When Europeans first arrived in North America, Atlantic puffins were common on islands in the Gulf of Maine. But hunters killed many of the birds for food or for feathers to adorn ladies’ hats. By the 1800s, the population in Maine had plummeted. “Puffins were almost completely lost,” says Don Lyons of the Audubon Seabird […]
By Courtney Lindwall If you’re one of those people cooped up safely at home, with creative energy and free time to spare—count yourself lucky. Here, we’ve rounded up a list of two dozen environmental projects that can make your time indoors, or right outside, a little brighter. Whether you’re ready to start rescuing more of […]
Spain is facing intense backlash after local officials sprayed bleach across 1.2 miles of beach near the town of Zahara de los Atunes on its southern coast, near Cádiz. Local officials and the business association in the picturesque fishing village used tractors to spray a bleach solution onto beaches a day before Spain allowed children […]
Thousands of swallows and other migratory birds have died in Greece trying to cross from Africa to Europe this spring. The birds were buffeted by unusually rough weather, wildlife groups and experts told reporters Thursday. “It’s a major disaster,” Maria Ganoti of the wildlife protection group Anima told AFP, in a story published by The […]
By John R. Platt With the coronavirus continuing to spread and self-isolation becoming the norm, it feels more important than ever to embrace the power and beauty of nature. Sure, we can’t travel as much these days, but the modern world can still bring the natural world to us. We’ve picked some great webcams around […]
Scientists have discovered the oldest known modern bird fossil, dating back to one million years before the asteroid strike that drove the dinosaurs to extinction. The find, published in Nature Wednesday, can help researchers understand why birds survived while the dinosaurs they evolved from did not, according to the University of Cambridge researchers who led […]
By Lars Schmitz, Jingmai Kathleen O’Connor Editor’s Note from The Conversation, July 28, 2020: This article was based on a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on March 11, 2020. On July 22, 2020, the journal retracted the article after other researchers raised concerns that the skull belonged to a lizard, not a bird. […]
By Jason Bittel When you walk into the tropical rainforest room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, the first thing you’ll probably notice are the hyacinth macaws perched in mango trees. The feathers of these massive parrots are so impossibly blue that the birds look like birthday party piñatas. And the first thing you’ll likely […]
What is the probability that Polly will get a cracker? According to a new study, that is a determination that at least one type of parrot is actually able to make. Research published in Nature Communications Tuesday shows that kea (Nestor notabilis) parrots, an endangered species from New Zealand, can use probabilities to make judgments, […]
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