were checked once after 2 wk of exposure. Cryptic coloration had a survival advantage that was dependent on the local suite of predators. Rodent predation was nonselective with respect to clutch color; however, avian predation was significantly higher for conspicuous clutches. In addition, there was an interaction of landscape and egg color for avian predation. In forest landscapes, the clutches with highest survival were brown spotted, whereas in fallow landscapes, brown and brown spotted clutches had higher survival than white and white potted clutches. Thus, both the predator suite and the landscape had significant effects on the value of cryptic egg coloration. Our study is relevant for conservationists and managers in charge of restocking programs in hunting areas. The release of other partridge species or their hybrids could result in hybridization with wild partridges, potentially leading to nonoptimal clutch pigmentation and reduced survival of the native species. We therefore recommend that local authorities, managers, and conservationists be cautious with the use of alien species and hybrids and release only autochthonous species of partridges within their natural ranges.