Record cold temperatures in San Francisco are killing birds, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Recent mornings have seen the area's coldest temperatures all year, dipping as low as the teens and 20s, and some birds have even been found electrocuted near open current electrical lines, where they presumably had roosted for warmth.

Birds have several ways to keep warm, from snuggling in flocks to seeking shelter in protected areas. Birders can help by offering bird roost boxes that are suitable for flocks of birds to use to conserve heat and be protected from wind chill and other inclement weather.

Cold temperatures across the western United States aren't expected to ease for several days, and winter is well advanced in many areas. What do you do to help birds survive the coldest days? Share your tips in the comments!

San Francisco
Photo © Luca Mascaro

The days of birders toting well-thumbed field guides and notebooks along as they bird are changing, thanks to a range of new iPhone apps, according to USA Today. The most recent release is BirdsEye, an app that pinpoints recent bird sightings and offers users a way to track their life list, see photos and hear audio clips of birds. BirdsEye is produced in partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is the first smartphone app to offer a life list feature.

Other apps for birders include:

• Handheld Birds: North American field guide
• iBird: North American field guide
• Cheap Chirp: Guide to 15 European birds
• birdJam: Bird song and photo collection
• Peterson Field Guide to Birds: Bird family field guides (warblers, raptors, backyard birds)

Do you use any iPhone apps for birding? Share your recommendations and tips in the comments!

iPhone 3GS
Photo © William Hook

The Bree-Zee-Lee Yacht Basin has been bustling for the past few days after an ivory gull, a rare Arctic species, was spotted there on November 27, according to the Press of Atlantic City. More than 1,000 birders have traveled from as far away as West Virginia, Oklahoma and Ohio to see the bird, which rarely ventures away from its Arctic range. This is the first recorded ivory gull in Cape May County and the first seen in New Jersey in 23 years, and it has remained around the marina for several days, fueling the birding frenzy.

The ivory gull and other species from extreme northern regions are currently under threat from climate change that could destroy their habitat. For many birders, the opportunity to see one of these birds far south of the Arctic Circle is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Dedicated birders don't hesitate to travel for such a rare sighting, particularly since traveling to New Jersey is easier than traveling to the Arctic Circle.

How far would you travel to see a rare bird? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Ivory Gull
Photo © jomilo75

A recent study released in Current Biology and reported by Scientific American indicates that backyard birdfeeding may have an affect on birds' evolution. The study involved blackcaps, a common European warbler that breeds in Germany. Since the 1960s, however, the blackcap population has split in the winter, as some birds head south to feed on fruits and olives in Spain while other birds visit England and backyard seed feeders. When the birds return to Germany for nesting season, they tend to mate with birds that share the same migration pattern.

Studying the bird populations today reveals that blackcaps that winter in England have longer, thinner bills more suitable for seed rather than eating fruits. Other physical differences may also appear, and it is possible that the two populations of birds may eventually diverge into different species.

If further studies conclude that feeding birds affects their evolution, would you stop backyard birdfeeding to preserve "natural" birds? Share your opinion in the comments!

Female Blackcap at Feeder
Photo © RichardAsh1981