San Antonio, Texas – A ritual of nature is happening in the woody hills around Austin and San Antonio. The first golden-cheeked warblers, with brilliant yellow faces streaked with black, have arrived from Mexico and Central America to raise their young. The Texas Hill Country is the only place on Earth where this little songbird, […]
Tag: bat
European bat population rises after years of decline, study finds
European bat numbers are recovering after years of decline, according to a wide-ranging study published yesterday. Scientists surveyed 16 European bat species in nine countries, including Britain, and found that the total number increased by more than 40% between 1993 and 2011. Conservation measures including legislation and managing habitats have helped to reverse the decline, […]
Five new, cryptic bats discovered in Senegal
An international research team led by Daurina Koubinova has discovered five new species of vesper bats during a series of expeditions to Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park. The new species are considered cryptic, because their genetic makeup is different despite physical similarities. The new bats have yet to be named. This was the first genetic study […]
Dolphins, bats and the evolution of echolocation
A dolphin swimming through the world’s oceans after fish, and a bat flying through the air with its membranous wings to catch insects or eat fruit: at first glance, it looks like no two creatures could be more different. But it turns out they share a superpower – they hunt prey by emitting high-pitched sounds […]
Jahra Pools Reserve, Kuwait
Summer in Kuwait is searing hot and is traditionally a quiet birding month, however in late Spring we do have some species breeding at the Pools and mid-summer we have many Tern species breeding on the off-shore islands. Little Ringed Plovers (Charadrius dubius) have remained through the Spring and Summer and are suspected to be […]
Fewer bat sightings spark breeding fears
Britain’s bats could face difficulties this summer following two cold springs in a row, a charity suggests. Latest figures from the National Bat Monitoring Programme revealed that fewer of the flying mammals were counted in 2012 than the previous year. The Bat Conservation Trust is concerned that this year’s “unseasonable start” could mean that bats […]
Why endangered species need conservation champions
Without heroic conservationists many of today’s most beloved species would be extinct: think of pandas, tigers, and elephants. By single-mindly focused on saving a particular species, these conservation champions bring much-needed research, publicity, and, most importantly, targeted actions to keep an imperiled animal from the brink. Through their own exuberance, these heroes also gather others […]
Lost World revealing its stripes
With the ever-increasing globalization and homogenization of our world it is a miracle that some relatively unexplored places are still left on the face of the earth. South Sudan is one such place. Torn by civil wars for the larger part of the past century, the state has only gained its independence in 2011. With […]