[NatureNS] Year 3 (final year!) of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz

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From: Kate Steele <katefsteele@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2016 07:21:40 -0300
To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
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Have you heard a 'squeaky-hinge' song lately, or seen a flash of
rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occasionally
overlooked as =E2=80=9Cjust another blackbird,=E2=80=9D Rusty Blackbirds fa=
ce an
unfortunate and remarkable notoriety:* this species has endured a decline
more severe than that of any other once-common landbird =E2=80=93 85-95% in=
 the
past 40 years*. In 2014, the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group,
in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Centre
for Ecostudies, eBird, and many other state, federal, and local partners,
launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz that
challenged birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbirds during this
species=E2=80=99 northward migration. Between 1 March and 15 June 2014, 475=
0
birders submitted 13,400 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations
to eBird; during the same time period in 2015, 4885 birders submitted
13,919 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations. These first two
hugely successful seasons have allowed us to start looking at potential
Rusty Blackbird migratory hotspots, habitat use, and potential migratory
pathways.

We hope you=E2=80=99ll consider participating in Year 3 =E2=80=93 *the fina=
l year* =E2=80=93 of the
Blitz this spring! It=E2=80=99s easy- bird as you normally do during the Bl=
itz
window (1 March through 15 June) and submit your data to eBird (
www.ebird.org) using the =E2=80=9CRusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz=E2=
=80=9D
observation type. To help you figure out when Rusties might be passing
through your area, each region is assigned a set of target dates; *the
target dates in Nova Scotia are mid-April to mid-May*.

To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds, the Blitz effort, and how to submit
your data to eBird, please visit the NS Bird Society website (
http://nsbirdsociety.ca/index.php/volunteer/rusty-blackbird-spring-migratio=
n-blitz),
the Migration Blitz website (
http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/), check out the Blitz
Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz), or
contact the Nova Scotia provincial coordinator: Kate Steele at
katefsteele@gmail.com.

I hope you=E2=80=99ll join us to Blitz for blackbirds this spring!

Kate

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Have you heard a &#39;squeaky-hinge&#39; song lately, or s=
een a flash of rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occ=
asionally overlooked as =E2=80=9Cjust another blackbird,=E2=80=9D Rusty Bla=
ckbirds face an unfortunate and remarkable notoriety:<b> this species has e=
ndured a decline more severe than that of any other once-common landbird =
=E2=80=93 85-95% in the past 40 years</b>. In 2014, the International Rusty=
 Blackbird Working Group, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Se=
rvice, the Vermont Centre for Ecostudies, eBird, and many other state, fede=
ral, and local partners, launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migra=
tion Blitz that challenged birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbi=
rds during this species=E2=80=99 northward migration. Between 1 March and 1=
5 June 2014, 4750 birders submitted 13,400 checklists containing Rusty Blac=
kbird observations to eBird; during the same time period in 2015, 4885 bird=
ers submitted 13,919 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations. Th=
ese first two hugely successful seasons have allowed us to start looking at=
 potential Rusty Blackbird migratory hotspots, habitat use, and potential m=
igratory pathways.<br><br>We hope you=E2=80=99ll consider participating in =
Year 3 =E2=80=93 <b>the final year</b> =E2=80=93 of the Blitz this spring! =
It=E2=80=99s easy- bird as you normally do during the Blitz window (1 March=
 through 15 June) and submit your data to eBird (<a href=3D"http://www.ebir=
d.org">www.ebird.org</a>) using the =E2=80=9CRusty Blackbird Spring Migrati=
on Blitz=E2=80=9D observation type. To help you figure out when Rusties mig=
ht be passing through your area, each region is assigned a set of target da=
tes; <b>the target dates in Nova Scotia are mid-April to mid-May</b>.<br><b=
r>To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds, the Blitz effort, and how to submit=
 your data to eBird, please visit the NS Bird Society website (<a href=3D"h=
ttp://nsbirdsociety.ca/index.php/volunteer/rusty-blackbird-spring-migration=
-blitz">http://nsbirdsociety.ca/index.php/volunteer/rusty-blackbird-spring-=
migration-blitz</a>), the Migration Blitz website (<a href=3D"http://rustyb=
lackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/">http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/=
migration-blitz/</a>), check out the Blitz Facebook page (<a href=3D"https:=
//www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz">https://www.facebook.com/rust=
yblackbirdspringblitz</a>), or contact the Nova Scotia provincial coordinat=
or: Kate Steele at <a href=3D"mailto:katefsteele@gmail.com">katefsteele@gma=
il.com</a>.<br><br>I hope you=E2=80=99ll join us to Blitz for blackbirds th=
is spring!<div><br><div>Kate</div></div></div>

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