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Introduction: Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) offer potential physical and psychological health benefits that may assist Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. However, more feasibility studies are needed regarding intervention details, adverse events, reasons for study withdrawal, and animal welfare. Methods: This mixed methods feasibility trial involved a modified crossover study in which Veterans with PTSD/PTSD symptoms were provided a series of 8 nature and wildlife immersion experiences to evaluate feasibility and preliminary efficacy. The sample included 19 Veterans with PTSD/PTSD symptoms who were followed for a mean of 15.1 weeks. The intervention was comprised of a baseline forest walk, assisting with wildlife rehabilitation, observation in a wildlife sanctuary, and bird watching. Post study bird feeders were provided for sustainability. The theory of transcendent pluralism, which is grounded in mutual human and ecological dignity, guided the study. We viewed feasibility from the perspective of pattern integration with the natural world. Results: This AAI nature/wildlife immersion intervention was feasible, acceptable, and safe to administer to Veterans with PTSD/PTSD symptoms with appropriate support. Logistical and relational facilitators were identified that supported the wildlife immersion activities. Participants reported greatly enjoying the activities. Attention to animal welfare and care was an important ethical foundation that also contributed to feasibility. Discussion: AAI immersion experiences with wildlife are feasible and can safely be administered to Veterans with PTSD/PTSD symptoms. Logistical and relational facilitators are important to support nature and wildlife immersion activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a personal account of Jerry Ericksen's family perspectives, as told by his daughter Lynn Cadmus and son Randy Ericksen. Lynn recalls fond memories of her father teaching her about nature, swimming, and making meal times fun. Randy reflects on their father's diverse range of interests, including mathematics, mechanics, smoking a pipe, watching television, and collecting various items. Both Lynn and Randy express admiration for their father's accomplishments and the impact he had on others in his field. [Extracted from the article]

Wildlife observation is a popular activity, and sightings of rare or difficult‐to‐find animals are often highly desired. However, predicting the sighting probabilities of these animals is a challenge for many observers, and it may only be possible by limited experts with intimate knowledge and skills. To tackle this difficulty, we developed user‐friendly forecast systems of the daily observation probabilities of a rare Arctic seabird (Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea) in a coastal area in northern Japan. Using a dataset gathered during 16 successive winters, we applied a machine learning technique of self‐organizing maps and explored how days with gull sightings were related to the meteorological pressure patterns over the Sea of Okhotsk (Method A). We also built a regression model that explains the relationship between gull sightings and local‐scale environmental factors (Method B). We then applied these methods with the operational global numerical weather prediction model (a computer simulation application about the fluid dynamics of Earth's atmosphere) to forecast the daily observation probabilities of our target. Method A demonstrated a strong dependence of gull sightings on the 16 representative weather patterns and forecasted stepwise observation probabilities ranging from 0% to 85.7%. Method B also showed that the strength of the northerly wind and the advancement of the season explained gull sightings and forecasted continuous observation probabilities ranging from 0% to 95.5%. Applying these two methods with the operational global numerical weather prediction model successfully forecasted the varied observation probabilities of Ross's Gull from 1 to 5 days ahead from November to February. A 2‐year follow‐up observation also validated both forecast systems to be effective for successful observation, especially when both systems forecasted higher observation probabilities. The developed forecast systems would therefore allow cost‐effective animal observation and may facilitate a better experience for a variety of wildlife observers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birding for nature conservation becomes violent in war when foreign states and industry use it to extract value from countries like Iraq. In wartime Iraq, birding became a pathway to multinational resource extraction by producing "eco‐value," a form of economic value for species life and, by extension, the ecosystems they inhabit. Iraqi marshland conservationists, including private contractors, produced eco‐value in the context of extreme violence for the purposes of environmental rehabilitation. This eco‐value was then leveraged to mine natural resources that were embedded in the same geological field. Compounding the violence of extraction was the violence conservation introduced for Iraqi citizens who alone performed the dangerous labor of birding; they were recruited to do this in order to safeguard the lives of foreign experts, who did not travel to the marshes of Iraq. The result was a form of nature conservation that made Iraqi lives uniquely expendable in the project of building the occupation's lifeforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past experiences influence choices, and people's preferences for more similar (habit‐forming) or different (variety‐seeking) experiences are reflected in these choices. We develop a structural estimation framework to capture whether people are habit forming or variety seeking and apply it to the choice of recreation site. This research contributes to the revealed preference literature by demonstrating how to account for habit or variety‐seeking behavior in recreation site choice models in a two‐stage framework. Using this framework, we estimate similarity weights that reflect the birders habit formation and variety seeking preferences. Predicted probabilities from the first stage model are then incorporated into the second stage, a mixed logit recreation site choice model of bird watching trips from eBird, by their members. We find that including the dynamic elements of choice, specifically variety‐seeking behavior, can double the estimated willingness to pay (WTP) for individual sites relative to the static model. Although our sample of bird watching trips taken by eBird members is a sample of convenience, these results suggest that static models of recreation site choice are a lower bound on our recreation demand WTP estimates. We find variety‐seeking preferences are related to land cover and the site's fixed attributes, whereas habit formation appears for seasonality in the bird watching context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zebra finches, a species of songbirds, learn to sing by creating an auditory template through the memorization of model songs (sensory learning phase) and subsequently translating these perceptual memories into motor skills (sensorimotor learning phase). It has been traditionally believed that babbling in juvenile birds initiates the sensorimotor phase while the sensory phase of song learning precedes the onset of babbling. However, our findings challenge this notion by demonstrating that testosterone- induced premature babbling actually triggers the onset of the sensory learning phase instead. We reveal that juvenile birds must engage in babbling and self- listening to acquire the tutor song as the template. Notably, the sensory learning of the template in songbirds requires motor vocal activity, reflecting the observation that prelinguistic babbling in humans plays a crucial role in auditory learning for language acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective motion is ubiquitous in nature; groups of animals, such as fish, birds, and ungulates appear to move as a whole, exhibiting a rich behavioral repertoire that ranges from directed movement to milling to disordered swarming. Typically, such macroscopic patterns arise from decentralized, local interactions among constituent components (e.g., individual fish in a school). Preeminent models of this process describe individuals as self-propelled particles, subject to self-generated motion and "social forces" such as short-range repulsion and long-range attraction or alignment. However, organisms are not particles; they are probabilistic decision-makers. Here, we introduce an approach to modeling collective behavior based on active inference. This cognitive framework casts behavior as the consequence of a single imperative: to minimize surprise. We demonstrate that many empirically observed collective phenomena, including cohesion, milling, and directed motion, emerge naturally when considering behavior as driven by active Bayesian inference--without explicitly building behavioral rules or goals into individual agents. Furthermore, we show that active inference can recover and generalize the classical notion of social forces as agents attempt to suppress prediction errors that conflict with their expectations. By exploring the parameter space of the belief-based model, we reveal nontrivial relationships between the individual beliefs and group properties like polarization and the tendency to visit different collective states. We also explore how individual beliefs about uncertainty determine collective decision-making accuracy. Finally, we show how agents can update their generative model over time, resulting in groups that are collectively more sensitive to external fluctuations and encode information more robustly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text explores the presence and behavior of dragonflies, emphasizing their role in controlling mosquito populations. The narrator shares personal experiences with dragonflies and reflects on their remarkable visual abilities. The text also touches on themes of identity, friendship, and a fear of flying. The narrator expresses a sense of disorientation and discomfort, potentially triggered by memories associated with dragonflies. The text concludes with the narrator seeking information about dragonflies from books and the internet, finding comfort in the factual knowledge they acquire. [Extracted from the article]

The article titled "Recommendations for Further Reading" provides a list of articles that may be useful for teachers of undergraduate economics and also covers topics of broader cultural interest. The recommended readings include surveys on the first 25 years of the euro, housing affordability crisis policies, the limitations of randomized controlled trials in criminal legal interventions, the economic impact of engaging in world markets, stylized facts about inflation shocks, trends in central bank independence, and the impact of professional sports franchises on local economies. The article aims to provide diverse perspectives and insights for library patrons conducting research on these specific topics. It also includes several different articles and lectures on various topics, such as the impact of sports-related spending on local economies, the potential effects of a basic income on job quality and wages, symposiums on zoning and poverty, and the importance of writing quality in academic research papers. Additionally, there is an article that explores the history of economic ornithology and how birds were valued for their impact on agriculture. [Extracted from the article]

How animals refine migratory behavior over their lifetime (i.e., the ontogeny of migration) is an enduring question with important implications for predicting the adaptive capacity of migrants in a changing world. Yet, our inability to monitor the movements of individuals from early life onward has limited our understanding of the ontogeny of migration. The exploration-refinement hypothesis posits that learning shapes the ontogeny of migration in long-lived species, resulting in greater exploratory behavior early in life followed by more rapid and direct movement during later life. We test the exploration-refinement hypothesis by examining how white storks (Ciconia ciconia) balance energy, time, and information as they develop and refine migratory behavior during the first years of life. Here, we show that young birds reduce energy expenditure during flight while also increasing information gain by exploring new places during migration. As the birds age and gain more experience, older individuals stop exploring new places and instead move more quickly and directly, resulting in greater energy expenditure during migratory flight. During spring migration, individuals innovated novel shortcuts during the transition from early life into adulthood, suggesting a reliance on spatial memory acquired through learning. These incremental refinements in migratory behavior provide support for the importance of individual learning within a lifetime in the ontogeny of long-distance migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various scientific studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The studies cover a range of topics, including preserved magnetism in meteorites, group formation among solitary animals, expansion and recession of human populations, mismatch between plant green-up and bird migration, genomics of Tasmanian devil cancer, elderly populations and energy consumption, and fluctuations in the Patagonian ice sheet. The studies provide valuable insights into these subjects and contribute to our understanding of the natural world. [Extracted from the article]

The article reflects upon the observational practices and methods developed by the early exponents of ethology committed to naturalistic field study and explores how their approaches and techniques influenced a wider field of popular natural-history filmmaking and photography. In doing so, my focus is upon three aspects of ethological field studies: the socio-technical devices used by ethologists to bring birds closer to them, the distinctive observational and representational practices which they forged, and the analogies they used to codify behaviour. This assemblage of elements included hides or screens from which to watch wild birds without disturbing them, optics to extend human vision, pens and paper to sketch and fix patterns of behaviour, watches to record timings, photography to capture action and freeze movement, and illustration and photographs to visualize behaviour. Carried through natural-history networks, the practices, methods and theories of ethologists like Huxley and Tinbergen influenced popular natural-history filmmaking and photography more broadly from the 1940s, driving a behavioural turn in these cultural practices. This popularization of the 'ethological eye' was further facilitated by the convergence of socio-technical devices, forms of observation and dramatization in the work of the early exponents of naturalistic field studies of birds and the popular filmmakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wildlife observation is a popular activity, and sightings of rare or difficult‐to‐find animals are often highly desired. However, predicting the sighting probabilities of these animals is a challenge for many observers, and it may only be possible by limited experts with intimate knowledge and skills. To tackle this difficulty, we developed user‐friendly forecast systems of the daily observation probabilities of a rare Arctic seabird (Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea) in a coastal area in northern Japan. Using a dataset gathered during 16 successive winters, we applied a machine learning technique of self‐organizing maps and explored how days with gull sightings were related to the meteorological pressure patterns over the Sea of Okhotsk (Method A). We also built a regression model that explains the relationship between gull sightings and local‐scale environmental factors (Method B). We then applied these methods with the operational global numerical weather prediction model (a computer simulation application about the fluid dynamics of Earth's atmosphere) to forecast the daily observation probabilities of our target. Method A demonstrated a strong dependence of gull sightings on the 16 representative weather patterns and forecasted stepwise observation probabilities ranging from 0% to 85.7%. Method B also showed that the strength of the northerly wind and the advancement of the season explained gull sightings and forecasted continuous observation probabilities ranging from 0% to 95.5%. Applying these two methods with the operational global numerical weather prediction model successfully forecasted the varied observation probabilities of Ross's Gull from 1 to 5 days ahead from November to February. A 2‐year follow‐up observation also validated both forecast systems to be effective for successful observation, especially when both systems forecasted higher observation probabilities. The developed forecast systems would therefore allow cost‐effective animal observation and may facilitate a better experience for a variety of wildlife observers.

The article focuses on birdwatching excursions led by various ornithologists in different regions during specific months, highlighting the diverse bird species observed during each outing. It emphasizing notable sightings such as the Cormorants pygmies, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, and the Great Egret. It underscores the passion and dedication of the birdwatchers as they brave various weather conditions to observe and document avian life.

This document discusses the implementation of a new takeoff, climb, and departure procedure for T-38 aircraft in order to reduce bird strikes. The team conducting the research developed a bird strike probability tool using data collected by a bird radar on the aerodrome. The new procedure aims to reduce the time spent in the bird zone and has been implemented in conjunction with reducing flying during times of higher bird strike probability. The team expects to see a 90% reduction in bird strikes, although it is too early to determine the exact impact. [Extracted from the article]

The continuous growth of bird watching in Colombia, fueled by the country's outstanding offerings for this specialized market, is also the result of the signing of the Peace Agreements. However, the reduced implementation of these agreements, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has led to a deep sectoral crisis. This article reflects on the role of the environment during and after armed conflicts, presenting different perspectives on birdwatching in some affected regions and its implications for the Southern Amazonian Trapeze as a destination in particular. The article introduces tourism studies to a local Amazonian context, intricately woven into socio-environmental conflict studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing tourists to visit Mudumalai Region in India and explore the differences in opinion among various demographic and tripographic variables affecting wildlife tourism. The study focuses on factors such as jeep/elephant safari, animal watching/sighting, mountain scenery, wildlife watching, visiting elephant camps, bird watching, and museum visits. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire from Mudumalai tourists, with 400 finalized samples for analysis. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were employed for data analysis. The findings provide insights into the demographic and tripographic characteristics of Mudumalai tourists, informing strategies to enhance the tourism experience and cater to diverse needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a book review section from the journal Ibis, which provides information about the Alexander Library at the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology in Oxford, UK. The review section is organized and edited by Dr. Richard Sale, with contributions from various reviewers. The document includes reviews of specific books related to birdwatching and bird photography. Each book is briefly described, highlighting the main themes and perspectives presented by the authors. The reviews provide valuable insights into bird species found in Italy, Buckton, England, and Colombia, as well as practical advice for photographing garden birds. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the issue of bias in artificial intelligence (AI) systems and its potential impact on various fields such as healthcare, criminal justice, and employment. It emphasizes the need for thoughtful implementation of AI to address and mitigate bias in order to ensure fair and equitable outcomes. The article discusses different types of bias, including systemic bias, statistical bias, and human bias, and explains how bias can manifest in machine learning algorithms. It also highlights specific examples of bias in AI systems, such as racial bias in facial recognition technology and gender bias in job recruitment AI. The article calls for regulations to address algorithmic bias and mentions recent executive orders and legislation in the US and the European Union as steps towards regulating AI. It proposes a regulatory framework that includes principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, and sustainability to combat algorithmic bias. The article also discusses the importance of fairness, transparency, accountability, and sustainability in the use of automated decision systems in criminal justice and other contexts. It provides recommendations for assessing and evaluating the impact of AI systems and emphasizes the need for periodic testing, impact assessments, and model updates to ensure sustainability and fairness over time. The article concludes with a success story of a predictive-analytics algorithm implemented in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which improved the identification of families in need of intervention for child abuse and neglect, highlighting the importance of trustworthy AI systems. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, birdwatching has become one of the fastest-growing forms of nature-based tourism and is often referred to as avitourism. Birdwatching has a relatively long history, but many research questions and avenues of inquiry remain unexamined. We quantitatively reviewed the literature on birdwatching using VOSviewer version 1.6.16 and the Bibliometrix package for R to assess the growth of the field over time. The results show that a total of 1371 publications have been published on the topic between 1978 and 2022. The annual growth in the number of publications was 2.59% and publications written through international collaboration constituted 20.02% of the total research output. Researchers and commentators in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada were the largest contributors. Our results showed that birdwatching, birding, and citizen science are the motor themes, which means they significantly contribute to the development of the field. Moreover, ecosystem services, cultural ecosystem services, and recreation are emerging themes that require further development. Future studies are expected to focus on fostering avitourism in developing nations through training and collaboration between local and international NGOs. Improvement of local livelihoods and grass-roots organization should be the focus of future efforts given the potential of avitourism as a source of income and incentive for wildlife conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birdwatching—a cultural ecosystem service—is among the most popular outdoor recreational activities. Existing economic valuations of birdwatching typically overlook the economic contributions of birdwatchers travelling to see vagrant (out‐of‐range) birds.Economic valuations of vagrant birdwatching are few, and to date, no valuation of a large, charismatic vagrant species—or of a recurring individual vagrant bird—has been reported.During 2020–2022, a vagrant Steller's Sea‐Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) was reported in several locations in North America, representing the first record of this species in these locations. In Winter 2020–2021, the eagle spent nearly a month on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and thousands of people travelled to see it.We conducted an online survey of individuals who travelled to see the eagle to estimate the individual and collective non‐consumptive use value of this vagrant birdwatching event. Using individual travel cost methodology, we estimated an average individual expenditure and, together with estimates of the total number of birdwatchers, we estimated non‐consumptive use value of the vagrant birdwatching event. Finally, we used a willingness to pay framework (via hypothetical donations to view the eagle) to evaluate the non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event.We estimated that, on average, individual birdwatchers spent $180 USD (95% CI = $156–$207) ignoring travel time—or $277 (95% CI = $243–$314) when accounting for travel time—to view the eagle. Furthermore, we estimated between 2115 and 2645 individuals travelled to see the eagle during December 2021 to January 2022. Thus, we estimated that the eagle generated a total expenditure between $380,604 and $476,626, or between $584,373 and $731,809 when accounting for travel time. Finally, based on travellers' willingness to pay, we estimated a non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event between $139,036 and $174,114.Assigning economic value to nature gives policymakers and business leaders footing to advance conservation in decision‐making. Although often overlooked in these decisions, vagrant birds supply ephemeral ecosystem services that might bolster community development efforts, particularly if vagrancy events occur with some predictability (e.g. recurring annually). Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater crested tern (Thalasseus bergii) is a common resident seabirds in Indonesia. Habitat beach and rest on the shore with other groups of terns. This study aimed to determine the population of Greater crested tern on the southern coast of Getem Jember. Determination of observation points using a purposive sampling method. Data collection uses the encounter rates method. Bird watching in the morning from 06.00-08.00 and afternoon from 15.30-17.30. Recording data on species, number of birds, and other supporting data. Identify using relevant bird feathers. Analysis of bird species' density index data. Using monocular binoculars, camera, and global positioning system support tools. The survey of four sites revealed 413 individuals of great-crested tern. Analysis of individual density at the mouth of the river 60 individuals/Ha. It was concluded that the River mouth is the most excellent location for greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the similarities between birds and human babies in terms of their vocal learning abilities. It challenges the traditional view that both species learn in two distinct phases and suggests that the timelines for vocal learning need revision. The article also explores the role of social experience and interaction in vocal learning, finding that brain areas involved in attention and sensorimotor processing are more active during social interaction. This neural activity predicts language development in children. The article emphasizes the importance of comparing the neurobiology of communicative learning in babies and birds. [Extracted from the article]

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America examines the range shifts of North American birds in response to climate change. The study found that North American birds have been moving towards the poles at an average rate of 2.2 km/year west of the 100th meridian west, but there was no significant shift east of this divide. The authors suggest that the faster range shifts in the west may be due to faster warming rates in that region, possibly influenced by the north-south orientation of mountain ranges. The study supports previous research on range shift dynamics and highlights the need for further investigation into biodiversity redistribution as the climate continues to warm. [Extracted from the article]

A commentary in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examines the relationship between bird migration timing and the timing of spring green-up. The study reveals that bird migration is not keeping up with the advancing spring phenology, indicating a disconnect between migration and current phenological trends. This has implications for ecosystem services, conservation needs, and disease control provided by migratory birds. The commentary emphasizes the importance of migratory birds in maintaining ecosystem resilience and functions, such as seed dispersal, plant pollination, and pest control. It also highlights the economic impact of bird watching and the need for conservation actions to protect migratory species. The findings underscore the urgency of addressing phenological mismatches and the importance of open access data platforms for research and conservation efforts. [Extracted from the article]