American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) voicing strong concerns about the first-ever application for a special permit that would allow Golden Eagles to be incidentally killed. The proposed “incidental take permit,” submitted under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection […]
Atmore man admits to killing protected migratory birds since 2006
An Atmore man has pleaded guilty in federal court to killing migratory birds and selling the feathers on the black market. Alexander Alvarez faces the possibility of seven and a half years in prison and fines totaling more than $500,000, according to a release from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. He is scheduled to […]
Fool for the City
Why is Homo sapiens becoming an increasingly urban species? For the same simple reasons as raccoons (Procyonis lotor), it seems—more housing options and better restaurants (easy access to French fries and Dunkin Donuts, in particular). The more difficult question to answer is this: As we convert forests and pastures into prefabs and flower shops, are […]
Sylvan Sanctuary for Red Squirrels and Goshawks
Man-made conifer forests are vital sanctuaries for red squirrels, goshawks and others. The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel (genus Sciurus). A tree-dwelling omnivorous rodent, the red squirrel is common throughout Eurasia. The Goshawk hunts birds and mammals in a variety of woodland habitats, often utilizing a […]
Rare Raptors
Red kites and goshawks rear their chicks in Welsh woodlands. The Red Kite (Milvus milvus) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly […]
Trossachs barn owl numbers boosted by ‘vole feast’
A massive increase in the number of field voles in the Trossachs is helping boost the barn owl population in the area, the national park has said. Evidence last year indicated field vole numbers had swelled 10 times in Scotland – pushing their population into the hundreds of millions. This was good news for barn […]
Bangladesh Helps Threatened Dolphins Stay Afloat
Conservationists and government officials alike are hoping that the Ganges River and Irrawaddy dolphins won’t go the way of the dinosaur—or more aptly, the Yangtze River dolphin, which recently went extinct. The Government of Bangladesh declared three new wildlife sanctuaries to help protect these last two remaining species of freshwater dolphins in Asia. The officials […]
Feisty Firecrests of the Forest
The Firecrests (Regulus ignicapillus) is one of the most amazing little birds we have. Packed full of energy and living their lives at such an amazingly fast pace. Firecrests breed in most of temperate Europe and in the western side of North Africa. Growing up in Scotland, we never saw them so far north and […]