With humans on lockdown, there have been some victories for nature and animals. For instance, pollution has decreased and animals are living life more freely. Animals have been seen roaming and exploring without the interference of too many humans. However, even with lockdowns and businesses closed down and people staying home, there are still humans

Blue Jay. Photo: Matthew Heckerling/Audubon Photography Awards With states issuing stay-at-home orders and closing public parks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, birders aren’t flocking to spring migration season hotspots like they would in any normal year. But social distancing hasn’t stopped people from birding. During this time of stress and worry, backyard birding has brought many a sense of

What Braden Peevy wanted more than anything for his 13th birthday was a puppy. For weeks, he and his sister tried to convince their dad that they needed another dog — but he wouldn’t budge. “The kids wanted something they could do every day. That was their pitch to me: ‘It’s a great time to

female and male green-rumped parrotlets in Venezuela By kulyka/flickr We lovingly name each other with a personal moniker. But what about animals and other living things? We know too well that birthed and hatched creatures are well-attended to by their parents. Do the parents apply names to their young in specific ways just like we

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided photographers all over the country with the opportunity to view nature through a new lens—one aimed intensively at their own homes. We asked three professional photographers to document the birdlife around them during their stay-at-home orders. Beginning today and over the next few weeks, we will publish their images, as well as a personal

Turkey Vulture. Photo: John Comisky/Audubon Photography Awards The ability of flight sets birds apart from many other creatures. While insects, bats, and even some gliding squirrels and fish can take flight into the air, none of them can match the speed, agility, and strength of birds. Some birds can fly as fast as 55-65 mph, which is

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: Morris Finkelstein/Audubon Photography Awards This activity invites children to use their creative imaginations to celebrate raptors—a.k.a., birds of prey—with poetry. All you need are pencils, paper, and your words. Raptors are a fascinating group of birds for many reasons. They are symbols of strength, power, wisdom, and even ferocity. They are also beautiful

Baltimore Oriole. Photo: Lorraine Minns/Audubon Photography Awards NEW YORK — This week, Fast Company announced National Audubon Society and Domino Data Lab as finalists in their 2020 ‘World Changing Ideas Awards,’ which elevate products and concepts that make the world better. Audubon’s Survival By Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink climate change report and

The World Health Organization (WHO) has pushed back on international calls to ban “wet markets,” in China, the assumed source of the corona virus pandemic. A spokesperson for the WHO said of the wet markets, “WHO also recognizes that food markets are key for people’s food security — they are the main source of affordable vegetables

Ferrets will be used in U.S-funded research by U.K scientists on the novel coronavirus, documents reveal. According the U.S. government’s contract website, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded a contract to Public Health England (PHE), a government agency in the U.K., to investigate COVID-19 on March 2, 2020. Stock image of a ferret. The

This is Tormund — a friendly (yet assertive) orange cat who isn’t afraid to go after what he wants, no matter the hour he wants it. And he’s not about to take “zzz” for an answer. Aaron Brown A few months ago, Aaron Brown adopted Tormund from a local rescue group. While having a cat around for

When Wolfgang entered the shelter as a stray, the obese beagle tipped the scales at 90 pounds — three times his healthy body weight. The shelter got in touch with his owner, who surrendered him over the phone. But Wolfgang never lets his dark past get him down. His personality is always shining through — something

Photos/Illustration clockwise from top left: Devin Grady/Audubon Photography Awards; Bridget Bennett; Alex Tomlinson; Mary Lundeberg/Audubon Photography Awards; Luke Franke/Audubon; Camilla Cerea/Audubon It’s been a rough month and a half for people who love birds and exploring the outdoors, and at times it felt like we were going to miss spring migration altogether. But as everyone

Ruby-throated Hummingbird with a Jewelweed. Photo: Will Stuart March winds and April showers do not always guarantee May flowers—especially when warming temperatures pose challenges to wildlife and people everywhere. Though urban, suburban, and rural landscapes across the country differ in ecological makeups, planting native grasses, trees, and shrubs in these communities is a comprehensive solution

Camera traps in eastern Thailand’s Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai (DPKY) forest complex have yielded photos of tiger cubs, providing long-awaited evidence that the big cat is breeding in this part of Southeast Asia. Conservationists conducted the camera-trap survey in the Thap Lan-Pang Sida Tiger Conservation Landscape (TCL) of DPKY, where recent reports suggest a small, but

Webinar: Ask The Vet: Q&A with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian) Date: Friday, May 1, 2020 Time: 12 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest

Conservation groups are calling on the U.S. Forest Service (FS) to take urgent action in order to protect a vulnerable population of wolves living on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest after it emerged that 97 percent of the known population, given the most recent estimate, was legally killed during the 2019-2020

For a German shepherd named Butta and a kitten named Bella, playtime never stops. The two siblings love to wrestle and tease each other as much as their mom will allow. “They’re just joyful, energetic and playful,” Gabrielle, Butta and Bella’s mom who asked that her last name not be included, told The Dodo. “They

BERLIN — The polar bear would be the last to go.So says a zoo in northern Germany, which drew up a startling contingency plan if the financial strain caused by the government-ordered shutdown because of the coronavirus outbreak did not ease up soon: Slaughter some zoo animals and feed them to others. The director of

Things are oddly calm these days in Cape Town, South Africa, as residents remain indoors and off the road in light of the lockdown. The city streets are quiet, yes — but they’re not exactly empty. Mikaela Slier Mikaela Slier works as a ranger in the suburb of Simon’s Town, assigned to protect a colony

Photo: Orjan Ellingvag/Alamy It would have been a controversial move under any circumstances, but an announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week looked especially problematic given the context: During an outbreak of a disease that attacks people’s ability to breathe and has killed more than 45,000 Americans, the agency finalized a rule that

Art from Nature Obscura: A City’s Hidden Natural World, by Kelly Brenner. Illustration: Zoe Keller We’re in need of distraction. In this time of isolation and self-quarantine, movie theaters, museums, bars, and restaurants are closed, and we’re binged-out on TV shows. We can’t do what we’d normally be doing in our spare time—wandering around outside unfettered, searching

JUNEAU, Alaska― Conservation groups today called on the U.S. Forest Service to take immediate steps to protect Alexander Archipelago wolves on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest following word that 97 percent of the most recent estimated population was killed this past trapping season. In their letter the groups also urged the