Twice a year, millions of birds embark on long, perilous journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds. These flights, spanning hundreds or thousands of miles, require a lot of energy. In the spring, neotropical migrants travel from Latin America to nest in the Northern Hemisphere, where they take advantage of budding plants and abundant insects. […]
Tag: migratory bird
Prickly Pair: Cactus-dwelling Couple Prove Rumors That Bald Eagles Nest in Saguaros
Back in mid-March, Kenneth Jacobson found what he’s been seeking for 18 years. Responding to a tip, Jacobson and his team at the Arizona Game and Fish Department set out for a reservoir in the middle of the state with a healthy skepticism. But even from a distance, what he saw through his binoculars left […]
Conservationists slam Malta over bird hunting during COVID-19 lockdown
Bird conservation groups are outraged the spring hunting season in Malta is being opened despite the COVID-19 lockdown. The Maltese islands are a resting point for migratory birds crossing the Mediterranean. Birdlife Malta sent Euronews pictures of a marsh harrier bird of prey, which they say has been shot illegally during this year’s three-week week […]
King Tides Are a Sign of the Future for Oregon’s Coast
With the king tides in Oregon this month, we are getting a preview of the rising sea levels that climate change will bring to the Oregon Coast. These extremely high tides – which are 2 to 4 feet higher than normal – currently only occur a couple times a year when the moon is closest […]
Trump Administration Moves to Relax Rules Against Killing Birds
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday moved to drop the threat of punishment to oil and gas companies, construction crews and other organizations that kill birds “incidentally,” arguing that businesses that accidentally kill birds ought to be able to operate without fear of prosecution. Conservation groups said the proposed new regulation from the United […]
Harris’s Hawks Hunt Like Wolves to Bring Down Dangerous Prey
For a desert rabbit, it’s hard to imagine what could be more terrifying than a hungry, nimble Harris’s Hawk. Except, that is, for five hungry, nimble Harris’s Hawks. We tend to think of raptors as solitary hunters, and for the most part that’s true. Unfortunately for the cottontails and jackrabbits of the American Southwest, however, […]
US and Canada have lost three billion birds since 1970
The US and Canada have lost more than one in four birds – a total of three billion – since 1970, culminating in what scientists who published a new study are calling a “widespread ecological crisis”. Researchers observed a 29% decline in bird populations across diverse groups and habitats – from songbirds such as meadowlarks […]
Final Plan for Arctic Refuge Drilling Could Cause Extinctions, Admits Government
The U.S. Department of the Interior last week took a major step toward the first-ever oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In a decision that outraged but did not surprise environmentalists, the agency announced its final plan to develop one of the world’s last great wildernesses, acknowledging that its chosen course might wipe […]
