Avian Urbanites: Which Birds Can Make it in the Urban Jungle?
Specific traits – including longevity, small size, and having a broad diet – predict whether birds will thrive in urban environments
Read more
birds
Raptors on the Brink: Population Declines Over Africa’s Savannas
Savannas across Africa have fewer hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and secretary birds than in previous decades. Which species are the most at-risk, and what can be done to protect them?
Read more
Biologists go the distance for the safe release of migratory birds
Migrating birds have embarked on treacherous voyages for hundreds of thousands of years. Yet, habitat loss and climate change might be their biggest challenge. With many species on the brink of extinction, conservation programs aim to return and sustain wild populations of the world’s most vulnerable species. Captive breeding programs must select the fittest birds to survive such a perilous flight. Researchers find that sharper wing tips might improve survival during the first migration. There’s no time for winging it.
Read more
For birds, drab is in fashion in our cities
Color has the power to affect our feelings and emotions. For many animals, color signals status or condition. Factors such as food quality, stress, and pollution can cause changes in animal coloration. The color of the background can also have significant effects on how animals perceive color. Cities introduce drab, grey buildings and pavement, pollutants, and reduced plant complexity. A recent study shows that city birds produce darker, duller feathers with less complex patterns. Click to find out how cities may be hindering the color and diversity of wildlife.
Read moreHow Air Pollution Regulation Can Affect Bird Populations
Although we have strong evidence that air pollution poses significant health risks to humans, how air pollutants affect plants and animals is not well studied. Birds are especially susceptible to air pollution because they have a unique way of breathing and interacting with air. Therefore, a group of scientists conducted a study on how air pollution affects North American birds and how air quality regulations, which were initially created to benefit humans, can also benefit these bird species.
Read moreIf trees could hear, is human noise a threat?
Sources of noise, like gas well compressors, are known to affect many animals negatively. But could the noise be impacting plant communities? Researchers sought an answer by comparing pinyon and juniper seedling growth near quiet or noisy gas well pads in the woodlands of New Mexico. Throughout the twelve-year study, noise harmed tree communities. Trees struggled to recover even several years after the noise was removed. Now is the time to listen to the trees because the trees are tired of listening to us.
Read moreWill climate change bring cultural change?
Sometimes science isn’t enough to protect a species. Sometimes, culture is necessary. People are likely to care most about protecting species they find culturally important. But are these culturally important species the most threatened due to climate change? A case study from Costa Rica offers some insights into this question.
Read moreLet the games begin! Having fun and playing games can improve the lives of people and wildlife.
With environmental conditions deteriorating across the globe, there’s no time to stop and play games. Except for when the solutions to these problems can be found by playing games. Find out how researchers, conservationists, and farmers in France all played a game to improve land management in a wet grassland.
Read moreRich bird, poor bird: urban street trees support native birds across a socioeconomic gradient
If you’ve jumped on the bird-watching bandwagon to pass time during the pandemic or tuned in to #BlackBirdersWeek, you might have a new-found awareness of the birds outside your window or in your local park. What you may not have noticed is that urban birding experiences can differ greatly among neighborhoods.
Read moreThe missing ingredient in the conservation cake is…culture
Even with all the science in the world, conservation plans still can fall short. What conservation plans sometimes fail to consider is the cultural importance of a species to groups of people.
Read more