Animals have changed their behaviors but might not be able to keep it up.

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/birds-are-adapting-climate-change-maybe-not-fast-enough?amp

Andrew Stillman, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Connecticut, along with colleagues from The Institute for Bird Populations and the U.S. Forest Service, looked at nest site selection and nest success of Black-backed Woodpeckers in burned forests of northern California.

https://www.natureworldnews.com/amp/articles/41878/20190806/mega-fires-may-be-too-extreme-even-for-a-bird-that-loves-fire.htm

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed in-depth reviews of two species, the Tri-colored blackbird and Joshua tree. For both species, we determined that listing is not warranted.

https://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/19775-u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-reports-the-tri-colored-blackbird-and-joshua-tree-does-not-warrant-listing-under-the-endangered-species-act

But something happened to disrupt that pattern. A few decades ago, humans made changes to one of those island lakes that might have set off a chain reaction causing gulls to nest in the Bay Area. They then end up eating trash at places like Bowers’ transfer station and eating shorebirds, some of which are already on the state’s list of species of special concern.

https://www.kalw.org/post/chain-reaction-brought-gulls-bay-now-they-are-eating-other-birds#stream/0

Scientists study sparrow subspecies for clues to their adaptations to marine environments.

https://www.pressherald.com/2019/08/18/birding-is-it-convergence-or-are-they-one-big-happy-family/

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is conducting an art contest to select the design for the state’s 2019-2020 upland game bird stamp.

The California Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and older. Entries will be accepted from Nov. 18 through Dec. 6.

https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/artists-sought-for-california-upland-game-bird-stamp-art-contest-4/amp/

We partnered with citizen science platform iNaturalist to make a map of bird observations. SciFri Book Clubbers spotted over 200 species of birds across the U.S., and from as far away as New Zealand! Check out the full map. Plus, it’s not too late to join the project!

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/scifri-book-club-one-for-the-birds/

To celebrate its 103rd birthday, the NPS is waiving entrance fees to all national park sites across the U.S. on August 25. It’s one of five fee-free days in 2019 (the two remaining ones are National Public Lands Day on September 18 and Veterans Day on November 11).

https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/celebrate-the-national-park-services-103rd-birthday-with-free-entrance-to-all-its-419-parks-and-sites/

Escondido, California - San Diego Zoo Global scientists are celebrating a major conservation milestone for the organization’s Burrowing Owl Recovery Program. One of two burrowing owls released into their native range have successfully reproduced—and they have produced the program’s first chicks to be hatched in the wild.

https://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/health-news/8-news/19444-san-diego-zoo-global-s-burrowing-owl-program-achieves-milestone-owls-released-into-native-habitat-hatch-their-first-chicks.html

Simply put, biodiversity is the variety of all living things in a given place.

California is the nation’s most populous state and home to more diverse species and ecosystems than anywhere in the U.S. It’s a global biodiversity hotspot, but that biodiversity is also disappearing at one of the highest rates. Direct action by all Californians can help reverse this trend.

September 7, 2019 marks the first official celebration of California Biodiversity Day, an annual event created last year to celebrate the state’s exceptional biodiversity and encourage actions to protect it.

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Biodiversity