hello everyone,

this week's edition of Birds in the News is now available for you to read and enjoy. this issue features a gorgeous picture of the endangered Swift Parrot, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the only migratory parrot species;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/07/birds_in_the_news_179.php

one of the mystery birds, the Grey-Backed Sparrow-Lark, Eremopterix verticalis, provided by Dennis Paulson (emeritus director of the Slater Museum of Natural History), includes an interesting "diagnosis" that he wrote for identifying this species;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/07/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_310.php

i have a mystery bird for you to identify here

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/07/todays_mystery_bird_for_you_to_316.php

and for those of you who want more of an ID challenge, here's a video of a mystery bird for you to identify. this video includes voice, plumage pattern and size information;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/07/todays_bonus_mystery_bird_for_1.php

regarding the antarctica vote, i am once more in second place, thanks to a surprise surge of support from my friends at reddit. however, the person in third place is creeping up on me once more, so i really need your votes to remain in second place as i work on reclaiming first place;

http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/07/update_antarctic_vote_count_16.php

cheers,

GrrlScientist
Devorah
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/
http://twitter.com/GrrlScientist
Vote to make me official Antarctica blogger: http://www.blogyourwaytoantarctica.com/blogs/view/152
Roosting high up a tree somewhere in Central Park, NYC