A new collaborative study that included the work of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) biologists has revealed that migratory birds that breed in Arctic Alaska are initiating nests earlier in the spring, and that snowmelt occurring earlier in the season is a big reason why. The report, “Phenological advancement in arctic bird species: relative importance of […]
Category: News
Video: Horseshoe Crabs Mate in Annual Beach “Orgy”
Up and down the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, horseshoe crabs, which have been around for some 450 million years (200 million years before dinosaurs), are spawning. The crabs live in the ocean year-round but come ashore like clockwork every year between the May and June full moons to mate and lay eggs. On any night during […]
Japan kills 30 minke whales in first hunt since UN court order
Japan has killed 30 minke whales off its north-east coast, in the first hunt since the UN’s top court ordered Tokyo to stop killing the animals in the Antarctic, the government said. The Japanese whaling fleet that left the north-eastern fishing town of Ayukawa in April completed its mission last week, the country’s fisheries agency […]
Elachuridae: Ornithologists Describe New Family of Passerine Birds
A group of ornithologists led by Dr Trevor Price of the University of Chicago has described a new family of birds that is represented by just one species, the Spotted wren-babbler. The Spotted wren-babbler is a small perching bird found in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. This bird measures about 10 […]
Video: Polar Bear Cam Provides Unique View into Arctic Life
It looks like the famed Panda Cam at the National Zoo has a new rival. Recently-released footage of a polar bear in the Arctic is giving scientists and polar bear-enthusiasts alike a glimpse into the elusive lives of these endangered animals—and giving pandas at the National Zoo a run for their money. The clip, released […]
Continental swallowtail breeding in UK for first time
Britain may have a spectacular new butterfly: dozens of continental swallowtails have been spotted along the south coast after being filmed emerging from pupae in gardens and allotments for the first time. Unprecedented footage, which will be broadcast on Springwatch tonight, shows the first British generation of this charismatic, colourful butterfly hatching out in an […]
Barn owl bumper brood in Cambridgeshire celebrated
Conservationists are celebrating after barn owls nesting at a Cambridgeshire farm hatched twice as many chicks as this time last spring. Three pairs of birds at Lark Rise farm have produced 17 chicks in total and may have a second brood this summer. The UK barn owl population was hit badly last year after a […]
Badger cull pilot risks spreading bovine TB further, study says
A pilot scheme to selectively cull badgers testing positive for tuberculosis risks spreading the disease further, scientists have warned. The new bovine TB control strategy to be piloted in Northern Ireland will carry out live tests on badgers with the aim of vaccinating healthy animals and culling infected ones, as part of efforts to reduce […]