The amount of rain that falls affects our environment in various ways, from river flow to the availability of freshwater, but it can also shape the diversity and distribution of ecosystems within different regions of the globe. A new long-term study of Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) on Cousin Island has revealed that rainfall during the […]
Dead Birds Flying High review – intriguing naturalist portrait swerves the Nazi question
Here is a thoughtful, austere documentary by Sönje Storm that largely avoids the irony-potential hinted at in the title. It is about her great-grandfather, Jürgen Mahrt: a remarkable, self-taught naturalist and photographer from Elsdorf in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, who sold off some of the family farm that he inherited to pursue his great passion for the […]
Hundreds of whales to be harpooned as Iceland issues new hunting licenses
On Dec. 6, Iceland‘s caretaker government announced it had issued five-year licenses to hunt fin and minke whales in Icelandic waters. It granted the fin whale hunting license to Hvalur hf., the country’s only remaining fin-whaling company, run by billionaire Kristján Loftsson, and the minke-hunting permit to a ship owned by Tjaldtangi ehf., a whaling […]
Incoming LOLZ: The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards will put a smile on your face
The results are in and the winner of this year’s funniest wildlife photo goes to Milko Marchetti for his very chuckle-worthy shot of a red squirrel with its head firmly embedded in a tree. Marchetti’s shot was selected as the overall winner and winner of the Mammal category in the 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards […]
Endangered Thick-Billed Parrot That Once Roamed the US Is on the Way to Recovery
A public-private partnership in Mexico just announced that the current population of thick-billed parrots is approximately 2,500 individuals—at least 10% higher than that recorded 12 years ago. The number was determined in a recent population survey in a protected area in the state of Chihuahua, where once upon a time this charismatic species roamed north […]
Bird flu sweeps through zoos with ‘grave implications’ for endangered animals
Dozens of rare animals including tigers, lions and cheetahs are dying as bird flu infiltrates zoos, with potentially “grave implications” for endangered species, researchers have warned. As a growing number of zoos report animal deaths, scientists are concerned that infected wild birds landing in enclosures could be spreading it among captive animals. In the US, […]
Giraffes in Legal Limbo at Natural Bridge Zoo
The three female giraffes at Natural Bridge Zoo are caught in an uncertain situation. While technically owned by Rockbridge County, the giraffes have remained at the zoo since authorities seized them on-site last December. A letter from the Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit last month outlined that the giraffes would stay put for now due […]
Counting Crows (and more) for Audubon’s Christmas bird count
One of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world has kicked off its 125th annual event. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC), administered by the U.S.-based nonprofit National Audubon Society, takes place each year from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. The annual bird census collects valuable data that scientists use to track the health and […]