Since the seventies, millions of North American birds have disappeared and a third of species are now of high regional conservation concern, a new report reveals. Experts agree that their long-term conservation will only be achieved by building transnational partnerships and involving local communities in citizen science projects. Migratory birds connect the North American continent as millions […]
Tag: invasive species
Whisky protects lorikeets in French Polynesia
Invasive alien predators, especially rats, are the biggest threat to the birds of the Pacific region. Their spread across the Pacific has followed the movements of people, particularly Europeans, over the last two centuries. These invaders, as they “stepped off the boat”, heralded the beginning of the decline of many bird species. Today, the Pacific […]
POLL: Should the killing of animals by Wildlife Services be stopped?
After anti-government protesters took over Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month to support two ranchers convicted of arson, it emerged that the convicts, Steven and Dwight Hammonds, had received thousands of dollars in financial support from the federal government. The public aid included the killing of five coyotes by a US Department of […]
POLL: Should invasive species be eradicated in the EU?
Anyone caught exporting or possessing invasive species such as grey squirrels, ruddy ducks and water hyacinth in the EU will soon face heavy fines and confiscations, under a new blacklist filed at the WTO, which the Guardian has seen. Raccoons, Javan mongooses, and South American coypus are among the 37 types of flora and fauna […]
Poll: Should the mass-killing of starlings with pesticides be allowed?
Land owners surprised to discover tens of thousands of dead birds across the high desert are criticising the federal government over a mass killing of starlings in northern Nevada. The US Department of Agriculture said a pesticide was used to destroy the birds to prevent the spread of disease to dairy cows. Some area residents, […]
13 newly-discovered birds declared extinct
In a recent update of the IUCN Red List, scientists have identified 13 new bird species that have gone extinct since 1500. In total the list now finds that at least 140 bird species gone extinct in the past five hundred years, representing 1.3 percent of the world’s total known birds. The new extinct birds […]
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 […]
New York Backtracks on Plans to Eradicate Mute Swans
Mute swans in New York will be getting a reprieve from slaughter following major public outcry over the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) plan to eradicate the state’s population over the next decade, but animal advocates are still concerned about their future. Earlier this year the DEC publicly announced its plan to list mute swans […]