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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.
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.
A camouflaged whip-poor-will sits on the ground among brown and green leaves.
As the Whip-poor-will’s Chant Wanes, Our Cultural Loss Grows
May 06, 2024 — The iconic call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will has long been part of the fabric of American life, marking annual spring rituals and inspiring odes in popular music. What happens when we lose our connection with its meaning?
Essays
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.
A brown bird perched in green leaves, looking up.
How Extreme Weather Tests Facilities Housing the Last of a Species
March 29, 2024 — Natural disasters fueled by climate change imperil critically endangered species under human care. Breeding centers must be more ready than ever to swing into action in an emergency.
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?
A bright green kakapo emerges from a bag on the ground held open by a person's hands.
On Mainland New Zealand, Crafty Kākāpō Are Thwarting Reintroduction Efforts
March 13, 2024 — Ten of the critically endangered parrots were released into a sanctuary in 2023 with hopes of eventually establishing a wild population. The only problem? The birds keep escaping.
Nine white geese on open water
Hope in the (Decreasing) Dark
March 11, 2024 — From America’s Arctic to the Tongass National Forest, we have big plans for the coming year. Alaska’s diverse ecosystems, cultures, and politics require unique and creative solutions for both nature and people—and that’s what we’ll continue to bring to the table.
ALASKA
Close up portrait of a Harpy Eagle turning its head to the side.
After Years in Captivity, These Rescued Harpy Eagles Are Flourishing in the Wild
February 16, 2024 — The successful rehabilitation of the majestic raptors is the first in Bolivia, and a ray of hope for a species that has lost vast stretches of its historical habitat.
A group of male and female Wild Turkeys foraging close together.
Native Americans Domesticated Turkeys Long Before the Pilgrims Arrived
November 15, 2023 — Indigenous societies in the Americas valued the birds so highly that they tamed them at least twice, including in the U.S. Southwest. Turkey feathers still have abundant uses to tribes there today.
Birds and History