Topics Our Work

Conservation Challenges

A Golden Eagle standing on a frozen river looks back over its shoulder at the camera.
The East Has Its Own Golden Eagles, and Advocates Say They Need Help
May 16, 2024 — Though apparently stable, the eastern population faces evolving threats, experts say. One group is asking the federal government to list the birds as threatened.
Conservation News
A loon sits among plants at the edge of a pond.
Heavy Downpours Are a Growing Threat to Common Loons
May 15, 2024 — Last summer’s record rainfall flooded nests across the Northeast, an increasingly common hazard that is hampering loon reproduction. Protecting healthy habitat and providing artificial nest rafts can help, researchers say.
Conservation News
An Osprey in flight against a blue sky holding a fish in its talon.
Researchers Sound the Alarm Over the Chesapeake Bay’s Ospreys
May 13, 2024 — In the world’s largest population of the fish-eating raptors, reproductive rates have fallen below DDT-era lows. Scientists say overfishing by one company is to blame.
Conservation News
A large flock of shorebirds sit in muddy vegetation in a lagoon.
As Coastal Habitat Shrinks, Scientists Take Inspiration from Surfing Shorebirds
April 19, 2024 — Birds rest on rafts of eelgrass when they can't find a safe space to roost onshore. Now conservationists are mimicking the behavior to give them more places of respite.
Conservation News
A blue Pinyon Jay stands in a juniper tree.
To Protect Two Declining Western Birds, Scientists Seek a Tricky Balance
March 20, 2024 — Both Pinyon Jays and Greater Sage-Grouse face significant declines in distinct Western habitats. Can conservationists meet the needs of both?
Conservation News
Short-billed Dowitcher
The Road Not Yet Traveled: West Susitna Access Road
December 12, 2023 — Informative take on the proposed West Susitna Access Road in relation to critically important shorebird breeding and foraging habitat.
AK
Huge expanse of plastic and garbage floats on water.
Will the World Unite to Curb the Global Disaster That Is Plastic Pollution?
October 12, 2023 — With negotiations coming up this fall, experts say that a proposed treaty must rein in production and consider the most vulnerable populations.
Conservation News
Hundreds of dead birds laid out in rows on a large metal table.
More Than 1,000 Birds Collided With a Single Chicago Building in One Night
October 06, 2023 — Weather conditions, a pulse of migrating warblers, and bright lights combined to create a wave of bird death across the city Thursday morning.
A mottled brown whip-poor-will with squinty eyes sits perfectly camouflaged on a tree branch.
Revealing the Mysteries of Whip-poor-wills—and What It Might Take to Save Them
September 29, 2023 — Recently uncovered secrets long held by species in the elusive nightjar family, and those still waiting to be unraveled, could provide information vital to curtailing their recent losses.
Conservation News
An owl flies over a field of tall yellow grasses at dusk, with buildings in the background.
Western Sprawl Is Gobbling Up Grassland Habitat, Raising Risks for Short-eared Owls
July 17, 2023 — Efforts are underway to curb deaths from human hazards in this critically important part of the country for the widespread but declining raptors.
Conservation News