Florida is struggling with a fast-increasing population of invasive green iguanas that began as a small group of released and escaped pets. Thriving in the warm sunshine and humid climate, experts believe hundreds of thousands of nonnative iguanas now call the Sunshine State “home.” There, state conservation officials claim they threaten the wellbeing of native […]
Tag: invasive species
Exploring “African Galapagos” uncovers mysterious rare birds
It’s not called the “African Galapagos” for nothing. The island of São Tomé, off the west coast of central Africa, is truly one of a kind. For a start, it has a remarkable level of endemism for such a small island: 17 of its 50 bird species are confined to that island alone. It is […]
What can you do to help save the great barrier reef?
Even if you are nowhere near Australia you will probably know that the great barrier reef is under incredible pressure to survive, there are many issues negatively affecting coral reefs around the world including pollution (including plastics), unsustainable fishing, climate change, coastal development and invasive species. There are many things that you can do to […]
Is this Guam bird coming back from extinction in the wild?
It suffered deadly declines due to an environmental blunder by the military, then was rescued from the jaws of extinction by conservationists. This year it endured the threat of a missile strike, but what does the future hold for the Guam Rail? Earlier this year, the world held its breath as North Korea’s crosshairs were […]
POLL: Should invasive animal species be controlled by drowning?
One can understand New Zealand’s apparent frustration with invasive Australian brushtail possums. One can conjure up genuine sadness for the damage the possums cause through their unwavering appetite for birds’ eggs and one can feel real concern for the plight of the native species being edged out. Like many invasive species, they are a nightmare […]
‘Kill them, kill them, kill them’: the volunteer army plotting to wipe out Britain’s grey squirrels
One snowy dawn in March, I went hunting for squirrels in the Lake District. In the silent and empty woods beneath the Aira Force waterfall, the only thing moving was a solitary red squirrel, balanced on a nut-filled feeder hanging from a tree. If you grew up, as I did, with the grey squirrel, seeing […]
POLL: Should Australia’s feral cats be culled?
Feral cats now inhabit virtually the entire Australian landscape, and have been implicated in multiple recent mammal extinctions by conservationists. Illuminating the urgency of controlling cat populations across the continent, a new study in Biological Conservation finds that cats occupy over 99.8% of Australia. The study was conducted by over forty scientists—led by wildlife ecologists […]
10 amazing birds that have gone extinct
BirdLife is proud to announce that Volume 2 of the Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World is now available to purchase. Published by Lynx Edicions in association with HBW and BirdLife International, Volume 2 chronicles the world’s passerines (perching birds), and completes the most exhaustive illustrated checklist of birds ever compiled, with stunning, […]
The Montserrat Oriole is no longer Critically Endangered
With two thirds of its suitable forest habitat completely destroyed, the population of Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi dramatically declined after a series of volcanic eruptions during the late 1990s, and suffered from the impact of invasive species. Here’s how RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and partners turned things around. Found on the southern part the […]
Save the Macaronesian Sparrowhawk
In this season of love and giving, SPEA (BirdLife in Portugal) ask you to spare a thought for the plight of Fura-bardos (Macaronesian Sparrowhawk) – the famously elusive and sadly threatened resident of Madeira’s enchanting Laurel Forest. Cátia Gouveia (Coordinator of SPEA Madeira) explains how YOU can make a big difference by donating to their […]
