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Conservation News

A dark brown bird with a long bill in water with its wings outstretched.
Plastic Pollution Is So Pervasive That It’s Causing a New Disease in Seabirds
April 06, 2023 — Researchers coined the term “plasticosis” to describe stomach damage related to ingesting trash.
A container holding many rows of little cups of dirt and seeds.
The Nation’s Native Seed Shortage Is a Big Roadblock to Ecological Restoration
March 06, 2023 — When a wildfire burns through a landscape, land managers want to replant with the local species that create healthy habitats. But often they can’t—and climate change is exacerbating the problem
Native Plants
Two people stand in a rocky and grassy landscape surrounded by cliffs and ocean under a dark cloudy sky.
The Bird Man of the Faroe Islands Who Helps Unravel a Seabird’s Secrets
March 06, 2023 — On a remote island, a self-trained naturalist collaborates with scientists to track and protect a species that does its best not to be seen.
Profiles
A man wearing camouflage pants and holding a camera and large backpack stands in a field and looks through binoculars.
Birding In a War Zone: How Ukraine’s Top eBirder Pursues His Passion Amid Tragedy
February 21, 2023 — A writer’s budding friendship with Oleksandr Nastachenko offers a window into the besieged country’s small but resourceful community of birders and what they have lost since the Russian invasion.
Profiles
View of mountains at night with sprawling lights in the distance, the stars becoming less visible where the lights begin.
Night Skies Are Even Brighter Than We Thought — and Getting Brighter
February 17, 2023 — A new study using community data shows how light pollution is drowning out the stars. Scientists are still learning the consequences for birds and other animals, including humans.
What's At Stake as Nations Gather To Stave off the Global Biodiversity Crisis
December 07, 2022 — The decade's most important negotiations to protect nature and wildlife kick off this week in Canada. Ambitious goals are on the table, but success is not guaranteed.
‘Like Finding a Unicorn’: Researchers Rediscover the Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a Bird Lost to Science for 140 Years
November 17, 2022 — A successful expedition in Papua New Guinea captured photos and video of the chicken-size pigeon, highlighting the value of local ecological knowledge as scientists seek out other long-missing species.
Bird News
An aerial view of green wetlands surrounded by dry brown land and a body of water in the distance.
Surprise Bird-Rich Wetlands Emerge on Dry Lakebed of Shrinking Salton Sea
November 07, 2022 — Conservationists are studying how to expand marshes that formed near exposed drains as drought threatens the lake's very existence.
One Lesson From Sandy: Hurricanes Aren’t All Bad for Birds
October 28, 2022 — Ten years after the storm devastated the East Coast, science shows its effects on avian habitat were a surprisingly mixed bag.
A bat drinks from a hummingbird feeder at night with its long tongue, two more bats flying up behind it.
How Hummingbird Fans Are Helping to Protect a Border-Crossing Bat
October 28, 2022 — By observing nighttime visitors to their feeders, community scientists in Arizona have been central to the recovery of lesser long-nosed bats.