In June 2013 during my Conservation Big Year, when I still needed to see an endangered Roseate Tern, I learned that I had a good chance of seeing one or more feeding at Popham Beach State Park in Maine. Sure enough, I saw one there—the only Roseate Tern I saw all year—but that listing conquest […]
Tag: predator
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 […]
Top scientists back federal plan to protect Alaska predators
A group of scientists has backed a federal plan to restrict the trapping and gunning down of bears and wolves in Alaska’s wildlife refuges, in the face of bitter opposition from the state government. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed an overhaul of hunting regulations for Alaska’s 16 national wildlife refuges, which […]
Why the Arctic’s Big Mosquito Problem Is Getting a Lot Worse
When the wind drops and the endless summer sun bakes the ponds that dot the frozen tundra, some of the Arctic’s most ferocious predators emerge and form menacing blizzards that darken the horizon – and everyone’s mood. “It is the talk of the town when the Arctic mosquitoes are out,” says Lauren Culler, a postdoctoral […]
Polar bears eat dolphins as Arctic warms
Norwegian scientists have seen polar bears eating dolphins in the Arctic for the first time ever and blame global warming for the bears expanding their diet. Polar bears feed mainly on seals but Jon Aars at the Norwegian Polar Institute has photographed dolphins being devoured by a bear and published his findings in the latest […]
How does the Brown Thornbill Scare off Predators?
A tiny Australian bird, the brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla), mimics the hawk warning calls of neighboring bird species to protect its nest from predators such as the pied currawong. “It’s not superbly accurate mimicry, but it’s enough to fool the predator,” said Dr Branislav Igic of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, lead author […]
Video: Mother Owl Takes On Snake – and Wins
A predator approached at night, but mama owl was ready to protect her young owlets. Watch this incredible footage of Dottie the female Texas Barn Owl defending her nest against a snake that attempted to enter the nest box! After all the drama the fourth owlet hatched yesterday, May 7. The owlet is very small […]
Why are sharks so misunderstood?
Sharks have a bad rep. Thanks in no small part to Steven Spielberg, who cleverly played on our primordial fears with his blockbuster thriller Jaws, these majestic creatures are generally thought of as little more than mindless killing machines. Shark (BBC One), the Natural History Unit’s spectacular new three-part documentary coinciding with Jaws’ 40th anniversary, […]