New Use For Safflower

The bird feeding industry has seen big price increases in sunflowers with the growing demand for sunflower oil competing with sunflowers for birds seed. Could a similar issue be ahead for the blackbird resistant safflower too?

According to a story from Canada TV, safflower may be used as a source of insulin. Some Canadian scientists are looking to the plant to make a cheaper form of the drug used to help those with diabetes.

You can read the full story here. If this is successful it will be great for the millions who suffer diabetes but it will be interesting to see how it affects this seed's price.

Tell Customers To Report Rusty Blackbirds Until February 15, 2010

Ithaca, NY--Volunteers are needed for the second annual Rusty Blackbird Blitz taking place January 30 through February 15. Participants report sightings via the eBird program led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. The blitz is coordinated by the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center along with the Cornell Lab and Audubon.

The population of North American Rusty Blackbirds has plummeted an estimated 85 to 99 percent over the past 40 years. Although the exact cause for this decline is not clear, loss of habitat is one likely reason. Data gathered during the blitz will be used to create a map of wintering Rusty Blackbird "hot spots" and will help focus research, monitoring, and conservation efforts.

"We're looking for date, location, the time you began each survey, how long you were birding, and how far you traveled," said eBird co-leader Brian Sullivan. "It's important to submit your observations even if you don't see any Rusty Blackbirds. Negative data are incredibly valuable and still tell us a lot."

The focus of the blitz is on states that are known to be part of the Rusty Blackbird's winter range: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (east), Virginia, and West Virginia.

Unlike other species of blackbirds, the Rusty Blackbird inhabits boreal wetlands of the far north during the breeding season and spends its winters in bottomland wooded-wetlands, primarily in American midwestern and southeastern states. Despite its drastic decline, there is no monitoring program specially for these birds.

Two other species are more common and are sometimes mistaken for the rusty. The Common Grackle is larger with a long tail and larger bill. The female Red-winged Blackbird also resembles the rusty but can be distinguished by bold streaking on its underparts, whereas the rusty has plain underparts without streaks.

For more information on identifying Rusty Blackbirds and where they might be found, visit the eBird website and the International Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group site. Then join the Rusty Blackbird Blitz January 30 to February 15!

Perky Pet Gets Into Twitter

Perky Pet is joining other retailers on Twitter and Facebook joining several other wild bird companies including Duncraft, WildBird Magazine, Bird Watchers Digest, Eagle Optics and Birdorable. Are you on Twitter? Follow us and we'll add you to either our Wild Bird Vendor List or our Wild Bird Retailer List!

Vittle Vaults

In an article from the Chattanooga Times, a writer struggles with the Indian Meal Moth--a pest known to anyone who stores wild bird food or pet food in their home.

One interesting solution the writer tried besides the usual sticky traps was the Vittle Vaults. The patented design of the vaults prevents food from going rancid and keeps pests out. The theory is that since the lids are air tight, if moths are in the bird seed when inside the container, they cannot live without oxygen and will die.

Read the full article here.

End Of Birdwatch Radio

The Birdwatch Radio podcast has now ended. It's a tough market for media, even tougher for the birding industry. All of the previous podcasts will remain online and the final podcast is Steve Moore's reasons for ending.

Meanwhile, Birding Adventures continues to go on strong.

Some Science On Why Squirrels Are So Clever

From Science Daily comes an article about researches studying the gray squirrel's ability to learn from other squirrels by watching each other, especially when it comes to stealing food. It's the first study that officially tests gray squirrel observation skills.

Researchers tested the squirrels' ability to learn to choose between two pots of food after watching another squirrel remove a nut from one of the pots. One group was rewarded for choosing the same pot as the previous squirrel, the second group was rewarded for targeting the other pot.

Those that were rewarded for choosing food from the other pot learned more quickly than those that were rewarded for choosing the same pot, suggesting that gray squirrels learn more quickly to recognize the absence of food.

The study was repeated, but instead of observing another squirrel, the animals were trained with the use of a card. In this test, the squirrels showed no significant difference in their ability to learn to choose the same or opposite pot.

The study suggests that squirrels are primed to recognise other squirrels as potential food thieves. It also shows that they learn more quickly from real life observations than from cards.

This study could explain why feeders like the Yankee Flipper get so little attention from squirrels after being out for only 24 hours. The squirrels see another get flipped and they know to leave it alone.

Read the full article here.

1 in 5 Americans Are Watching Birds?

A new report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows one of every five Americans watches birds and that birdwatchers contributed $36 billion to the U.S. economy in 2006.

The report – Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis –shows that total participation in birdwatching is strong at 48 million, and remaining at a steady 20 percent of the U.S. population since 1996. So where are they?

The five top states with the greatest birding participation rates include Montana (40 percent), Maine (39 percent), Vermont (38 percent), Minnesota (33 percent) and Iowa (33 percent).

The report identifies who birders are, where they live, how avid they are, and what general kinds of birds they watch. However, the report does little to give insight as to the bird feeding participants.

In addition to demographic information, the report provides an estimate of how much birders spend on their hobby and the economic impact of these expenditures. According to the report, the average birder is 50 years old and more than likely has a better than average income and education. She is slightly more likely to be female and highly likely to be white. There is also a good chance that this birder lives in the south in an urban area.

Backyard birding or watching birds around the home is the most common form of birdwatching. 88% (42 million) of birders are backyard birders. The more active form of birding, taking trips away from home, is less common with 42 percent (20 million).