Common ravens in California look like other ravens. But their mitochondria contain a genetic jumble. Mitochondria, the tiny power-plant organs within animal cells, carry their own sets of DNA. Animals — humans and ravens included — inherit mitochondrial DNA from mothers. The mitochondrial DNA in ravens revealed a “deep genetic divergence between two different lineages,” Omland said.
The sudden move is important, environmentalists say, because hundreds of birds die at the Altamont each year after getting hit by wind turbine blades, colliding with windmills, or becoming trapped inside them.
https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2015/10/29/wind-energy-vs-golden-eagles/
"The ultimate goal of a native garden is to create a place where nature is in balance and the health of each creature in it is supported,” Cook said. “Ideally, we’d like to create robust places that stay healthy with minimal interventions from us.”
https://www.ocregister.com/2018/03/02/backyard-birder-birds-are-beneficial-to-the-garden/
An author explores the unlikely relationship between a musical genius and avian pariah.
https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.4/books-why-we-should-reconsider-the-starling
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Please join the Redbud Audubon Society for an enthusiastic and informative presentation about the resident, migrant and over-wintering birds of prey in Northern California on Thursday, March 15.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at the Lower Lake Methodist Church Social Hall, 16255 Second St.
On March 24, Carmel will host a celebration of California Wildlife Day, an event geared toward preserving environmentalism in this generation and the next. The celebration aims to create an opportunity to promote environmental awareness and stewardship in California. At its heart, it gives residents a chance to formally appreciate the diverse wildlife found across their state, as well as the unique habitat wildlife relies on.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking talented waterfowl artists to submit their original artwork to the 2018-2019 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. Submissions will be accepted from May 11 through June 11.
On the philosophical nature of migration.
http://www.sungazette.com/news/outdoors/2018/03/reflections-in-nature-the-true-call-of-the-wild/
It can be a startlingly beautiful experience this time of year when you see a sudden flash of brilliant cobalt blue against the muted winter landscape. In the Blue Oak woodlands and Valley Oak savannahs of the Tehachapi Mountains, this usually means one thing: Western Bluebirds.
Fifteen bald eagles were spotted during an organized count at sites across inland Southern California over the weekend.
https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/03/11/81571/15-bald-eagles-spotted-at-southern-california-lake/
