This just in from the Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group. Hope you can join in and feel free to forward to anyone who might be interested
-Jeff
The Rusty Blackbird has been steeply declining with estimates of an 85-99% population drop over the past 40 years. The cause for this alarming decline is not known and the increasingly sparse and patchy winter distribution of the Rusty Blackbird is making it more difficult to learn more about distribution, abundance, and ecology as a basis for conservation efforts. Collaborating with Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's and National Audubon Society's e-Bird project, the Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group (RBTWG) needs your help to find local, but predictable wintering concentrations of Rusty Blackbirds by participating in the Rusty Blackbird Hot Spot Blitz.
Rusty Blackbird
Credit: Jeff Nadler
The Rusty Blackbird Hot Spot Blitz will occur, February 7-15, 2009, throughout the Rusty Blackbird winter range in over 20 midwestern and southeastern states. Participants will simply be asked to visit locations where they have previously sighted or would expect to encounter Rusty Blackbirds and submit their observations via e-Bird. There are no datasheets or daily time restrictions. You can go wherever you like, whenever you like, and as often as you like anytime between the dates of February 7-15, 2009. We are simply seeking observations on the number of birds present at each location visited, along with very basic habitat information. If you are unfamiliar with areas which may support Rusty Blackbirds in your region, contact the Blitz coordinator for ideas. As a result of these efforts, the RBTWG is hoping to create maps of wintering Rusty Blackbird "hot spots" that will help direct research, monitoring and conservation attention.
If you don't use eBird regularly, please consider entering all your observations of Rusty Blackbirds (even outside the Blitz period). Your observations of will be used by researchers currently studying their steep long-term population decline.
Additional instructions and information on identification, habitat preferences, etc., will soon be posted on the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Rusty Blackbird website.
Information and instructions will also be available on Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's e-Bird site.
