Several "bird" items in the Nov. 13 issue of New Scientist:
Page 4: (a) "Birds Nosedive" - decline of Europe's birds. Nearly half the
500 plus species face an uncertain future. Report by Birdlife
International. (b) All but three of the world's 24 species of
albatrosses and petrels are threatened (Amstersdam and Chatham, critically
endangered). The organisation hopes that identifying albatross hot spots
may help to reduce the 100,000 a year killed by long-line fishing. By
camouflaging bait. Map of hotspots by species is provided.
Page 5: Migratory birds may have carried the H5N1 bird flu to Siberia. Not
the same virus as the outbreaks in east Asia. [And just in passing, though
not really relevant to birding-aus, also on p. 5, a man got avian 'flu by
sucking a rooster's beak and swallowing the spit and mucous, a practice
common in cock-fighting for clearing a bird's airway.]
Page 17: Not exactly birds, but reminiscent of our Megapodes, young
Pterosaurs could fly soon after hatching.
Page 20: Migrating birds can "see" the earth's magnetic field.
Cheers
Syd Curtis (Brisbane)
****************************
PS. Nov. 6 issue quotes a letter to the Guardian (Oct. 29): "After the
discovery of the remains of seven 1-metre high hominids, presumably Snow
White is assisting the police with their inquiries."
S. :-)
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