Before dawn in Cyprus, the air rings with birdsong – but it is not real. Hidden in the undergrowth of bushes across the mediterranean island are electronic lures which broadcast a manufactured chorus. The pieces of technology mimic the calls of migrating songbirds and draw the unsuspecting creatures down into carefully placed death contraptions each […]
‘Baudin’s or bauxite?’ Stark warning black cockatoo won’t survive mining expansion
The destruction of Western Australia’s northern jarrah forests for bauxite mining will push a threatened black cockatoo “to and beyond the brink of extinction” if governments allowed it to continue, conservationists have warned. Mark Henryon, a volunteer with Birdlife Western Australia, said there was a clear choice that would decide whether the endangered Baudin’s black […]
Meet The Seabirds That Fly Into Hurricanes for Survival
When most creatures flee from hurricanes, some seabirds fly directly into the chaos. According to a BBC report, the Desertas petrel, a rare seabird native to the North Atlantic, actively seeks out tropical cyclones to feed on the rich bounty of squid, fish, and other creatures churned up from the ocean’s depths. With only about […]
Man Found Dead in Arkansas Campground Was Likely Killed by a Bear. This Would Be the Second Fatal Attack There in a Month
A 60-year-old man who was found dead at an Arkansas campground Thursday was likely killed by a black bear, according to officials in Newton County. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said it was still awaiting autopsy results to determine the man’s cause of death, but that a preliminary investigation led […]
Going extinct ‘right under our noses’: the quiet plight of Australia’s rarest bird of prey
Setting up a base in the tallest tree, usually around a creek somewhere, the red goshawk will hunt beneath the canopy – chasing down speed demons such as the rainbow lorikeet and plucking them out of the air. The soft thrum of their deep, powerful, metre-wide wings can be heard from the ground as they […]
Nairobi’s Birdman Rescues Raptors While Dreaming of a Better Future
In Nairobi’s bustling streets, Rodgers Oloo Magutha, better known as the “Birdman,” is easy to spot — with black kites perched on his head and shoulders, drawing smiles, curiosity, and even fear from passersby. At just 27, Magutha has spent more than a decade living on the streets, where he found solace and purpose in […]
Tourists whose canoe was flipped by a raging elephant describe their terror
Two American tourists who were almost killed after an angry elephant attacked their canoe have described their terror as the animal tried to drown them. Larry Unrein and his partner Jeff Melvin narrowly escaped with their lives following the ordeal in Botswana. The couple were on a safari on the Okavango Delta on September 27 […]
As forests are cut down, butterflies are losing their colours
The world is becoming less colourful. For butterflies, bold and bright wings once meant survival, helping them attract mates and hide from prey. But a new research project suggests that as humans replace rich tropical forests with monochrome, the colour of other creatures is leaching away. “The colours on a butterfly’s wings are not trivial […]