After invasive rodents were cleared from Surprise Island in 2005, three monitored seabird populations grew two to tenfold in the years that followedFollowing the eradication of invasive rats in 2005, Surprise Island in New Caledonia witnessed remarkable growth in its seabird populations...
In 1881, Paul Kroegel's family began homesteading along Florida’s Indian River; 22 years later, he became its bird refuge's warden for $1 a monthIn the 1880s, Paul Kroegel settled in the Sebastian area, observing brown pelicans nesting on a nearby island. His concern for these birds ...
Monkeys and apes may be hiding complex grammar in their calls, challenging what makes human language uniqueRecent investigations reveal that primates, such as marmosets, colobus monkeys, and bonobos, possess intricate call patterns. By studying t...
New Zealand’s endangered bird Kākāpō population jumps to 325 after 90 chicks join count, but a new problem emergesThe population of New Zealand's endangered kākāpō has dramatically increased from 51 to 325 birds, thanks to a fruitful breeding season tha...
In 2018, South Carolina pumped 40,000 cubic yards of river sand onto an eroding bird island; enough to fill about 4,000 dump trucks and restore lost nesting groundThe restoration of Bird Key Stono, a vital nesting habitat for endangered bird species, involved utilizing dredged sand from Folly River. T...
In 2014, Texas dumped 126,000 cubic yards of mud dug from a ship channel onto a shrinking island; the unusual move rebuilt about 5 acres for nesting birdsSundown Island in Texas has encountered harsh shoreline erosion that has greatly impacted local bird populations. To counter this, a recent...
In 2016, Wisconsin used 385,000 cubic yards of harbor mud to rebuild vanished Cat Island; more than 30 bird species returned, and 3 piping plover chicks fledgedPiping plovers are thriving on Cat Island in Green Bay thanks to a successful conservation initiative. Engineers repurposed dredged materia...
In 2014, New Jersey reused 7,000 cubic yards of dredged sand at Ring Island; the new nesting ground was later used by 4 threatened or at-risk shorebird speciesNew Jersey has implemented an innovative project to support nesting birds facing habitat loss due to rising sea levels. Sand dredged from w...
In 2015, New Jersey pumped 30,000 cubic yards of dredged mud into a breach splitting Mordecai Island; the project rejoined the island and rebuilt nesting habitatMordecai Island in New Jersey has faced significant erosion, losing half of its land over the past century. To combat this, engineers intro...
In 2018, NASA satellite images of penguin guano sent researchers to Antarctica's Danger Islands, where they found more than 1.5 million Adélie penguinsIn December 2015, scientists found a massive colony of over 1.5 million Adélie penguins on the Danger Islands. This discovery was made poss...
In 1987, conservationists brought 2 male owls to Norfolk Island for its last surviving female; their descendants later rebuilt the population, but inbreeding still limits recoveryNorfolk Island owls were saved from extinction by a bold conservation effort in 1987. Two male owls were introduced to breed with the last ...
A double take in Cape Cod: Rare two-headed turtle found after 5 yearsA rare two-headed diamondback terrapin hatchling was found in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This unusual developmental anomaly, known as bicepha...
For the first time, Europe’s wild honeybees are listed as endangered; researchers warn some populations could fall by a median 56% within 10 years without new swarms from managed hivesWild European honeybee colonies, once thought to be extinct, are now classified as endangered. These bees, living freely without managed hi...
Australia used artificial tree hollows to replace vital wildlife homes lost to bushfires; new 3D-printed and drilled habitats could give threatened species a place to shelterInnovative researchers are harnessing the power of 3D printing to construct homes for endangered Australian wildlife. By replicating the na...
Savannah turned 160,000 cubic yards of mud removed from its harbor into an 8-acre island; birds built more than 300 nests there in the first seasonNestled in Georgia, a harbor island crafted from dredged mud has become a refuge for over 300 bird families. This artificial sanctuary serv...
In 2002, crews removed rats from California’s Anacapa Island; 10 years later, rare seabirds were returning and the island’s ecosystem was recoveringAnacapa Island shows significant seabird recovery ten years after rat removal. Ashy storm-petrels now nest there, and Cassin's auklets have...
In 1992, scientists sent 230 hornets into space to see if they could build a nest without gravity; after 8 days, they returned without building oneDuring a 1992 space mission, the Endeavour shuttle became home to 230 hornets, prompting scientists to investigate how these insects build ...