Living Bird Autumn 2018—Table of Contents

September 19, 2018
Whimbrel chick in Manitoba, Canada. Photo by Andy Johnson.Whimbrel chick in Manitoba, Canada. Photo by Andy Johnson.

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Feature Articles

Losing Ground: What’s Behind the Worldwide Decline of Shorebirds?

By Scott Weidensaul
Semipalmated Sandpiper in Massachusetts. Photo by Andy Johnson.
Spotted Sandpiper on migration. Illustration by Bartels Science Illustrator Megan Bishop.

Fantastic Journeys: Shorebirds Are Next-Level Athletes

By Nathan R. Senner and Alison Johnston
Bar-tailed Godwits by Gerrit Vyn.
Tribute in Light, NYC skyline, by Bob Jogandorf

The 9/11 Tribute in Light Is Helping Us Learn About Bird Migration

By Annie Novak
Photo by Bob Jagendorf.
Bird mortality estimate sources: SR Loss, et al. (2012). Direct human-caused mortality of birds. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 46: 99-120. Wind turbine estimate—SR Loss, pers. comm. Migration elevation sources: waterfowl—Ducks Unlimited; raptors—P Kerlinger, et al. (1985). Flight behavior of raptors during spring migration in South Texas studied with radar and visual observations. Journal of Field Ornithology 56: 494-502. songbirds—KP Able. (1970). A radar study of the altitude of nocturnal passerine migration. Bird-Banding 41: 282-290. Graphic by Bartels Science Illustrator Megan Bishop

The Sky Above: It’s Not Just Air, It’s Habitat

By Hugh Powell
Purple Martin by Robert Visconti via Birdshare.
Bird Evolution Graphic Source: Gavin Thomas, University of Sheffield; Infographic: Jillian Ditner. Magpie Goose by Sara Young/Macaulay Library

Add Flair to Your Life List By Tracking Down Evolution’s Most Distinctive Birds

By Eliot Miller
Cornell Lab of Ornithology researchers used weather-radar data to count the numbers of birds crossing the northern and southern borders of the United States in fall and spring. Source: AM Dokter et al. In press. Seasonal abundance and survival of North America’s migratory avifauna determined by weather radar. Nature Ecology & Evolution. Map graphic by Jillian Ditner.

4 Billion Birds Will Fly Through American Airspace This Fall

By Carley Eschliman
2018 Annual Report, Bar-tailed Godwits by Gerrit Vyn, Earth image courtesy of NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring.

2018 Annual Report

Columns & Departments

Red Knots by Tom Hince/Macaulay Library

View From Sapsucker Woods: Achieving Impact for the Planet

By John W. Fitzpatrick
George Archibold dances with a crane in 1983. Photo courtesy the International Crane Foundation.

George Archibald Wins Arthur A. Allen Award

By Marc Devokaitis
Bicknell's Thrush by Jim Tietz/Macaulay Library

First-of-its-Kind Reserve for Bicknell’s Thrush in the Dominican Republic

By Marc Devokaitis
red-legged honeycreeper by Kacau Oliveira

Calling Photographers: Share Your Favorite Shots, For Science

By Hugh Powell
Illustration by Bartels Science Illustrator Megan Bishop.

Birds Put Billions into U.S. Economy: Latest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Report

By Gustave Axelson
Canada Jay by Tim Harding via Birdshare.

Gray Jays Get Their Old Name Back: Hello Canada Jay!

By Gustave Axelson
Birdword: Tomial Tooth, Peregrine Falcon by C&C Saladintion

Birdword: An Illustrated Guide to Some Tongue-Twisting Ornithological Terms

Downy Woodpecker by Phillip Krzeminski

Gallery: A Downy Woodpecker’s Swiss Army Beak

By Phillip Krzeminski, Bartels Science Illustrator
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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