Birds
Birds
Articles tagged with "Birds"
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Birdwatch: Cold snap brings fieldfares and redwings to the fore
Just as swallows and swifts are the constant sight and sound of spring and summer, so our two winter thrushes – fieldfares and redwings – are usually ever-present during the autumn and winter months.
Berry nice to meet you: bumper fruit crop could lead to huge mating season for NZ’s endangered kākāpō
It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
Is this really the world’s most dangerous bird?
Towering at five and a half feet tall, sprinting up to 31 miles per hour, and leaping up to seven feet off the ground, cassowaries are the stuff of legends. They are the third largest bird in the world , weighing up to 175 pounds with sharp talons that grow up to five inches long.
Saving South Africa's threatened albatross from lethal fishing lines
A task force is trying to save seabirds from getting caught and killed in fishing boat nets.
How are California's birds faring amid ever more frequent wildfires?
In the forests of the Sierra Nevada, the black-backed woodpecker is without parallel. The bird appears almost born of fire, thriving on the flames that flicker through California’s coniferous forests every few years.
UK’s warmest spring on record led to rise in songbirds breeding, data shows
The warmest and sunniest spring on record this year led to an increase in the breeding of some of Britain’s best-loved songbirds, data has shown. Scientists said the dry and warm spring had provided a glimmer of hope for threatened wild birds.
The hill I will die on: Pigeons are working-class heroes and deserve some respect
Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is – and as it happens, I’m sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons.
'After 200 years, we're seeing this species again': The lost birds making a comeback in the Galapagos Islands
Freed from the threat of invasive predators, Galapagos birds are performing astonishing feats of return and innovation – 200 years after Charles Darwin visited the archipelago.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile
A pair of rare native New Zealand takahē birds who were believed infertile have stunned staff at the world’s largest urban eco-sanctuary, after hatching a “miracle” chick.
Is chorus of winter birdsong a herald of spring – or warning of climate crisis?
December is not noted for birdsong in the UK, as most species are more concerned with finding food during the short hours of daylight than preparing for the breeding season to come. Yet during spells of unseasonably mild winter weather some will practice their sweet refrains.
Amy Tan shares her best birding tips
The celebrated author wrote a bestseller on birding. This is how she got started. Writer Amy Tan scours her yard in Sausalito, California for birds. Her recently published book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles , documents her evolution as a birder.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes
Chilean flamingos use their beaks and feet to create underwater whirlpools that suck in prey.
Experts stunned by incredible comeback of unique creatures driven to brink of extinction: 'It's amazing'
The Blue-billed Curassow population is rising thanks to the great efforts of conservationists in South America.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
The five great forests that keep North America’s birds alive
Migratory birds that fill North American forests with spring songs depend on Central America’s Five Great Forests far more than most people realize. New research shows these tropical strongholds shelter enormous shares of species like Wood Thrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and Golden-winged Warblers—many of which are rapidly declining. Yet these forests are disappearing at an alarming pace due to illegal cattle ranching, placing both birds and local communities at risk.
Birds are singing longer, thanks to light pollution
Light pollution makes birds work overtime. It’s unclear how this extra singing might hurt or help birds.
Third arrest made in connection with B.C ostrich farm
Tensions escalated at a British Columbia ostrich farm this week as RCMP arrested a man for allegedly breaching a CFIA quarantine zone.
Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet?
Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into ancient and mysterious journeys – and new threats that are reshaping them.
In just one day, volunteers found hundreds of birds that crashed into GTA buildings
More than 300 birds that had crashed into windows across the Greater Toronto Area were found last Wednesday by a volunteer-based organization that finds and keeps records on bird safety.
Here’s to the birdwatchers! Optimistic, slightly eccentric custodians of wonder and joy and passion and love
At its heart, birdwatching is an act of quiet rebellion, says Natalie Kyriacou. It is the gentle act of noticing – the willingness to see the world around you
Orange-bellied parrots have swelled back from imminent extinction – but now they face a new threat
Experts warn approving a windfarm in the habitat of one of Australia’s most critically endangered birds could be ‘rolling the dice’ on their survival
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Birdwatch: Cold snap brings fieldfares and redwings to the fore
Just as swallows and swifts are the constant sight and sound of spring and summer, so our two winter thrushes – fieldfares and redwings – are usually ever-present during the autumn and winter months.
Berry nice to meet you: bumper fruit crop could lead to huge mating season for NZ’s endangered kākāpō
It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
Is this really the world’s most dangerous bird?
Towering at five and a half feet tall, sprinting up to 31 miles per hour, and leaping up to seven feet off the ground, cassowaries are the stuff of legends. They are the third largest bird in the world , weighing up to 175 pounds with sharp talons that grow up to five inches long.
Saving South Africa's threatened albatross from lethal fishing lines
A task force is trying to save seabirds from getting caught and killed in fishing boat nets.
How are California's birds faring amid ever more frequent wildfires?
In the forests of the Sierra Nevada, the black-backed woodpecker is without parallel. The bird appears almost born of fire, thriving on the flames that flicker through California’s coniferous forests every few years.
UK’s warmest spring on record led to rise in songbirds breeding, data shows
The warmest and sunniest spring on record this year led to an increase in the breeding of some of Britain’s best-loved songbirds, data has shown. Scientists said the dry and warm spring had provided a glimmer of hope for threatened wild birds.
The hill I will die on: Pigeons are working-class heroes and deserve some respect
Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is – and as it happens, I’m sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons.
'After 200 years, we're seeing this species again': The lost birds making a comeback in the Galapagos Islands
Freed from the threat of invasive predators, Galapagos birds are performing astonishing feats of return and innovation – 200 years after Charles Darwin visited the archipelago.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile
A pair of rare native New Zealand takahē birds who were believed infertile have stunned staff at the world’s largest urban eco-sanctuary, after hatching a “miracle” chick.
Is chorus of winter birdsong a herald of spring – or warning of climate crisis?
December is not noted for birdsong in the UK, as most species are more concerned with finding food during the short hours of daylight than preparing for the breeding season to come. Yet during spells of unseasonably mild winter weather some will practice their sweet refrains.
Amy Tan shares her best birding tips
The celebrated author wrote a bestseller on birding. This is how she got started. Writer Amy Tan scours her yard in Sausalito, California for birds. Her recently published book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles , documents her evolution as a birder.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes
Chilean flamingos use their beaks and feet to create underwater whirlpools that suck in prey.
Experts stunned by incredible comeback of unique creatures driven to brink of extinction: 'It's amazing'
The Blue-billed Curassow population is rising thanks to the great efforts of conservationists in South America.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
The five great forests that keep North America’s birds alive
Migratory birds that fill North American forests with spring songs depend on Central America’s Five Great Forests far more than most people realize. New research shows these tropical strongholds shelter enormous shares of species like Wood Thrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and Golden-winged Warblers—many of which are rapidly declining. Yet these forests are disappearing at an alarming pace due to illegal cattle ranching, placing both birds and local communities at risk.
Birds are singing longer, thanks to light pollution
Light pollution makes birds work overtime. It’s unclear how this extra singing might hurt or help birds.
Third arrest made in connection with B.C ostrich farm
Tensions escalated at a British Columbia ostrich farm this week as RCMP arrested a man for allegedly breaching a CFIA quarantine zone.
Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet?
Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into ancient and mysterious journeys – and new threats that are reshaping them.
In just one day, volunteers found hundreds of birds that crashed into GTA buildings
More than 300 birds that had crashed into windows across the Greater Toronto Area were found last Wednesday by a volunteer-based organization that finds and keeps records on bird safety.
Here’s to the birdwatchers! Optimistic, slightly eccentric custodians of wonder and joy and passion and love
At its heart, birdwatching is an act of quiet rebellion, says Natalie Kyriacou. It is the gentle act of noticing – the willingness to see the world around you
Orange-bellied parrots have swelled back from imminent extinction – but now they face a new threat
Experts warn approving a windfarm in the habitat of one of Australia’s most critically endangered birds could be ‘rolling the dice’ on their survival
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