Bird Populations Are in Meltdown
Humans rely on birds to eat insects, spread seeds, and pollinate plants—but these feathered friends can’t survive without their habitats......»»
Rovio delists pay-to-own Angry Birds because it hurt free-to-play earnings
A sad end of an era for one of the original paid, viral mobile hits. Enlarge / Angry bird is angry. (credit: Rovio) Back in the days before practically every mobile game was a free-to-play, ad- and microtransaction-laden.....»»
Effort to help pollinators shows successes, limitations
Although not quite the bee's knees, a three-year effort to conserve bee populations by introducing pollinator habitat in North Carolina agricultural areas showed some positive effects, as bee abundance and diversity increased in the studied areas......»»
Federal agency proposes California spotted owl protection
Federal wildlife officials on Wednesday announced a proposal to classify one of two dwindling California spotted owl populations as endangered after a lawsuit by conservation groups required the government to reassess a Trump administration decision.....»»
104 shark and ray species now receive new protections, but are they enough?
Shark populations have been declining for years, largely due to overfishing. And for years, the solutions offered by researchers have included increasing the number, size and effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPA) and improving the global mana.....»»
Medical-legal partnerships are valued by immigrant, migrant populations: Study
Immigration status, immigration vulnerability and understanding of immigration-related legal options are critical components of safety, access to public benefits and wellness for many immigrants/migrants. While immigration status is increasingly reco.....»»
Why sick minks are reigniting worries about bird flu
A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people......»»
The bird flu outbreak has taken an ominous turn
It's moved to mammals; now the poultry industry needs new measures to stop its spread. Enlarge (credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images) This week, Argentina and Uruguay declared national health emergencies foll.....»»
Private forest landowners in Pennsylvania want to use controlled fire to manage their woods
Managers of public forests in Pennsylvania have been using controlled burns to manage state-owned tracts to promote tree species such as oak, reduce the growth of invasive plant species and even reduce tick populations, for more than a decade......»»
Feathered "fingerprints" reveal potential motivation for migratory patterns of endangered seabirds
With the largest wingspan of any living bird, the wandering albatross is a giant of the sea. But like several other tube-nosed bird species, it is under threat of extinction......»»
The Bird Flu Outbreak Has Taken an Ominous Turn
The avian flu has killed millions of chickens, decimated wild birds—and moved into mammals. Now the poultry industry needs new measures to stop its spread......»»
Robo-bird teaches young zebra finches to sing
How do young zebra finches learn to sing? A research team led by researcher Katharina Riebel has developed a "RoboFinch" to study just that. She and colleagues in the "Seeing voices" research consortium have spent the past four years designing the ro.....»»
Public awareness of "nuclear winter" too low given current risks, argues expert
There is a lack of awareness among UK and US populations of "nuclear winter," the potential for catastrophic long-term environmental consequences from any exchange of nuclear warheads......»»
US to test vaccines in poultry as way to curb bird flu outbreak
U.S. health officials are considering using vaccines in poultry to stem an ongoing outbreak of bird flu......»»
As native birds seek cooler climes at higher elevations, will they have enough food to survive?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, native forest bird species are under threat from introduced mammal predators such as possums, rats and stoats. Currently, these predators are common particularly at low elevation, but rare at higher elevations. As a result, t.....»»
EU found responsible for extinction domino effect on frog populations
Between 2010 and 2019, total imports of frog's legs into the EU numbered 40.7 million kg, which equals to up to roughly 2 billion frogs. While Belgium is the main importer, France is the main consumer. These insights are part of a new study, publishe.....»»
Endangered Bahamas bird may be lost from island following hurricane
The endangered Bahama Warbler may be surviving on just one island following Hurricane Dorian's devastation in 2019, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia......»»
WHO urges vigilance but no alarm over bird flu
The World Health Organization called Wednesday for vigilance after the recent detection of bird flu in mammals, but tried to calm fears that large-scale human outbreaks could be looming......»»
Peru reports hundreds of sea lion deaths due to bird flu
Peru said Tuesday that 585 sea lions and 55,000 wild birds have died of the H5N1 bird flu virus in recent weeks, the latest report on the disease's impacts......»»
Using environmental DNA for to survey the populations of endangered species
Changes in river systems, overfishing and the appearance of new, invasive species can lead to a drastic decline in the number of native fish inhabiting aquatic ecosystems. In the Ashida river basin in Japan, the bitterling fish (Rhodeus atremius suig.....»»
Bird flu detected in mammals but risk to humans low: experts
Experts have warned that the recent detection of bird flu in mammals including foxes, otters, minks, seals and even grizzly bears is concerning but emphasized that the virus would have to significantly mutate to spread between humans......»»