Warm spring weather boosts long-tailed tits’ chances of surviving the winter, scientists have said. The UK’s population of these little birds has more than doubled in the last forty years. A 19-year study by researchers in Sheffield links rising spring temperatures to their improved survival. Biologists suggest the birds are rare “winners” when it comes […]
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‘Shocking’ scale of pangolin smuggling revealed
The globally threatened animals are sought for their scales which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Annual seizures have been estimated at roughly 10,000 animals but experts warn the illegal trade is far greater. Chinese enforcement officials worked with researchers from the UK to assess the extent of the problem. Zhao-Min Zhou, from the Public […]
Tahiti monarch faces fire ant threat
Rain, rats and fire ants threaten the survival of the rare Tahiti monarch, despite a record best year for its conservation. Just 10 breeding pairs remain in the wild population, which numbers fewer than 50 mature birds in total. Efforts to save the birds won an award from conservation partnership BirdLife International. But experts warn […]
Jackdaws protect their nests ‘with bright eyes’
Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, tested whether the dark birds’ striking blue-white eyes help them to protect nest sites. They found that jackdaws avoided nest boxes when they could see the eyes of a jackdaw inside. Experts suggest this is the first evidence that bright eyes could act as signals in the bird […]
‘Vampire’ sea lampreys heat up for sex
Male sea lampreys heat up special fat deposits during sexual encounters, scientists have found. The bizarre vertebrates are best known for their blood-sucking mouths filled with teeth and a razor sharp tongue. Males also have a raised bump of tissue along their back which they rub against females during courtship. US researchers discovered that this […]