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Conservation News

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.
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.