Many bird species are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, especially the extreme ones that come with climate change. Global heating is especially difficult for birds, who need shade, cool water and breezes to cool down. A new study by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests some bird species can get relief from climate change […]
By Liz Kimbrough In the mountains of Colombia, an experienced bird-watcher saw an iridescent flash of blue and green. “A hummingbird caught my attention. I got out my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta sabrewing,” Yurgen Vega said. “This sighting was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one.” […]
By Derrick Z. Jackson The title of supervisory wildlife biologist for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service does little justice to Linda Welch (pictured above). In practice, she is the housing and unusual development secretary for seabirds on Maine’s Petit Manan Island. This was clear as she led me to nesting areas there for Atlantic puffins. Over […]
The popular pastime of birdwatching has many healthy benefits for people and the planet, including immersion in nature — which has been shown to be beneficial for mental health — breathing fresh air, exercise, exposure to natural vitamin D, socializing and building togetherness through birdwatching communities and increased appreciation for nature. There were approximately 15.23 […]
When Kirsty Ramadan of the Bohollow Wildlife Shelter was called out to Barmah, near the border of Victoria and New South Wales in Australia, to help a sick bird, she was confronted with much more than she bargained for. The report she heeded told her that there were five dead birds near the ailing long-billed […]
Despite being banned since the 1970s, DDT and PCBs are still affecting wildlife today, particularly the California condor, a critically endangered species. The condors feed on dead marine life along the California coast that often contain higher amounts of contaminants compared to marine life elsewhere. Scientists at San Diego State University (SDSU) and San Diego […]
Oftentimes, where there are trees, there are birds, whether the landscape is woodland, forest, an urban park or rural farmland. In Australia, farmland is being revegetated to attract woodland bird species, a team of researchers wrote in The Conversation. Trees bordering paddocks are being planted, and stands of trees and shrubs that run beside creeks […]
For the first time in more than a century, endangered California condors soared over the redwood forests along the state’s northern coast. The two birds, both males, were released from a pen in Redwood National Park on Tuesday morning, AP News reported. “That was just as exciting as I thought it was going to be,” […]
A highly infectious bird flu that has led to the deaths of millions of birds has been found in a U.S. human for the first time. A Colorado man who worked at a farm where poultry had been infected tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or the H5N1 flu, the Colorado Department of Public […]