The strain of H5N1 bird flu identified in Canada, the United States and Europe can cause severe disease and high mortality in domestic poultry.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Avian influenza virus — or bird flu — can infect domestic poultry such as chickens and turkeys, as well as wild birds. The H5N1 strain has been identified in Canada.
Bird flu is highly contagious in domestic flocks, and a major outbreak is underway in the US. A veterinary scientist explains what consumers need to know.
Imagine flying for five days straight, arriving at your destination emaciated and exhausted, only to find your habitat has disappeared. Such is the plight of the Latham’s Snipe.
Geese honk loudly and point their bills toward the sky when they’re ready to start the migration. Here’s how they know it’s time, how they navigate and how they conserve energy on the grueling trip.
Collecting data on invasive plants, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California.
Connar L'Ecuyer/NPS
The COVID-19 pandemic is interrupting scientific field work across North America, leaving blank spots in important data sets and making it harder to track ecological change.
Is it that same busy squirrel you’re watching every day?
Julian Avery
Even in the breeding grounds, we found that European bee-eaters preferred the company of some birds over others. These tended to be the individuals they migrated with.
Bank swallows, like this juvenile, may become endangered unless habitat loss and other threats are reduced.
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Much of the money for wildlife conservation in the United States comes from taxes and fees paid by sportsmen. But as fewer Americans take up hunting, wildlife managers need other funding sources.
Expansion of the blacklegged and other tick populations across Canada over the last few years mean an increased risk of diseases like Lyme disease. It is wise to do a full body tick check on ourselves and our pets when we come in from the outdoors.
(Shutterstock)
The Trump administration is narrowing protection for migratory birds to cover only deliberate harm such as hunting, but not threats like development or pollution that kill millions of birds yearly.
Carefully tracking the migration habits of birds like the Barn Swallow can help to conserve these species.
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If Europe is going to reap the benefits of conservation measures at home, its experts need an understanding of where “their” birds migrate to when they head off to Africa.
Senior Research Fellow, Federation University and Better Data for Better Decisions Constellation Leader, Food Agility CRC, Federation University Australia