Archive for December, 2007
www.publish.csiro.au
MK Tarburton
Abstract
The Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus leucophaeus sawtelli builds most of its nests from lichen, fibre from the crown of the coconut tree and saliva. Nests were smaller and less often placed in total darkness than those of other species that also have two chicks.
Most nests were built in September and the last chicks probably fledged in April. Both parents share the incubation of their two white eggs and both begin moulting their flight feathers while incubating. As well as replacing lost eggs and young broods some parents relaid after successfully fledging their first brood. The average weight of newly hatched chicks was 1.1 g and at the time of fledging (53 days later) was 9.5 g. Each brood was fed six times a day. Chicks do not have any of the parasitic louse flies that are common on other swiftlets in the south-west Pacific but they are killed by crabs. Atiu sustained 380 breeding Atiu Swiftlets during the season, which means the density was 7.1 ha per breeding bird.
December 7th, 2007
elibrary.unm.edu
THE CONDOR Vol. 64 Associations of Cave Swallows with Clilf and Barn Swallows.-Selander and Baker (Condor, 59, 1957:345-363) found no instances of Cave Swallows (PetrocheZidon fulva) and Cliff Swallows (PetrocLelidon pyrrhonota) associating in Texas and suggested that where the two species are sym- patric, as in Texas and New Mexico, nesting of f&a is restricted to caves by competition with Pyr- rhonota.
Later, Whitaker (Condor, 61, 1959:369-370) recorded Cave Swallows in mixed flocks with Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows (Hirzmdo ntstica) , foraging about buildings near Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila, Mexico. The Cave and Barn swallows nested together in an old mill and this occurrence is the only reported instance on the mainland of North America of Cave Swallows nesting with another species of swallow. Wetmore and Swales (U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 155, 1931:320) reported that in the Dominican Republic Cave Swallows “nested at times in company with the martin.” It seems worthwhile to mention other instances when Cave, Cliff, and Barn swallows have foraged and/or nested together. The most notable occurrence was in the village of Sierra Vieja, Zacatecas, Mexico, about 63 miles northeast of the city of Zacatecas. In April, 1961, I found all three species nesting throughout the village but only in one house did I find the three nesting together. One Cave Swallow nest and one Cliff Swallow nest were side by side on a wooden beam across the ceiling and three feet away on the same beam was a Barn Swallow nest. One other Barn Swallow nest and two other Cave Swallow nests were in the same room and all the nests were occupied at the time. Rem- nants and mud scars showed the former positions of other nests. Most of the Cliff Swallows nested in a barn while the Cave and Barn swallows, and a few other Cliff Swallows, occupied other buildings. The birds foraged in mixed flocks and there appeared to be no conflict between them. Because of the aridity around Sierra Vieja, the only mud available for nest construction was at a watering area for stock. At certain hours of the day water is drawn from a well and poured into a trough. The water that spills over onto the ground forms mud and it is only a relatively short period of time each day-that the mud is of the right consistency for nest construction. Throughout the arid region of north-central Mexico from Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi north- ward through eastern Durango and Chihuahua, western Tamaulipas and Nuevo Le6n, and through- out Coahuila, Cave and Barn swallows can be found in almost any village. The Cave Swallow is less frequently observed but where both species occur in the same village they often utilize the same adobe structures. The birds are easy to spot since they forage low over the villages and can be seen flying in and out of buildings. In the United States the three swallows have been observed to forage together in Texas and New Mexico. In August, 1959, I observed a single Cliff Swallow fly in a flock of about 60 Cave Swallows around the entrance to Vandalized Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. In October, 1960, I found Cliff Swallows flying with flocks of Cave Swallows around the Devil’s Sink- hole and Dunbar Cave, Edwards County, Texas. These caves are nesting sites for Cave Swallows and the Cliff Swallows were not observed to enter. On April 8, 1961, two Cliff Swallows and one Cave Swallow were observed foraging over fields seven miles east of Fort Stockton, Pecos County, Texas. For a long period of time the birds sat side by side on a telephone wire with no conilict be- tween them. On May 8, 1961, a large, mixed flock of Cave, Cliff, and Barn swallows foraged over highway 180 near the Texas-New Mexico border. In this area Cave Swallows commonly nest in the nearby Guadalupe Mountains, the Cliff Swallows in highway culverts, and the Barn Swallows around dwellings along the nearby Black River. On May 31, 1961, one Cave Swallow was observed flying with about 20 Cliff Swallows around a culvert 12 miles east of Sanderson, Terre11 County, Texas. The latter nested inside the culvert and on subsequent trips to this locality I did not see the Cave Swallow again. The association of Cave Swallows with Barn Swallows is a common occurrence, especially in the hot, arid regions of Mexico where they of necessity nest together in villages where some water and mud is available. The association of Cave Swallows with Cliff Swallows is a far lesser occurrence, due primarily to the latter’s desire for environments other than hot, arid, regions. But because there are occasional associations without conflict there does not seem to be the competition suggested by Selander and Baker (op. cit.) between these closely related species. These data were obtained in the course of studies on Cave Swallows supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.-JAMES K. BAKER, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, Januury 8, 1962.
December 6th, 2007
springerlink.com
Joseph J. Hobbs1Â
(1)Â
Department of Geography, University of Missouri-Columbia, 8, Stewart Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA (e-mail
Abstract  Due to the value of their nests, there is great pressure on the populations of black-nest swiftlets (Collocalia maximus) and white-nest swiftlets (Collocalia fuciphagus) in the Malaysian provinces of Sarawak and Sabah. The problems are particularly acute at Gunung Mulu National Park, in spite of a complete ban on collection there, and at Niah National Park, where every participant in a complex collection and trading system has an incentive to take more nests than permitted. More successful harvest systems function in Sabah’’s Gomantong and Madai Caves. Recommendations for improved management of the nest harvest include addressing corruption, ensuring that local people with traditional rights to collect nests do not lose income to illegal immigrant labor and to traders, improving research and education about the swiftlets'’ behavior and ecology, and moving value-added processing of the nests closer to the caves where they originate and to the people who collect them.
Birds nests - Borneo - Ethnicity and resource access - Malaysia - Poaching - Swiftlets
December 4th, 2007
huailing.multiply.com
Despite the hype about the supposed health benefits of bird’s nest soup, a serving of this quintessential Chinese soup can be lethal for people who have severe allergies.
In recent years, a few Singaporeans have died after experiencing severe allergic reactions to the soup, said Malaysian Society of Allergy and Immunology president Assoc Prof Dr Ranbir Kaulsay.
Allergies were practically unheard of in the 1960s but it now affects one in four Malaysians, says Dr Ranbir.
He says the number of Malaysians suffering from allergies have been rising steadily in recent years and could well hit the 50 per cent mark by 2020.
Nobody knows the reason for this increase in allergy sufferers worldwide.
One theory suggests that it could be due to the fact that our immune systems are being exposed to less stimulation because of the heavy use of antibiotics and the fact that our environment has become too sterile.
An allergic reaction can be triggered by foods, such as peanuts and other nuts, fish, shellfish, shrimp and food additives; insect stings and medications that include aspirin, antiobiotics (penicillin), seizure drug, muscle relaxants and latex products such as elastic waistbands, kitchen cleaning gloves and balloons.
In rare cases, exercise can also cause an allergic reaction. Some allergies have no known cause.
Adolescents and young adults have a greater risk of fatal allergic reaction to food.
Ninety per cent of recorded fatal reactions to food occur in children over the age of five.
Adults have a greater risk of fatal allergic reaction to insect bites because they are outdoors more.
Dr Ranbir says an allergic reaction occurs when the body’s immune system over-reacts to a normally harmless substance such as milk or seafood by releasing large amounts of histamine and similar chemicals.
“With allergies, we have a very broad spectrum of symptoms ranging from skin and eye irritation, and asthma and sinus problems up to anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) which may lead to death,” says Dr Ranbir.
“When there is a massive allergic reaction, you have severe itching, pain or redness in the affected area, followed by cramps and vomitting.
“The heart rate becomes uncontrollable and irregular and you get a large drop in blood pressure, which can lead to a dire outcome. All this happens very fast, usually within minutes to hours.”
Dr Ranbir says allergy sufferers who also have asthma or sinus problems and have had a heart attack should be extra careful as they are much more prone to developing a severe allergic reaction.
“Anti-histamine and steroids are the mainstay of allergic treatment. For more severe cases of allergy they may need adrenaline injections.
“To control selective symptoms like breathing difficulties and asthma, they may require medication for asthma treatment.
“People with severe allergies may have to carry certain emergency medication.”
Dr Ranbir says there are no records for allergy fatalities in Malaysia because the cause of death is usually described as sudden death or heart attack.
December 3rd, 2007
Next Posts