Land Acquisition in Ecuador Helping Conservation - A critical, 318-acre parcel of land in southwestern Ecuador has been acquired as part of the Buenaventura Reserve, and will help protect the globally endangered El Oro Parakeet – a bird that appears to number fewer than 1,000 individuals in the wild.

Cattle Ranchers in the Pampas support Bird Conservation - For the fifth year in succession, cattle ranchers and representatives of the conservation community in the Southern Cone of South America gathered to discuss the conservation of natural grasslands. This time it was in Lavras do Sul, Brazil, during 27th – 29th October 2011.

Sensational bird discovery in China - In June 2011, a team of Chinese and Swedish researchers rediscovered the breeding area for the poorly known Blackthroat Luscinia obscura, in the Qinling mountains, Shaanxi province, north central China.  

Vietnamese Caught Smuggling Rhino Horns in South Africa - South African authorities last week arrested two Vietnamese nationals at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport as they attempted to smuggle rhino horns and elephant ivory.

Tsunami Relief: Help People Not Whalers - It is sickening to read that money donated to help people affected by the Tsunami in Japan is being used to help promote the Japanese Whaling Industry. Please follow the link to the Avazz petition website and then sign the petition.

1,500 Waterbirds Killed in Bizarre Incident in Utah - Officials in Utah are estimating that about 1,500 Eared Grebes were killed late Monday night, possibly as a result of confusing a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City with a body of water and landing on the asphalt during a storm.

Feds Petitioned to Regulate Wind Industry - American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today formally petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to protect millions of birds from the negative impacts of wind energy by developing regulations that will safeguard wildlife and reward responsible wind energy development.

British Egg Collector Sentenced to Prison Term - Matthew Gonshaw (49) of Cherrywood Close, Bow in East London, has extended his infamy for being Britain’s most imprisoned egg collector by being sentenced to yet another jail term, for six months, following conviction for stealing and possessing wild birds eggs, including those of some of the rarest and most threatened birds in the UK.

Scotland's White-Tailed Eagles Soar to New Heights - 2011 has proved another record breaking year for breeding pairs of Scotland’s largest bird of prey. White-tailed eagles soared to new heights despite heavy storms throughout the 2011 breeding season.

Stamp Out Albatross Slaughter This Christmas - Help stamp out threats to albatrosses during the season of goodwill, that’s the festive plea from the RSPB, which is asking people to help raise funds to protect the threatened birds by saving up the stamps from their Christmas post.

Strange Orange-Headed Birds Seen in Ireland - During the summer BirdWatch Ireland HQ received lots of phone calls and emails about strange birds with bright orange heads that have been visiting gardens around Ireland. They tend to flock with Starlings and House Sparrows and can be quite numerous in some areas, though they can't be found in any field guides.

Wild Birds' Eggs Seized in Bulgaria - A tip-off to the RSPB has led to an international wildlife crime operation to raid the home of an Englishman in Bulgaria. A collection of eggs has been seized, including the egg of a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) which is a threatened species in Bulgaria.

Polar Bear 'Cannibalism' Pictured - It is an image that is sure to shock many people. An adult polar bear is seen dragging the body of a cub that it has just killed across the Arctic sea ice.

Hen Harrier Close to English Extinction - The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is the bird most likely to become extinct in England because of human pressure, says the RSPB. A 2011 joint survey of the English uplands by the RSPB and Natural England found that only four nesting pairs of hen harrier successfully raised young; all on a single estate in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire.

Proposed Wind Farm in Washington's Most Important Marbled Murrelet Area Scrubbed - Plans to build a 32-turbine wind farm near the coast of Washington in a key breeding area for a threatened seabird have been halted to the relief of conservationists.  

Pakistan Seizes Hunting Falcons 'from Qatari royal' - Custom officials in the Pakistani city of Karachi have confiscated 74 falcons that they say were being unlawfully transported into the country.

Help On The Way For Rockhopper Penguins - James Robinson, who lives in Donaghadee, is making an exciting trip to the Falkland Islands to help save rockhopper penguins. He will spend five weeks helping Falklands Conservation in their work to save the islands’ amazing seabirds.

Aquatic Warbler Numbers Increasing - Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola), the rarest and the only globally threatened passerine bird in mainland Europe, is facing a brighter future thanks to six years of intensive work within a LIFE project.

Counting snow leopards in Nepal - The elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives high in the mountains across Central Asia. It is thought to occur across 12 countries but the actual numbers of this beautiful large cat are largely unknown.

Arabian Money Buying Extinction of Houbara Bustard - At least 25 special permits have been issued to dignitaries belonging to the Arabian peninsula allowing them to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard during the hunting season 2011-2012, it was learnt on Saturday.

Grizzlies Targeted to Increase Moose and Caribou Hunts - A report, written by 3 retired Alaskan Department of Game bear experts and a scientist from the US National Wildlife Federation, shows that Alaska has been quietly increasing the hunting of Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).

Gamekeeper admits poisoning buzzards - A gamekeeper has admitted poisoning birds of prey at a farm in Biggar, South Lanarkshire. David Whitefield, 41, admitted poisoning four buzzards (Buteo buteo) with chloralose baits at Coulter Allers Farm between March and November 2009.  

Yellowstone’s Wolverines Revealed - Born during February in snow-caves at 9,000 feet on the north slope of craggy peaks in the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone’s wolverines (Gulo gulo luscus) are tough.

Baltic Seaduck Take a Dive - A new report presenting the results of a census of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea has been launched. The studies reveal that overall numbers have declined by more than 40% since the 1990's.

Widespread Illegal Bird Trapping in Malta - Numerous reports of illegal bird trapping throughout Malta and Gozo within the last few weeks have lead to the apprehension of 5 individuals by police. Video evidence will be submitted by BirdLife to assist police in their investigations

Power Line Threats to Migratory Birds - Governments are set to adopt new guidelines on power line threats to migratory birds. Delegates at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), in Bergen, Norway are poised to adopt new guidelines on how to avoid birds being killed by power line collisions and electrocutions.

Tracking Migrating Cuckoos Part III - After spending almost three months in Nigeria, Clement has now joined the other four cuckoos in the Congo Rainforest. This is now the closest all five Cuckoos have been to each other since leaving East Anglia this summer.

Millions of Bird Deaths in Nevada - Nevada citizens are being asked to act on a state law that now gives them the ability to prevent thousands, possibly millions of bird deaths at mining claim sites. The law, passed in 2009, included a provision that became effective this month enabling anyone to pull up claim marker stakes that are improperly set and act as bird-killing traps.

Great Bustards On Tour - Great Bustards (Otis tarda) released as part of an ambitious project that is bringing the birds back to the UK are causing a stir by conducting their own tours of southern England.

Florida Scrub-Jay Has Declined Significantly  - An extensive new study by the Avian Ecology Program of the Archbold Biological Station on the health of the Florida Scrub-Jay, the only bird endemic to the state of Florida, has found that despite significant efforts to protect the species, populations have dropped significantly in the last 18 years.

Swiss Village Ravaged by Fieldfares - During the last few days a large flock of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) has descended on our tiny alpine village. Within a matter of days the noisy flock stripped off all of the red berries on the mountain ash (rowan) and holly trees as well as any remaining fruit on the apple and pear trees.

Tokay Gecko Trade Booms in South-East Asia - Unfounded claims of a potential cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one factor behind a boom in the trade of Tokay Geckos (Gekko gecko), according to a new report launched today by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

Scarlet Macaws Take Flight in Guatemala - Researchers and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Guatemala Program, WCS’s Bronx Zoo, the National Park Service of Guatemala, and other groups report a major conservation victory from Central America: a bumper crop of magnificent scarlet macaw (Ara macao) fledglings that have now taken flight over the forests of Guatemala.

Hungarian Police Seize Thousands Of Dead Songbirds - Border Police in Hungary seized around 10,000 dead songbirds from a Romanian truck near Szeged, close to the border with Romania on 5th November, according to MTI, the Hungarian News Agency.

Nation’s Mayors Asked to Stop Spread of Feral Cats - American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, has called on the mayors of U.S. cities to stop the epidemic spread of feral cats that threaten national bird populations as well as scores of other wildlife.

Western Black Rhino Declared Extinct - No wild Western Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) remain in West Africa, according to the latest global assessment of threatened species.

Threatened Whistling Ducks Arrive In Woodbourne Barbados - The BirdLife Caribbean Program established Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge on Barbados in 2009 with funding and support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service.

Fighting The "Pipeline of Death" - The Puerto Rican Energy and Power Authority is requesting permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to construct and operate a 92-mile-long pipeline to transport liquefied natural gas from the south side of Puerto Rico to power facilities in the north.

Clever Eurasian Jays Plan For The Future - Experiments with Eurasian jays have shown that the birds store food that they will want in the future - "planning" for their impending needs.

Massive Bird Kill at West Virginia Wind Farm - With the deaths of nearly 500 birds at the Laurel Mountain wind facility earlier this month, three of the four wind farms operating in West Virginia have now experienced large bird fatality events.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper Near To Extinction - A third of the global population of the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) has been discovered at a key stop-over site in China. A record 103 birds were recorded at a new site within the Rudong mudflats in China last week.

35,000 Barnacle Geese Descend On Loch Gruinart - For the second year running, a record number of barnacle geese have touched down at RSPB Scotland Loch Gruinart nature reserve on Islay.

Slaughter of Birds in Cyprus Continues - Disastrously, the number of birds killed on limesticks and in mist nets in Cyprus this autumn is increasing sharply, reaching over 860,000 by October 9th…and it is still growing.

San Francisco Approves New Standards for Bird-Safe Buildings - American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and Golden Gate Audubon hailed the signing into law of new Standards for Bird Safe Buildings by San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee.

Environmental Disaster In New Zealand - Forest & Bird (BirdLife in New Zealand) have said urgent action is needed to avoid an environmental disaster and to minimise seabird deaths as a result of the oil spill off the Bay of Plenty coast.

Call To Action For Australian Birds - Birds Australia, Charles Darwin University and CSIRO Publishing today launched The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. The Action Plan is the third in a series that have been produced at the start of each decade. It analyses the status of all the species and subspecies of Australia’s birds, including the Regent Honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia), to determine their risk of extinction.

Dramatic Increase in Cirl Bunting Population - This summer has seen a dramatic increase in the Cornish cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus) population, with record numbers of chicks being born in the county.

FWS Considering Endangered Species Act Protection for Three Birds - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will conduct an in-depth status review of three birds – MacGillivray's Seaside Sparrow, Florida Sandhill Crane, and Black Rail to determine whether any or all of them warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Proposed Plan Weakens Protections For Northern Spotted Owl - The U.S. Forest Service has proposed eliminating reserves in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington State protecting the threatened Northern Spotted Owl. It has also weakened management standards that could increase logging in owl habitat.

Red Kites Are High Fliers - Four years after the first red kites were reintroduced to Ireland, the RSPB and Golden Eagle Trust have announced that in 2011, 16 pairs successfully bred to fledge 25 young in Counties Wicklow and Down. 

Whooper Swans’ Record-Breaking Early Arrival - The first whooper swans of the season have arrived at Welney WWT Centre, Norfolk, and at Caerlaverock WWT centre, Scotland, surprising spectators by arriving earlier than before. The record-breaking early arrivals are thought to have caught the northerly tail winds from Iceland, combined with the tempestuous weather conditions that have caused disruption with Hurricane Katia across Britain.

Bald Eagle Removed From Endangered Species List - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued a final rule that removes the population of Bald Eagles nesting in the Sonoran Desert area of central Arizona from the Endangered Species List.

Shooting of Whimbrels in the Caribbean - Two Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) tracked by scientists from a US university have been shot by hunters on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, highlighting the continuing lack of protection for migratory shorebirds in this important part of their flyway.

First Wintering Geese Touch Down - The first of tens of thousands of wintering geese have started to arrive back in Scotland as part of their annual migration. Over 1,000 pink-footed geese were recorded at RSPB Scotland’s Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve in Aberdeenshire over the weekend.

Arctic Summer Sea Ice Breaks Historic Low - The University of Bremen announced that the Arctic summer sea ice extent reached a new historic low on Thursday at 4.24 million square kilometers. The previous one-day minimum since satellite records began in 1972 was 4.27 million square kilometers on Sept. 17, 2007.

Oil Companies Prosecuted for Avian Deaths but Wind Companies Kill Birds With Impunity - The United States Attorney in North Dakota has charged seven oil companies in seven separate cases with violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the illegal killing of 28 migratory birds. Yet, American Bird Conservancy – the nation’s leading bird conservation organization – reports that the wind industry, despite killing more than 400,000 birds annually, has yet to face a single charge.

Yellowhammers In The Frame - Local bird lovers are battling to boost numbers of a beautiful yellow bird which was once a familiar sight in Northern Ireland’s hedgerows but is now an endangered species.

Controversial Lake Natron Soda Ash Project In Limbo - Soda ash project in Lake Natron, Arusha Region, could face further delays to take off owing to lack of required clearance from environmental authorities.

Boomtime for Britain's Loudest Bird - Britain’s loudest bird, once extinct in the UK, has enjoyed its best year since records began, says a new survey by the RSPB and Natural England.

Risk of Sea Eagles Eating Small Children - The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has raised concerns about whether sea eagles could differentiate between children and their natural prey.

Record Flock of Migrating Sociable Lapwings in Kazakhstan - BirdLife International scientists monitoring migrating Sociable Lapwings in the heart of the Great Steppe have recently discovered the largest single flock seen in Kazakhstan since 1939.

Great White Sharks in British Waters - Great white sharks could be "occasional vagrant visitors" to waters around the British Isles, according to an expert. Richard Peirce, chairman of the Shark Trust, said the conditions and availability of prey made British waters an ideal hunting ground for the feared predator.

Iberian Lynx 'Not Doomed' by Low Genetic Diversity - One of the world's most endangered cats, the Iberian lynx, may not be doomed by its tiny population size. About 250 are thought to exist in the wild, putting the species at risk of low genetic diversity and inbreeding.

Imperiled Walruses Are Forced to Shore - As Imperiled Walruses Are Forced to Shore by Melting Ice, the Obama Administration today approved a Bush-era plan to open the Chukchi Sea off Alaska to offshore oil drilling without determining how it will affect Arctic wildlife.

Forest Elephants Are Running Out of Space - In the tropics of Central Africa, hunters are finding an increasing number of entryways into once inaccessible terrain. According to a recent study by WCS and partners, the proliferation of these forest access points is pushing the endangered forest elephant to the brink.

Tracking Migrating Cuckoos Part II - All of the five birds described in Part I are now in Africa! Four of the birds are south of the Sahara and the remaining bird left the UK on the night of the 22/23 July and is making his way to sub-Saharan Africa. Read the latest news and the individual cuckoos' blogs.

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Set to Gain Ground - In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed 2,090 stream miles as protected critical habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher.

Western Bluebird Reintroduction a Success - A five-year cooperative effort involving several organizations has succeeded in returning the Western Bluebird to Washington’s San Juan Islands. The bird had historically inhabited the islands, but changing land use practices and a paucity of nesting sites meant the species had not nested there for over 40 years. 

Birdsong in the Puerto Rican Rain Forest - For a totally new audiovisual experience, why not immerse yourself in the Puerto Rican rain forest. The thumbnails below link to nine of the songbird species, which I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph during my visit to Puerto Rico in January 2011. Make sure that your speakers are switched on in order to get the full effect.

Tricolored Blackbird in Steep Decline - A comprehensive survey of Tricolored Blackbirds in California has confirmed that the population of the species has declined nearly 35 percent in the last three years.

Gurney's Pitta the Last Few Stragglers - The Gurney's pitta (Pitta gurneyi) is a medium-sized passerine bird that completely disappeared from all lowland evergreen forest south of Prachuap Khiri Khan province where natural forest was destroyed primarily to grow palm and rubber trees except for one little patch in Krabi province.

Multiple Threats to Greater Sage-Grouse - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recognized that current management is failing to conserve Greater Sage-Grouse on public land, and announced today that it will develop a new range-wide conservation strategy for the species. The agency has provided little detail on how the new plan will be developed and what management changes it may propose.

Blue Iguana Rebounds from Near-Extinction - Endangered species success stories are just about the only things more rare than the world's threatened wildlife. One Caribbean species, the Blue Iguana of Grand Cayman island, found nowhere else in the world, is looking like that rarest of things, a threatened species roaring back from the brink.

Female Urban Foxes Are Top Dogs - Mothers in urban fox populations decide which cubs get to stay and which ones must leave the group and find a new territory, a study has found. Based on a 33-year study of foxes and DNA data, UK researchers said dominant mothers played a key role in shaping the group dynamics of the mammals.

The Serengeti Highway Decision and Lake Natron - Focus is now squarely on Lake Natron, following the Tanzanian Government’s recent statement that the proposed highway through the Serengeti will not be paved.  Conservation organizations and local communities worry that the construction of roads to connect major cities in the region could have detrimental effects on the ecology of Lake Natron and could be used as an incentive to revive plans to build a soda ash plant at Lake Natron.

Success for Northern Bald Ibis - Conservationists have feared that Syria’s current political unrest may have affected the fortunes of the northern bald ibis – currently the most threatened bird in the Middle East with just one breeding pair left.

Tracking migrating Cuckoos - The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has satellite-tagged five Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus), a species which has declined as a breeding bird in the UK by more than 50% in the last 25 years, in an effort to find out where migrating Cuckoos stage and spend the non-breeding season so that conservation measures can be put in place.

Lead Shot for Dove Hunting Prohibited in Iowa - The nation’s leading bird conservation organization – American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – today hailed the decision by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to require the use of nontoxic ammunition for the first Mourning Dove hunting season in Iowa since 1918.

Answering the Call of Corncrakes - Corncrake is an iconic species in Northern Ireland that migrates here from South Africa every spring. Although a very secretive bird it is their distinctive call that gives these birds their iconic status. In the early summer months, the evening mating call of the corncrake was once deafening as it rang through fields of long grass across Northern Ireland’s countryside.   

Lead Poisoning Threatens Vulnerable Albatross Population - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced its intent to begin cleaning up toxic, lead-based paint at federal facilities on Midway Atoll that kills up to 10,000 Laysan albatross chicks each year and also threatens the endangered Laysan duck.

Maltese Hunter Sentenced to Two Years Imprisonment - Maltese law courts yesterday sentenced a hunter to two years imprisonment and a €9,000 fine, and another to one year imprisonment and a €5000 fine, for the targeting of White Storks on the 18th May this year. All hunting licenses were permanently revoked for both individuals. Of a flock of 200 White Storks which first arrived in Malta, less than half were confirmed as leaving the island safely.

Feds Ignore Mexican Wolf Science for 10 Years - This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the release of the Paquet Report by a blue-ribbon panel of independent scientists who urged that management of endangered Mexican gray wolves be changed “immediately” to ensure urgently needed “dramatic improvement” in wolf survival and reproduction rates.

Ospreys Sat-Tagged for African Adventure - Satellite tags have been fitted to two osprey chicks hatched this spring at the famous RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre, allowing wildlife enthusiasts to track their progress online.

Emergency Action for Dartmoor's Ring Ouzels - The RSPB has teamed up with  environmental funder SITA Trust and Dartmoor National Park Authority in an attempt to stem the decline of the ring ouzel in Dartmoor. 

U.S. Judge Orders Better Protections for Endangered Species in California Forests - The California Condor and California Gnatcatcher are two birds that will benefit from a decision by a U.S. District Court judge ordering three federal agencies to provide better protections for 40 endangered species in four southern California national forests.

First Great Rift Valley Sites are added to World Heritage List - As a result of BirdLife’s support to a nomination by the Kenyan Government, the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Northern Spotted Owl Plan Calls for Additional Habitat Protection - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will soon release a final Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan that needs to call for additional habitat protection for the threatened species, said American Bird Conservancy.

Axis Deer on Hawaii A New Threat to Native Birds - A coalition of resource managers on Hawai‘i Island have confirmed the presence of a new threat to the island’s biodiversity – introduced axis deer – in the areas of Kohala, Ka‘u, Kona, and Mauna Kea.

Fourth of July Beach-Goers Asked to Give Beach-Nesting Birds a Break - As millions of vacationing Americans head to their nearest beach for a long weekend of surf and sun, America’s leading bird conservation organization – American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – is urging beachgoers to be mindful of the many beach-nesting birds that will be tending to young birds and perhaps a few remaining eggs.

Three Arrested for Illegally Trafficking in Eagle Feathers - Three Montana men were arrested and arraigned following the conclusion of “Operation Rolling Thunder,” a multi-year federal investigation into the illegal trafficking of eagle and migratory bird feathers and remains.

Safe Arrival for Sea Eagle Chicks - Sixteen white-tailed sea eagle chicks, gifted to Scotland from Norway as part of a major reintroduction project, have been settling into their temporary home at a secret location in Fife.

First Short-tailed Albatross Born In U.S. Fledges - A Short-tailed Albatross chick has successfully fledged on an island in the Hawaiian archipelago, marking the first time this endangered species has ever been known to breed successfully outside of Japan.

Serengeti Road Scrapped Over Wildlife Concerns - Controversial plans to build a tarmac road across the Serengeti National Park have been scrapped after warnings that it could devastate wildlife.

Audouin’s Gull Breeding Population in Greece Rapidly Declining - The breeding populations of the Audouin’s Gull in Greece have experienced a rapid decline from estimated 750-900 pairs in late 1990s to 350-500 pairs in 2010. The Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife Greece) is carrying out a series of actions to assess its major threats and to improve its breeding performance in its most important colonies. 

Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper from Extinction - An international team of conservationists is on an emergency mission to help save one of the world’s rarest birds from extinction. Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus is a remarkable bird, but its shocking drop in numbers indicates likely extinction within a decade if urgent action is not taken.

Pigeons 'Home In On Friendly Human Feeders' - Urban pigeons have the ability to learn the difference between people who will feed them and those who will chase them away, a French study has indicated.

Barroso May Cut Key Parts Of Common Agricultural Policy - Birdlife Europe  is alarmed by recent reports that Mr. Barroso, the President of the European Commission, is considering scrapping, partially or entirely, the budget of the second pillar (rural development) of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This includes agri-environment – payments to farmers engaged in conservations schemes. Rural development also includes support for investments and diversification of farmers’ revenue.

Emperor Penguin Makes Epic Detour To New Zealand Beach - A young emperor penguin took a wrong turn from the Antarctic and ended up stranded on a New Zealand beach – the first time in 44 years the aquatic bird has been sighted in the south Pacific country.

Gyrfalcons are Secret Seabirds - The world's largest falcon, the fast, taloned gyrfalcon, is a secret seabird, scientists have discovered. Gyrfalcons living in the high Arctic overwinter out at sea, spending long periods living and hunting on pack ice. It is the first time any falcon species has been found regularly living at sea. The birds likely rest on the ice and hunt other seabirds such as gulls and guillemots, over what appears to be one of the largest winter ranges yet documented for any raptor.

Second Wave of Mystery Pelican Deaths Hits Topsail Beach - Washington, D.C., May 11, 2011 - A second wave of mysterious pelican injuries and deaths has occurred in the past several weeks at Topsail Island in North Carolina following earlier incidents about six months ago in which about 250 pelicans died as a result of still-undetermined causes.

A Grain of Hope in the Desert - The Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx), which was hunted to near extinction, is now facing a more secure future according to the latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Its wild population now stands at 1,000 individuals.

Criticism of Finland’s Spring Hunting of Common Eider - The population of common eider Somateria mollissima in the Baltic Sea has dramatically declined over the last decades. Nevertheless, the local government of Åland, an autonomous group of islands belonging to Finland, has re-opened spring hunting of common eiders as of 1st of May. The BirdLife partners in Denmark, Sweden and Finland protest against spring hunting and call for the EU to take action to protect this vulnerable population.

Red Knot Wintering Population Drops by More than 5,000 - Washington, D.C., June 14, 2011 - Red Knot Wintering Population Drops by More than 5,000, Accelerating Slide to Extinction Decline emphasizes need to list the knot under the Endangered Species Act and implement stronger protections at key U.S. stopover

Groups Call for Immediate Withdrawal of Toxic Pesticides - Washington, D.C., June 13, 2011 - American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, and ten other groups have called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to begin immediate proceedings to have rodent poison products that do not meet new EPA packaging guidelines withdrawn from retail shelves.

Twenty-One Fin Whales Spotted In Irish Sea - One of the largest ever known gatherings of Fin whales in British waters has recently been observed in the Celtic Deep, 50-70 nautical miles off the coasts of north Cornwall and south west Pembrokeshire. On the afternoon of the 21st May, some 21 Fin whales were observed in the Celtic Deep, with the gathering of whales extending over at least ten miles of ocean.

Six More California Condors Suffer Lead Poisoning - Three more California Condors, among the most endangered birds in the world, have died from lead poisoning from ammunition, while three others were treated for lead poisoning, according to The Peregrine Fund’s Condor Recovery Program in Arizona. This brings the total number of condors killed by lead in the last 11 years to 19.

Longline Fisheries Continue To Drive Albatross Declines - A new global estimate of the impact of longline fisheries on seabirds reveals that, despite efforts to reduce seabird deaths, upwards of 300,000 birds are still being killed every year. The study by scientists from BirdLife International and the RSPB is published in the journal Endangered Species Research. It is a powerful reminder of how far we still need to go to ensure ecologically responsible fishing.

Big Birds Lose Out In A Crowded World - One of the world’s largest species of bird is on the brink of extinction according to the 2011 IUCN Red List  for birds, just released by BirdLife International. The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) has been uplisted to Critically Endangered, the highest level of threat. Hunting, disturbance, habitat loss and fragmentation have all conspired to reduce this magnificent species to perhaps as few as 250 individuals.

First signs of progress in saving Indian vultures from killer drug - The ban on a veterinary drug which caused an unprecedented decline in Asian vulture populations has shown the first signs of progress, according to scientists. However, the recovery of the wild vulture populations requires efforts to see the drug completely removed from the birds’ food supply.

Feeding Frenzy On The Sand Dunes - Earlier this week during a break between the Atlantic storms, I got the chance to spend a few hours on the sand dunes at Barley Cove in West Cork. This is an unspoiled wildlife refuge with a tidal lake surrounded by tall grasses, a large area of rush-fringed sand dunes, and a river with sandy cliffs.

White Storks hunted down - The largest flock of White Storks ever recorded in Malta shot at from several different locations, as the birds sought overnight shelter in Malta. At least six the 200-strong flock of storks were seen to be shot down, while another injured stork was recovered but had to be euthanized by a vet. Another two injured storks were recorded in flight with dangling legs and missing feathers. A shot Glossy Ibis, another rare migratory bird for Malta, was also received by BirdLife from Zabbar.

Why Not Use RAW Format In Your Photography? - The price of memory has come down dramatically in the last couple of years, and many top-end DSLR's can now shoot in RAW format with a high frame rate. This article examines the arguments for and against adapting your photographic process to accomodate RAW format?

How to photograph birds without breaking your bank balance - the combination of a high performance telephoto lens and camera body could cost you in the range of USD 10,000.--. This article describes how to obtain the same high resolution images using a budget telephoto lens and camera body package costing you only USD 2,200.--.

How to shoot an Emperor Dragonfly - Insects have wing beats ranging from 12 beats per second for a large butterfly to 250 beats per second for a honeybee. Photographing insects in flight is one of the greatest challenges for all wildlife photographers. This article describes how to capture crisp, sharp images of the Emperor Dragonfly in flight.

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens Review - the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens is hugely successful for bird and wildlife photography and especially for flight shots. This article summarises the advantages & disadvantages of this popular lens.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens Review - The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens is a very good choice for macro photography of butterflies, insects or flowers. This article summarises the advantages & disadvantages of this popular lens.

Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera Review - The EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera is an excellent choice for the wildlife photographer. It delivers superb image quality from a solid-performing body. This article compares the 50D with the Rebel T1i, Rebel T2i, the 60D and the 7D.