Alex, a Congo African Grey Parrot who was the subject of innovative and revolutionary research into non-human intelligence and learning, was found dead in his cage on the morning of September 6, 2007. His passing was a deep shock to his human mentor, Dr. Irene Pepperberg, and her students and volunteers as well as millions of fans and followers of Alex's career. African Grey Parrots often live 50 years or more, and Alex had been given a clean bill of health by his veterinarian during a recent routine physical examination. A initial necropsy revealed no obvious cause of death, but pathology revealed that Alex had died very quickly and probably in his sleep as the result of cardiovascular disease.

With Dr. Pepperberg's insightful training and testing, Alex smashed the stereotype of parrots as mindless mimics and raised awareness of the responsibilities of parrot stewardship in the wild as well as in captivity. He had a prodigious vocabulary with which he interacted with his human "flock," including names, locations, colors, numbers, and abstract concepts such as presence vs. absence. He even coined his own words, such as "banerry" for apples, which are red outside like cherries and yellow inside like bananas.

Though many scientific papers have been published documenting his intellectual accomplishments, it was the deep bond between Alex and Irene that produced the most profound insights into the similarities between humans and birds. Early in his career, Alex needed to be left overnight at a veterinary hospital. As Irene turned to leave, she heard Alex call to her, "“Come here. I love you. I’m sorry. Wanna go back." He also demonstrated a sly sense of humor. While being taught to associate sounds with letters, he became impatient for his requested treat and stated emphatically, "Want a nut. Nnn, uh, tuh." The night he died, his last words to Dr, Pepperberg as she returned him to his cage were, "You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you."

We extend our sincerest condolences to Dr. Pepperberg, her students and volunteers, and all who have cared for and worked with Alex over the last three decades and join his thousands of admirers in mourning the loss of this remarkable bird. The research will continue with Alex's young protégés, Griffin and Wart. For more information, please visit The Alex Foundation.

In 2006, SABO volunteer Susan Ostrander launched a new "Adopt A Hummingbird" program to support our research and help the banding station visitors and other members of the public connect on a deeper level with the birds we study. Hummingbirds banded as a part of SABO's research projects are now available for "adoption" by individuals, families, school classes, scout troops, etc. Each adoption includes:

• a colorful certificate with the bird's species, band number, and location where it bird was banded, the sponsor's name, and a name the sponsor chooses for the bird;
• a "biography" summarizing the bird's known history up to the date of the adoption;
• a year's membership in SABO, including discounts on activities and subscription to our electronic newsletter (optional).

Sponsors who are present when the bird is captured are allowed to release the bird. Whenever an adopted bird is recaptured, its sponsor receives an update on its current status by e-mail or postcard. Adoptions begin at $25 for common species; limited numbers of rarer species are also available for a higher fee.

For more information on adopting a hummingbird for yourself or as a gift, contact adoption coordinator Susan Ostrander at adoptions@sabo.org.

Flooding from unusually heavy summer rains damaged roads, trails, and other visitor facilities in Sabino Canyon, Madera Canyon, and Coronado National Memorial. For updates on access to these sites, please see the Coronado National Forest Web site for Sabino and Madera canyons and the Coronado National Memorial Web site.

SABO featured in national media

The Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory has been featured in a number of articles in national magazines, including:

• October/November 2003 National Wildlife ("Great Escapes" - fall migration in SE Arizona)
• October 2003 Birder's World ("Birder at Large" by SABO advisory board member Pete Dunne)
• August 2003 Birder's World ("100 Expert Tips")
• May/June 2003 WildBird (article by Tom Wood and Sheri Williamson)
• September 2000 Smithsonian (article on hummingbirds by Richard Conniff)
• May 2001 Reader's Digest (condensed reprint of Smithsonian article)
• December 2000 WildBird (article on winter birding in SE Arizona by Clay and Pat Sutton).

SABO was also listed (under an incorrect name) as the primary contact for the Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail in articles in Audubon and USA Today. We have also heard about but not seen articles in the America West airline magazine and National Wildlife. Sheri Williamson and Tom Wood have also appeared in separate segments on the television news magazine National Geographic Today, which airs on the National Geographic Channel.

Cochise County Is One of America's "Birdiest" Counties

It's official: Cochise County is one of America's "birdiest" counties. In fact, it was named the birdiest inland county in the U.S. for 2003 in a nation-wide competition to see which city and county could identify the most species of birds within their boundaries in a twenty-four hour time period. The winners claim the title of "America's Birdiest City" or "America's Birdiest County."

In the county competition, Cochise finished third overall with 226 species, behind Monterrey, California with 248 and San Diego with 227. Since coastal locations have the advantage of a greater diversity of water birds, this year's contest included special categories for inland cities and counties. In this competition, Cochise finished in first place well ahead of Inyo, California. In the 2003 city contest, Corpus Christi, Texas was the winner with 228 species, followed by New York City (the 2001 winner) with 207, and San Diego (the 2002 winner) with 194. Chicago won the inland city title with 148 species.

In Cochise County, forty-five participants spent all or part of May 4th counting species for the competition. Local count coordinator Tom Wood, co-director of the Bisbee-based Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, says, "The count was a great success due to the participation of people all across the county, ranging from professional guides with groups to local folks just watching their backyards." Wood added "We have many visiting birders in May, and participants included birders from Canada and Great Britain."

Though many of southeastern Arizona's most famous birds are residents of the deserts and "sky island" mountain ranges, Wood estimates that the list would have been at least fifty species poorer without habitats such as the San Pedro River, Cochise Lakes at Willcox, and Sierra Vista's wastewater wetlands. Two of the most unusual birds were seen at Sierra Vista's new Environmental Operations Park. A group visiting the viewing platform spotted a Crested Caracara, a bird of prey rarely seen in the county. Another group, granted special access to ponds not visible from the platform, discovered a Eurasian Collared-Dove, an introduced species recently arrived in Arizona.

SABO did not participate in 2004 or 2005, but we intend to resume participation in this annual competition in 2006 if resources permit. For more information, contact SABO.

SABO moves to Banning Creek Canyon

In October 2003, after five years in the Border Region Business Incubator in downtown Bisbee, the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory moved its day-to-day operations to a field station just north of Bisbee. The site offers excellent feeder-watching opportunities, including Violet-crowned Hummingbirds year round. SABO will continue to conduct walks, tours, workshop field trips, and banding projects at various sites in southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, but the staff invites the general public to visit and enjoy the birds and other wildlife of the Mule Mountains.

Visitors are welcome year round. Limited indoor viewing of the feeders is available when staff or volunteers are present; outdoor seating is also provided. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gratefully accepted to help maintain the feeding station and other visitor amenities. Due to limited parking and seating, groups of 10 or more contact SABO by phone (520-432-1388) or e-mail to make reservations. A printer-friendly map with driving directions is now available on line. For a virtual tour and additional information for visitors, visit the Banning Creek Photo Album.

BBC radio and TV programs feature SABO staff

In May 2002, British naturalist Mark Carwardine interviewed SABO staff Sheri Williamson and Rob Hunt for the BBC Radio 4 program Nature. Sheri's contributions provided background and links between segments recorded with specialists in hummingbird flight, physiology, and behavior. Rob was interviewed as he attended the trap at SABO's hummingbird banding station on the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, and Tom Wood's voice can be heard briefly during this segment as well.

This entertaining and informative program originally aired on May 27, but you can listen to a RealAudio file of the program on your computer by visiting the following page on the BBC web site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/nature_20020527.shtml

Click on the "Listen to May 27" link, just above Mark's photo on the left side of the page.

Sheri also joined BBC naturalist and international television personality Nigel Marven (left, with Sheri and cameraman) to compare the human craving for sugar with that of hummingbirds for a series on the human senses. The program may eventually air in the U.S. on the Discovery Channel.

SABO's tour bus paid off thanks to Norcross Foundation

In the summer of 2000, SABO received the devastating news that the owners of Cochise Tours were quitting the business and selling their vehicles. Their roomy 15-passenger mini-bus was perfect for SABO's workshops and winter tours -- so much so that we couldn't imagine going back to ordinary transportation. SABO was in no position to buy the bus outright, so SABO directors Tom Wood and Sheri Williamson secured a home equity loan to make the purchase with the understanding that SABO would make the payments. After more than two years of payments, some by SABO and some by Tom and Sheri, the remaining balance on the loan has been completely repaid thanks to a $5000 grant from the Norcross Foundation.

Now that the bus now belongs entirely to SABO, there are several upgrade and major maintenance projects on our wish list. If you've enjoyed one of SABO's field trips in this vehicle, please consider making a donation to help us maintain this wonderful field trip vehicle and make it even better. Please make your check payable to SABO and mail your contribution to:

SABO - Bus Fund
P.O. Box 5521
Bisbee, AZ 85603-5521

...or click the button below to make the donation of your choice via PayPal.

SABO is a federally recognized tax-exempt charitable organization as defined under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; contributions are tax-deductible.