Posts
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| Piping Plover in flight / Photo by Joel Trick (USFWS) |
- Here are some tips for identifying North American vulture.
- The introduction of House Sparrows to North America in the 19th century was highly controversial, especially when they pushed native birds out of nesting spots.
- When colonies of Emperor Penguins disappear or suddenly drop in numbers, it may be because some penguins moved elsewhere in Antarctica.
- Reintroduced Northern Bobwhites enjoyed their second successful breeding season in the Pinelands. At least one bird released this year paired with the offspring of a bird released last year.
- North Korea has important habitat for migratory shorebirds but is rarely visited by birders or conservationists. Here is an interview with a birder who visited recently.
- The National Audubon Society is starting a new climate-focused citizen science project.
- Mountain Bluebirds are more successful defending nesting sites against rivals when they arrive early.
- Female Blue Tits sing in response to danger from predators.
- Budgerigars fly at just two speeds, slow and fast, without much of a transition in between.
- Cockatoos show some flexibility in how they use tools and can give up immediate rewards in favor of better future ones.
- Conservationists are trying to complete a census of European Storm-Petrel nesting sites in Wales.
- Urban birds may die prematurely due to stress.
- An ornithologist was charged with poaching and smuggling protected birds for his personal collection.
- The Digiscoper: The Endangered Species Act works!
- A Focus On Nature: National Insect Week - Megan Shersby
- spiderbytes: Fishing spiders (family Pisauridae)
- Leighton Photography & Imaging: Lichens: Botanicals Naturalists Overlook
- This week is National Pollinator Week (and National Insect Week in the UK) which is about more than honey bees. You can find resources for pollinator conservation from the USGS and read the White House's newly-released Pollinator Partnership Action Plan. The Xerces Society also has resources for pollinator conservation, including regional plant lists. In addition, New Jersey should follow the lead of other northeastern states and ban the sale of the worst invasive plants.
- US cities should make an effort to plant and promote native plants.
- Recent extinctions show that climate change is already contributing to the biodiversity crisis.
- Groundwater contributes more to western streamflow than expected, according to a recent study.
- If the UK follows through on the referendum results and leaves the EU, that could affect funding for scientific research.
- The skin of amphibians may hold the key to treating antibiotic-resistant illnesses, which is one more reason to protect as much biodiversity as possible.
- The extintions of prehistoric megafauna in South America were probably caused by a combination of climate change and human hunting pressure.
- An interview retells the story of the mountain lion that traveled from South Dakota to Connecticut.
- In California, suburban mountain lions prey on raccoons and outdoor cats rather than deer.
- There was a significant oil pipeline spill in Ventura County, California.
- The Sierra Nevada snowpack is not likely to recover from drought until 2019.
- In a Turkish population of brown bears, some migrate, but the rest spend the winter in a garbage dump.
- Two black bears were reported in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the last week.
