Upcoming conference is for the birds

Emmet County

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Jan-Michael Stump

March 20, 2009

Climate change, invasive species will be focus

BY Sheri McWhirter The Record Eagle Sat Mar 21, 2009, 08:20 PM EDT

PETOSKEY -- A flock of scientists and experts from across the state will gather for the birds. Or, at least to talk about birds.

The third annual Ornithological Congress will be held April 3-5 at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey and the effects of climate change and invasive species on birds will be prime topics. Changing water temperatures, insect hatches and the types of bugs buzzing through the air may have profound ramifications on Michigan's winged creatures, experts say.

"If you can't stop climate change, what do you do to manage around it? Because we still care about the wildlife," said Karen Cleveland, all-bird biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and conference coordinator.

Among the lecturers is zoology professor Catherine Lindell from Michigan State University, who will speak about woodpeckers that prey on invasive emerald ash borer beetles, a new and unexpected food source.

"Woodpeckers find trees that are infested and they forage more heavily on those trees," Lindell said. "We certainly think they are taking emerald ash borers out of the environment and keep emerald ash borer levels lower than they'd otherwise be."

There could be a corresponding increase in woodpecker populations in Michigan because of the widespread invasive bugs, but that won't last once the state's ash trees are decimated and gone, she said.

Lindell's research shows hairy, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers preyed on the beetles in their observation areas between Ann Arbor and Lansing, but other species of woodpeckers may follow suit in other areas, she said.

Kim Hall, Great Lakes climate change ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, will lecture on the incorporation of climate change into conservation planning for migratory birds. Winter habitats, migration routes and summer habitats can all be affected by the global climate shift, she said.

Many birds' migrations are triggered by daylight changes, something that climate change doesn't effect. What is affected are insect hatches with earlier water and air warm-ups, she said.

"The problem becomes that a lot of the plants and insects they'd eat along the migration route may be affected. There's potential the insects are becoming available earlier, so the time when birds arrive and when the food source is available may be mismatched," Hall said.

Such occurrences were documented in Europe and a nationwide study is under way in the United States, she said.

Other sessions will involve discussions about bald eagles, woodcock and other conservation topics.

The conference is sponsored by the Michigan Bird Conservation Initiative, a partnership among state and federal agencies, universities and both nonprofit environmental and conservation groups. Registration costs $70 or $45 for one day.

Call (517) 373-1263 or visit www.mibci.org for more information.