Twelve new locations have been added to the New York State Birding Trail. These new locations bring the total number of birding trail locations across the state to 344 and provide a wide variety of quality birding experiences for everyone, regardless of age, ability, identity, or background. [Read more…] about 12 New Locations to New York State Birding Trail
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Wildlife Gone Wild: Animal Intoxication
Humans take pride in their unique, perhaps exalted, place among creatures. We’re the only animal that can point to triumphs like space travel, nerve gas, for-profit prisons, and plastic-filled oceans. Until recent times, we also thought we stood alone in our taste for addling our brains with drugs. Alas, we can no longer claim that distinction: Dolphins, dogs, wallabies, waxwings, and loads of other species like to get loaded. [Read more…] about Wildlife Gone Wild: Animal Intoxication
Very Active Fall Bird Migration Forecast for Friday
Have you seen any waves of migrating birds lately? The blazing yellow that stretches through the map shown here shows us that heavy nighttime bird migration is expected through the Eastern U.S. after sunset Thursday evening, September 14. [Read more…] about Very Active Fall Bird Migration Forecast for Friday
Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Located in Allegany County, Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area is a designated Bird Conservation Area (BCA) in the aptly named town of Birdsall.
The 708-acre parcel, located about 13 miles northeast of the village of Angelica and six miles southwest of the Village of Canaseraga, includes nearly 530 acres of shrub swamp, emergent marsh, and open water wetlands and approximately 150 acres of brush and grassland. The area is primarily made up of wetland habitat and is home to a variety of waterfowl and song birds. [Read more…] about Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Cliffs Host Varied Flora and Fauna
On a recent hike up Eagle Mountain in Milton, Vermont, we climbed to a ledge overlooking Lake Champlain. Turkey vultures soared overhead, tilting back and forth on the breeze. A sheer cliff dropped to the forest below us, a lush variety of plants clinging to its face. Cliffs are defined as areas of exposed bedrock with a slope greater than 60 degrees. We tend to think of cliffs as solely geological features. But they also host distinct natural communities of plants and animals. [Read more…] about Cliffs Host Varied Flora and Fauna
City-Dwelling Wildlife Demonstrate Urban Trait Syndrome
City life favors species that are adaptable and not too fussy about what they eat, among other characteristics. A worldwide consortium of scientists calls the resulting collection of traits an “Urban Trait Syndrome.” Their study includes data from 379 cities on 6 continents, with the largest data set coming from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program. The work is published in Nature Communications. [Read more…] about City-Dwelling Wildlife Demonstrate Urban Trait Syndrome
Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox
In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors began serving to protect the natural resources of New York State. In 2022, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to more than 25,600 calls. What follows are recently reported incidents involving wildlife rescues: [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox
Study: As City Heat Rises, Bird Diversity Declines
Humans aren’t the only ones leaving town when city heat becomes unbearable. A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. These findings from scientists at Zhejiang University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. [Read more…] about Study: As City Heat Rises, Bird Diversity Declines
American Woodcock: A Healthy Wetland Indicator Species
The American Woodcock — also known as the timberdoodle — is a bird of shrubby and wooded wetlands and uplands that belongs to the genus Scolopax. Woodcocks are unique birds known for their remarkable courtship displays, specialized feeding habits, and reliance on healthy wetland ecosystems. Their presence in wetland habitats serves as an indicator of environmental health and biodiversity. [Read more…] about American Woodcock: A Healthy Wetland Indicator Species
A Wing and a Prayer: Saving Our Vanishing Birds
After hearing the news in 2019 that nearly 3 billion birds have been lost in the United States and Canada during the past 50 years, Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled more than 25,000 miles across the Americas, chronicling the efforts of conservationists, scientists, and politicians to save bird species from extinction. [Read more…] about A Wing and a Prayer: Saving Our Vanishing Birds