Society Business

A proceedings is now available from the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species and Bird
Conference, held in Termas de Puyehue, Chile in October 2003. The proceedings is in Spanish and English, and a French version may soon be available. In addition, a Tool Matrix will be available on the conference website (international.fws.gov/whc.html), which provides information on available assistance and existing gaps in priority conservation needs.

For information on these documents, please contact Herb Raffaele at 703-358-1754, or see the conference website.

2003 Meeting Hailed as a Great Success

The 27th Annual meeting was held in Cuiaba, Brazil from 23-28 September. Under the hot tropical sun 75 people assembled to hear papers on waterbird biology and conservation. The local organizing committee chairs of Shannon Bouton, Silvia del Lama, Luciano Antunes Barros and their committee were gracious hosts. Following the stimulating scientific sessions, many participants joined in for field trips to the Pantanal to take in superb scenery, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetland in the world, boasts the highest abundance of animal life on the continent, and is home to over 700 species of birds, 64 species of mammals, and 405 species of fishes. Wading bird colonies are a common attraction throughout the wetland, and wood storks and spoonbills had large chicks at the time of the conference. In contrast to the Pantanal’s floodplains, the lesser known Chapada dos Guimarães, to the north of Cuiabá, is a high plains cerrado region. Famous for its chain of waterfalls, culminating in the spectacular Bridal Veil Falls, this area is known for its scarlet macaws, siriemas, burrowing owls, and harpy eagles. (posted 24 October 2003).

Membership News

Canada's Governor General Adrienne Clarkson appointed Dr. Fred Cooke to the Order of Canada at a ceremony in Ottawa. The Order of Canada is the most prestigious award presented to a Canadian citizen. Dr. Cooke's appointment is in recognition for his outstanding research career. He began his career studying genetics at Cambridge University before moving to Queen's University in Ontario. Since 1993, he has been the Canadian Wildlife Service/Simon Frasier University Chair in Wildlife Ecology. His team of fifty faculty, staff, and students has become the largest research program in the Science Faculty at Simon Fraser University. The Chair in Wildlife Ecology began as a cooperative project between Environment Canada, Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, and Simon Fraser University. Dr. Cooke is President-Elect of the American Ornithologists' Union and an Associate Editor of the Waterbird Society. (posted February 2001)

Opinions
American Bird Conservancy Headlines

Seabird spotted thought extinct more than a 150 years ago.

(posted 26 December 2003)

Quarter million seabirds die - Birdlife International

One year after the sinking of the Prestige oil tanker, BirdLife's Spanish Partner, SEO/BirdLife, has released a report confirming the devastating effect of the spill on seabirds, with up to almost a quarter of a million affected, the vast majority presumed dead. Read story.

(posted 28 November 2003)

Job Postings

Please visit www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET

Curios

Caipirinhas
For those that attended the 27th annual meeting in Brazil, few will ever forget the alluring power of a Caipirinhas on a hot afternoon. Should you dare to make your own, the ingredients are lime, sugar, ice and cachaça. Cut one whole lime into small pieces (about half inch chunks) and place in a glass the size of a whiskey tumbler. Sprinkle one heaping tablespoon of white sugar over limes and mash sugar into lime pieces with the base of a wooden spoon until most of the juice has been squeezed out of the limes. Fill the glass with ice cubes, then pour in cachaça until cubes are covered. Stir and add more sugar to taste. Make sure the limes are small and juicy - Key limes work well. If it seems to strong, add more sugar. Enjoy! (posted 4 November 2003)