Life can’t function without insects. At least, not for long. They pollinate, break down waste, cycle nutrients, and touch every node in the web of life, filling endless niches across the planet. As global temperatures continue to rise, some of Earth’s most important but overlooked pollinators, the flies, may be at greater risk than previously […]
Fewer than one in 14 male humpback whales in New Caledonia are fathers
As few as 7% of male humpback whales in New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific may have fathered offspring, a study has found. The paternity analysis found that 93% of males had no evidence of genetic offspring throughout the 25-year study period and no male had sired more than two offspring. It was unclear why […]
Idaho Fish and Game investigating killing of bald eagle near Sandpoint
Idaho wildlife officials are investigating the illegal shooting of a bald eagle near Sandpoint last month. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a news release that the eagle was believed to have been killed between Dec. 24 and 26 near Sunnyside Road close to Fisherman Island on Lake Pend Oreille. The eagle […]
Birdwatch: an unlikely encounter with the least sandpiper in Somerset
If you’d asked me which rare bird I might see in Somerset in early January, the least sandpiper would have been very low on my list. Yet on a fine, bright, chilly morning here it was: running along the edge of the water like a clockwork toy, probing the mud for food with its stubby […]
Near-extinct Siberian crane is recovering thanks to habitat protection
Over the past decade, the population of the critically endangered Siberian crane has increased by nearly 50%, according to the International Crane Foundation. The foundation said the boost in the snowy-white Siberian crane‘s (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) numbers is the result of efforts to secure the migratory bird‘s stopover sites along its eastern flyway, or migratory route, […]
Bonobo numbers in DRC park stable, but signs of decline appear
Bonobo populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo‘s Salonga National Park remained steady between 2002 and 2018, but there are worrying signals of decline, a recent study has found. For decades, Salonga has been known to host the largest known population of bonobos (Pan paniscus), an endangered great ape found only in the DRC. However, […]
RSPB stops selling flat bird feeders owing to deadly finch disease
The RSPB has withdrawn flat bird feeders from sale on its website amid warnings they could be spreading deadly diseases to finches. The charity has said feeding birds from flat surfaces such as tables could be contributing to the spread of illnesses such as finch trichomonosis, which has been blamed for the plummeting greenfinch population. […]
Two lynx caught after illegal release in Scotland – here’s what happened
Two Eurasian lynx were spotted just after 4pm on Wednesday 8 January in the Drumguish area of the Highlands in Scotland. Wildlife conservationists from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) worked overnight with the police to capture the big cats, and condemned the illegal release “in the strongest possible terms”. “We set live trail […]