Ithaca, NY—There appears to be an underlying selection mechanism at work among Gouldian Finches—a mechanism that allows this species to produce and maintain individuals with red heads, black heads, and yellow heads. Research by scientists from the the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and other institutions, reveals what this additional evolutionary process might be. Findings were published today in the journal Nature Communications.

“Most people have heard of natural selection,” says lead author Kang-Wook Kim at the University of Sheffield. “But ‘survival of the fittest’ cannot explain the color diversity we see in the Gouldian Finch. We demonstrate that there is another evolutionary process—balancing selection—that has maintained the black or red head color over thousands of generations.”

The yellow-headed type (actually more orange) is produced by a completely different mechanism that is not yet understood. Yellow-headed Gouldian Finches make up less than one percent of the wild population. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Without question the United States has engineered the most successful wildlife management system on our planet. Hunters and anglers are the driving force of this successful wildlife model through license fees and funds generated through the Pittman-Robertson Act. The total economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $52.1 billion in 2018, a 171 percent increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to almost 312,000, an 88 percent increase in that period, according to a report released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, the industry’s trade association. It is a system that has brought many animal species from the brink of extinction to that of sustainability.

Extremist groups that purport to know more than wildlife biologists want to change all of this. In Colorado, for example, a ballot initiative threatens to rip apart the fabric of sustainable use by introducing more wolves into the mix. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a wolf management plan in place and is prepared to effectively manage the already occurring natural colonization of wolves to Colorado.

If this scenario sounds like what has occurred in the Great Lakes region, there’s good reason: It has! In the Northern Rockies, initial recovery goals were established and agreed upon for the introduction of gray wolves that took place in 1995-96. Those goals were reached in 2002 but final delisting did not occur in Idaho and Montana until a congressional fix in 2011. Wyoming did not receive the ultimate ability to manage wolves until 2017. Animal rights and environment extremist groups used litigation and propaganda to delay the delisting time after time.

“A forced introduction of wolves to Colorado would cost untold amounts of taxpayer dollars, redirect already limited wildlife management resources and would have a significant negative economic impact to the state,” said Blake Henning, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) chief conservation officer. “In Colorado, you are dealing with about a third of the land mass of the Northern Rockies’ states but almost double the human population. A forced reintroduction would trigger the potential for real issues in the state.”

In addition, elk populations in southwest Colorado are already struggling. Researchers are working to find the cause of poor calf recruitment and low elk numbers. A forced reintroduction of wolves would be catastrophic to this work and the established elk and deer herds in the area.

What everyone should understand is that if the elk population continues its population decline, wildlife funding will follow suit. Less hunting means less money for the entire region’s economy, including outfitters, guides, restaurants, motels, etc.

America’s successful model for wildlife management continues to be threatened by fringe elements that somehow want to separate humans from the equation of balanced coexistence with other animals. Our system of sustainability has proven itself over the years and sportsmen and women will always put more into wildlife management than they take out. And, this is why America’s wildlife model is the envy of the world.

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is signaling a warning about an organized ballot initiative effort just underway in Colorado seeking to forcibly introduce gray wolves into the state.

“To be clear, RMEF strongly opposes the forced introduction of gray wolves to Colorado,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “We have witnessed 20 plus years of lies and litigation in the Northern Rockies concerning wolves. This Colorado effort is driven by the same groups using the same tactics to accomplish their agenda.”

In the Northern Rockies, initial recovery goals were established and agreed upon for the introduction of gray wolves that took place in 1995-96. Those goals were reached in 2002 but final delisting did not occur in Idaho and Montana until a congressional fix in 2011. Wyoming did not receive the ultimate ability to manage wolves until 2017. Animal rights and environment extremist groups used litigation and propaganda to delay the delisting time after time. (Go here to view a full listing of lawsuits and a timeline.)

Fortunately, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is already on record in opposition to a forced reintroduction. CPW has a wolf management plan in place and is prepared to effectively manage the already occurring natural colonization of wolves to Colorado. The ballot initiative is nothing more than a propaganda and fundraising-based effort by environmental extremists. Read more

I had put in a long workday without any breaks other than a bowl of soup for lunch. With just enough light remaining and a relatively warm-weather day, I thought I’d finish just one more project outdoors. An old playhouse/turned shed inherited from the previous property owner at the homestead was in need of a final coat of paint to finish the renovation. The first two sides were complete, when I went inside the garage for more paint. As I looked out the back window, where I feed the perching birds in the pine straw, here they came: three jake turkeys for some fast food.

These year-old birds have been around the property since last spring, when there were nine of them in the family group including the mother hen. During our severe cold weather with a substantial layer of ice on the ground, I knew it was going to be rough on the birds and was happy to see them come in routinely for some chow. Now the gang has been pared to seven birds including four hens but I hadn’t seen much of them recently.

The adolescent big-game birds were now scratching and pecking through the pine needles mere feet from the garage, where I had become voluntarily captive; there was no way out of the building without being seen and frightening my guests. I laughed to myself and headed over to the refrigerator for a cool drink ready to watch the antics of the three brothers. The paint job was going to wait.

For some 20 minutes they remained until one of them began walking away; the other two followed. They got about 20 yards from the feeding area but not far enough yet for me to escape the confines of my lookout, so I stayed right there watching. One bird that apparently is the boss brother started jumping and with a stretched out neck, began circling one of the other birds. Obviously a show of dominance, the antics continued in my midst for another 15 minutes, as the group slowly moved away.

When the visitors got to about 50 yards from the garage, it was time to make a move with my paint bucket. I peered from the passage door and could still see them interacting but I stepped outdoors thinking enough is enough. One bird soon picked me off and all of them halted with heads high and eyes tuned to me. I took a few non-threatening steps toward the shed and big brother gobbled for all he was worth. It was as if to say, “Watch it, buddy. You’re invading our space!” Another step by me and another short gobble hurled at me.

Jakes don’t gobble quite the same as the adult males; it’s more of an abbreviated rendition of their effort. However, to see them and to hear them confirms that such gobbling emanates from young birds. This local group was not entirely committed to leaving and was content to take a few painting lessons from me, albeit from a comfortable distance.

I won’t be hunting these youngsters this season and am hoping they’ll survive another year and become mature. In the meantime, I’m glad to have watched the show.

With a casual glance or two back, a Canada lynx left its holding carrier in under a minute Friday and trotted off over the snow into a stand of pine trees in central Schoolcraft County.

The lynx had been brought north to be released in a cooperative venture by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Detroit Zoological Society.

“It went perfectly,” said John DePue, a DNR wildlife biologist who supervised the release of the cat. “She didn’t dart out of the carrier like some other animals would have, but that’s pretty typical lynx behavior.”

See a video of the release.

The lynx – an animal only rarely seen in Michigan – had been making headlines since it was discovered about a month earlier on a farm in Sanilac County. Read more

Around Michigan this spring, some people may find a surprise in their gardens and flower boxes, or even in landscaping near office buildings. Bird nests can be found in some interesting locations.

Female mallard ducks often build nests in landscaping, gardens or other unlikely places. If you do come across a duck’s next, simply leave it alone. If the eggs hatch, the mother will lead her ducklings to the nearest body of water, often the day they hatch.

Canada geese sometimes build nests near houses or in parks, often near water. Like mallards, geese will lead their young to water soon after hatching. Because adult geese can be protective of nests and young, they may chase people or animals away by hissing and running or flying toward the intruder. If possible, avoid the nesting area. If you must go near the area, carry an umbrella and gently scare the bird away by opening and closing the umbrella.

Mute swans also can be plenty protective. As with Canada geese, give the swan family ample room. Try not to walk or boat near the family to avoid conflicts.

Nests built in your yard already may have baby birds just starting to outgrow them. It’s common to find birds on the ground after a first attempt at flight. If you find one, don’t touch it. The parents will continue to care for it, even on the ground. One exception: If you find a sparsely feathered chick on the ground, it may have accidentally fallen from the nest before it is ready to fly. If you know where the nest is, return the chick only if you can do so safely. Read more

Today, dozens of national, regional, and local hunting and fishing groups submitted final comments on the EPA’s proposed rollback of Clean Water Act protections for 50 percent of wetlands and 18 percent of stream miles in the U.S. Their comments underscore the potential economic consequences for rural communities and outdoor recreation businesses and the species that stand to lose habitat if clean water standards are weakened.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has also mobilized more than 3,500 individual sportsmen and women to submit comments opposing the rollback during the brief comment period. Read more

The goal is to conserve habitat and protect migratory birds

Ottawa, ON, and Ithaca, NY— A new paper published Monday in the journal Nature Communications shows a blueprint for conserving enough habitat to protect the populations of almost one-third of the warblers, orioles, tanagers, and other birds that migrate among the Americas throughout the year. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

I had put in a long workday without any breaks other than a bowl of soup for lunch. With just enough light remaining and a relatively warm-weather day, I thought I’d finish just one more project outdoors. An old playhouse/turned shed inherited from the previous property owner at the homestead was in need of a final coat of paint to finish the renovation. The first two sides were complete, when I went inside the garage for more paint. As I looked out the back window, where I feed the perching birds in the pine straw, here they came: three jake turkeys for some fast food.

These year-old birds have been around the property since last spring, when there were nine of them in the family group including the mother hen. During our severe cold weather with a substantial layer of ice on the ground, I knew it was going to be rough on the birds and was happy to see them come in routinely for some chow. Now the gang has been pared to seven birds including four hens but I hadn’t seen much of them recently.

The adolescent big-game birds were now scratching and pecking through the pine needles mere feet from the garage, where I had become voluntarily captive; there was no way out of the building without being seen and frightening my guests. I laughed to myself and headed over to the refrigerator for a cool drink ready to watch the antics of the three brothers. The paint job was going to wait.

For some 20 minutes they remained until one of them began walking away; the other two followed. They got about 20 yards from the feeding area but not far enough yet for me to escape the confines of my lookout, so I stayed right there watching. One bird that apparently is the boss brother started jumping and with a stretched out neck, began circling one of the other birds. Obviously a show of dominance, the antics continued in my midst for another 15 minutes, as the group slowly moved away.

When the visitors got to about 50 yards from the garage, it was time to make a move with my paint bucket. I peered from the passage door and could still see them interacting but I stepped outdoors thinking enough is enough. One bird soon picked me off and all of them halted with heads high and eyes tuned to me. I took a few non-threatening steps toward the shed and big brother gobbled for all he was worth. It was as if to say, “Watch it, buddy. You’re invading our space!” Another step by me and another short gobble hurled at me.

Jakes don’t gobble quite the same as the adult males; it’s more of an abbreviated rendition of their effort. However, to see them and to hear them confirms that such gobbling emanates from young birds. This local group was not entirely committed to leaving and was content to take a few painting lessons from me, albeit from a comfortable distance.

I won’t be hunting these youngsters this season and am hoping they’ll survive another year and become mature. In the meantime, I’m glad to have watched the show.