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Conservation News

Several people and a dog on the shore of a lake with bright green water.
States Are Eyeing Bird-Friendly Wetlands to Help Rid the Great Lakes of Toxic Algae 
June 17, 2024 — A decade after Toledo’s water crisis, harmful blooms remain a stubborn reality. Swamps and marshes alone can’t fix the problem, but they have an important role to play, experts say.
A Eurasian Eagle-Owl sits on a tree branch looking off to his right, with a squirrel on the branch behind him.
City Life is Hard for Raptors. Can Removing Rat Poison Make it Easier?
June 06, 2024 — Birds of prey have long been casualties in the war on rodents. In the wake of celebrity bird deaths like Flaco the Owl's, advocates are pushing for us to be better neighbors.
A flock of Tricolored Blackbirds alight in a field of tall plants.
Tricolored Blackbirds Once Faced Extinction—Here's What's Behind Their Exciting Comeback
May 30, 2024 — For a decade ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ California and partners have worked with farmers to delay harvests where the birds nest, solving what was once the biggest threat to the species.
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.
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?