Birds
Week 11
Chris Foster
Bird Conservation
History:
- 1792/1804; Bewick’s History of British Birds
- 1785-1851; John Audubon [hunter so he could observe details up close] – painted
them
- SPB founded by Emily Williamson, 1889 [protest against using bird feathers]
- George bird Grimmell // Massachusetts Audubon Society – 1896/ Hemmening/ Minna
Hall
- RSPB first reserve 1930/ Minsmere 1947/ Avocet bred in the same year
Recent Extinction;
- 1852; Great Auk; never observed by modern scientists/ flightless relative of Razorbill/
exploited to extinction
- 1920; Carolina parakeet
- 1914; carrier pigeon
- Possible imperial and ivory billed woodpecker [grail bird discovered as ivory billed
woodpecker]
Rarity;
Rarity Type Distribution Local Population Habitat Size
1 Widely Small Broad
2 Widely Large Specialized
3 Widely Small Narrowly
specialized
4 Small geographic Large Broad
5 Small geographic Large Narrow
6 Small geographic Small specialized
Major threats;
- Direct; exploitation/ introducing predator/ chemical toxins/ introduce disease/ habitat
loss and fragmentation
Conserve Migratory Birds;
- Trapping and hunting in Med
- Migration flyways for Waders
- Large population = environmental change
- Conservation solutions= Brazilian Atlantic [high degree of endemism] little original
area left
Birds and People;
- 40,000 year old cave man drawing / song of Solomon / Romeo and Juliet
1. Direct Value; legal hunting for food/ feathers and guano/ birdwatching/ $40
billion industry
Week 11
Chris Foster
Bird Conservation
History:
- 1792/1804; Bewick’s History of British Birds
- 1785-1851; John Audubon [hunter so he could observe details up close] – painted
them
- SPB founded by Emily Williamson, 1889 [protest against using bird feathers]
- George bird Grimmell // Massachusetts Audubon Society – 1896/ Hemmening/ Minna
Hall
- RSPB first reserve 1930/ Minsmere 1947/ Avocet bred in the same year
Recent Extinction;
- 1852; Great Auk; never observed by modern scientists/ flightless relative of Razorbill/
exploited to extinction
- 1920; Carolina parakeet
- 1914; carrier pigeon
- Possible imperial and ivory billed woodpecker [grail bird discovered as ivory billed
woodpecker]
Rarity;
Rarity Type Distribution Local Population Habitat Size
1 Widely Small Broad
2 Widely Large Specialized
3 Widely Small Narrowly
specialized
4 Small geographic Large Broad
5 Small geographic Large Narrow
6 Small geographic Small specialized
Major threats;
- Direct; exploitation/ introducing predator/ chemical toxins/ introduce disease/ habitat
loss and fragmentation
Conserve Migratory Birds;
- Trapping and hunting in Med
- Migration flyways for Waders
- Large population = environmental change
- Conservation solutions= Brazilian Atlantic [high degree of endemism] little original
area left
Birds and People;
- 40,000 year old cave man drawing / song of Solomon / Romeo and Juliet
1. Direct Value; legal hunting for food/ feathers and guano/ birdwatching/ $40
billion industry
