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musical-wren
The declining Musician Wren (Cyphorhinus arada), or “uirapuru” from the Tupi language in Brazil, holds a special place in Amazonian culture as a nearly invisible bird with a beautiful song. Photo by Philip Stouffer.

Enigmatic Bird Declines in Pristine Amazon Rainforest

After a field season netting birds in Amazonian rainforest fragments and second growth, Louisiana State University (LSU) Ph.D. candidate Erik Johnson was excited to work in undisturbed forest for his 2008 field season. Within a few weeks, he had seen many of the specialist birds absent from the disturbed landscape.

floater_loon_taking_off
Young marked floater loon taking off after intruding into a loon territory (Muskellunge Lake, Lincoln County, Wisconsin). Observations of this marked population segment have permitted us to detect a steep decline in the population of floaters in northern Wisconsin. Photo by Linda Grenzer.

The Cryptic Decline of an Iconic Northern Species

In the excitement and confusion of all-night loon capture, you don’t have much time to think. With a goal each night of catching five lakes’ worth of loons, your team of four loon researchers works steadily and by routine.

The green-and-black fruiteater, Pipreola riefferi, is a relatively small-eyed bird that lives in the canopy. This individual is one of nearly 10,000 birds banded during the project. Photo by Ian Ausprey. Used with permission.

Bright light bars big-eyed birds from human-altered landscapes

New research shows the glaring light in human-altered landscapes, such as livestock pastures and crop fields, can act as a barrier to big-eyed birds, potentially contributing to their decline.