search
birds
Trends
- 1Ospreys are vanishing along the US East CoastโOspreys are disappearing along the East Coast. Scientists think they know why.
Osprey populations are declining along the US East Coast, and scientists say they have identified a likely cause. The Washington Post reports on new research into why the fish-eating hawks, once a conservation success story, are disappearing from parts of their coastal range, raising concern among conservationists about the health of coastal ecosystems.
- 2Cuckoo Genetics Show Host Habits Alone Don't Split SpeciesโCuckoo Genes Reveal Host Habits Alone Cannot Divide a Wandering Species
New genetic research on cuckoos indicates that differences in host preferences are not enough on their own to divide the wide-ranging birds into separate species. The findings suggest that despite specialised egg-laying habits targeting different host birds, gene flow across populations keeps the wandering species genetically unified, complicating how scientists classify parasitic cuckoo lineages.
- 3Florida deploys robot rabbits to fight invasive pythonsโWhen a district in Florida used robot rabbits to eliminate growing population of Burmese pythons and prot
A Florida district is using robotic rabbits to help control the growing population of Burmese pythons, an invasive species threatening local wildlife such as protected mammals and birds. The decoys mimic prey to lure the snakes into traps, offering a novel tool in the state's long-running effort to curb the pythons' spread in the Everglades region.
- 4Avian keratin disorder blamed for deformed beaks in Alaska chickadeesโScientists believe avian keratin disorder is cause of fishhook beaks in Alaska chickadee population
Scientists in Alaska say avian keratin disorder is behind the fishhook-shaped beaks appearing in the state's chickadee population. The condition causes abnormal growth of the birds' beaks, which can make feeding difficult. Researchers studying the disorder are working to understand its causes, and the findings have drawn attention given the unusual number of affected birds reported in the region.