The Mid-Atlantic States Association of Avian Veterinarians

These are links to avian related news articles that are of probable interest to our membership

• NYC sky-scrapers dim lights to help migratory birds A growing number of New York sky-scrapers are switching off their lights to help reduce the number of birds hitting the high-rise buildings. The "lights out" project - organised by NYC Audubon - runs until 1 November, when migratory birds are expected to have completed their autumn migrations. BBC News Science & Environment(9/2/10)

• Animal research offers advance warning of next flu wave Researchers at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine monitor the animals in their care closely, to provide research that's key to alerting human-health officials to the next wave of influenza. Most flu strains start in ducks, geese and other waterfowl, which spread the diseases without getting sick themselves. WRAL-TV (Raleigh, N.C. (7/28/10)

• Study: Farms with business connections have greater risk of avian flu Poultry farms that share business connections have a greater risk of finding their flocks infected with the avian flu, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The risk of farm-to-farm transmission was significantly higher among farms that come under the same company umbrella, says the research, which appeared in the March 26 issue of PLoS One. United Press International (4/5/10)

• Animal fighters looking for smaller game turn to finches - Bitty birds seem to be the newest chosen victims of high-stakes animal fighting. Animal welfare experts fear that two recent raids of alleged bird-fighting rings — one in Connecticut last summer, one in Massachusetts last month — foretell a growing trend. USA Today (3/9/10)