Conservation News

A rust and gray-colored bird stands on a mossy surface and looks at the camera.
How Training Secretive Birds Became a Boon for Tropical Forest Conservation
August 10, 2023 — When a farming family in Ecuador “befriended” an elusive antpitta, they pioneered a new path for ecotourism.
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.
A gray and yellow warbler lies dead on a sidewalk, feet up in the air, while people and cars pass by, the busy city in the background.
Unseen Danger: One Day of Deadly Window Strikes for New York’s Birds
June 26, 2023 — Go behind the scenes with the dedicated New Yorkers working to stop the flood of avoidable deaths that occur in the city each migration season.
Conservation Challenges
Aerial landscape of a forest consumed by fire, a huge area of trees already burned and the sky filled with clouds of smoke.
How Do Wildfires in Canada’s Boreal Forest Affect Birds Across the Continent?
June 22, 2023 — Hundreds of fires continue to blaze in what officials say could become Canada’s worst fire season in recorded history.
Birds and Climate
Inside the Race to Save a Single Condor Egg After Avian Flu Killed Its Mother
June 09, 2023 — How a long-shot rescue turned into an all-hands-on-deck mission to hatch a California Condor in captivity.
An owl flies down to land on a sign that reads "state land wildlife management area"
Conservation Groups Aim to Cushion Birds From a Solar Power Boom
June 01, 2023 — Recognizing the desperate need for more clean energy, avian advocates are working to steer solar projects away from key habitats.
Birds and Clean Energy
A condor stands on an orange-colored cliffside with outstretched wings affixed with numbered tags.
After a Wave of Bird Flu, More Than 20 California Condors Dead in the Southwest
May 10, 2023 — Setting the species' recovery back by at least a decade, the crisis appears to be ebbing as the weather warms, with no new detections since April.
Waterfowl on a pond seen through tall grass, the end of a gun visible in the foreground.
Two New Books By Unlikely Advocates Make the Conservation Case for Hunting
May 09, 2023 — A birder and a Brooklynite examine their opposition to hunting, give it a try, and—finding a deeper sense of stewardship—urge others to reconsider.
Books
We Might Not Have Trumpeter Swans Without George Meléndez Wright
April 14, 2023 — A conservation powerhouse and the subject of a new biography, Wright also changed how our national parks protect and manage wildlife.
Profiles
A bright red bird in a tree with vibrant green leaves and red flowers in the rain.
Could an Invasive Fungus Seal the Fate of Hawaii’s Endangered Forest Birds?
April 13, 2023 — A fungal disease is currently plaguing an endemic tree that dominates native forests in the Hawaiian Islands—the same forests that a slew of critically endangered birds rely on.