Local bird conservationists weigh in to potential change to century-old bird law
and last updated 2021-02-11 20:25:43-05
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - On a frigid morning, Terri Cuthreill admires many of the birds that flock around Fort Monroe. I am looking at a loon right now, says Cuthriell. Some of the gulls and shorebirds we have here in winter will leave us in spring.
Cuthriell says there are about 100-150 bird species that migrate in and out of the Hampton Roads area.
These migratory birds are in jeopardy, says Cuthriell with the Virginia Society of Ornithology. In December of 2017, the Department of the Interior rolled back part of the law that requires incidental take or accidental taking of bird species, and it would be no longer unlawful, she explained.
A former Bristol Township animal control officer is expected to be accepted next week into a first-time offender program for using poultry shears to remove the wings of injured seagulls more than two years ago.
Attorney Ron Elgart said that William Kurko, 76, of Bristol Township, was trying to save the birds, which were among 13 intentionally run over by a car in a Tullytown shopping center parking lot in 2018.
The Pennsylvania SPCA contends that Kurko, a state-licensed wildlife trapper, was not trained, licensed or equipped to treat the birds and should have sought professional medical care for them.
The state agency filed eight misdemeanor charges against Kurko in October 2019. He faces four counts of animal cruelty and four counts of neglect of animal vet care.
Posted By Kimberly Wear@kimberly wear on Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 6:25 AM click to enlarge File photo by Anthony Westkamper Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) known to supplement their diet with flying insects and line their nests with spider silk. For the birds, the city of Arcata is reminding residents to avoid tree trimming or other major yardwork that disturbs or removes vegetation as nesting season arrives. According to a news release, the first of the month marked the start of the early nesting season, when hummingbirds and birds of prey, including kites, hawks, owls and eagles, begin bedding down, followed by most others around mid-April through the summer months.
Published: Monday, February 8, 2021
Northern pintail at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
A northern pintail at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service is assessing the costs and benefits of proposed migratory bird regulations. USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
The Fish and Wildlife Service tomorrow will formally reopen public debate on migratory bird protections, signaling a likely move toward reversal of controversial Trump administration-imposed restrictions.
Citing multiple potential problems, the federal agency s new leadership is pushing off until at least March 8 the Trump-era Migratory Bird Treaty Act rule that restricted the law s coverage to intentional actions. The public has a strong interest in conserving the migratory bird resource and fulfilling shared objectives and obligations with a treaty partner, Canada, FWS stated today. These interests could be harmed by allowing this regulation to t
The Biden administration delayed a ruling finalized in the Trump administration’s final days that would significantly weaken bird protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The new rule, which was set to go into effect on Feb 8th, determined that businesses and industry groups should not be penalized for accidentally or incidentally killing birds.