History, Natural History & the Arts
New research on the glittering White-necked Jacobin hummingbird reveals nearly 20% of the species’ adult females have male-like plumage.
This strategy is all about dodging bullies and getting better access to food. The findings were published recently in the journal Current Biology. [Read more…] about Some Female Hummingbirds Look Like Males to Evade Harassment
Worldwide, the cost of bird collisions with planes has been estimated at $1.2 billion per year. But information on bird movements throughout the year can help avoid damage to aircraft and risk to passengers.
Scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners have been looking for patterns in bird strike data from three New York City area airports. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. [Read more…] about Bird Collisions With Planes: A New Study Looks At Patterns
Need fun ways to explore nature this summer? New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has you covered. Get started by checking out Conservationist for Kids 50 outdoor activities for all ages and levels that are perfect for the whole family. [Read more…] about Summer Nature Exploration Activities for Kids
Contrary to conventional thought, songbirds can taste sugar — even though songbirds are the descendants of meat-eating dinosaurs and are missing a key protein that allows humans and many other animals to taste sweetness.
An international team investigated how many bird species can taste sweet and how far back that ability evolved. Their work was published in the journal Science. [Read more…] about Study Shows Songbirds Share Our Taste for Sweets
The waterways of New York State that are a favorite for outdoor enthusiasts during the summer are also highly attractive to many forms of wildlife. While many creatures are often difficult to spot, others are regularly noticed by kayakers, canoeists, power boaters, and individuals simply sitting on a porch overlooking a busy lake, a quiet pond, or a back country river. Among those forms of animal life routinely seen, especially after the July Fourth weekend, are the mergansers, which thrive in most of the larger aquatic settings in New York. [Read more…] about Waterfowl: The Common Merganser
The free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology uses AI technology to identify bird species by their sounds, displaying in real time a list and photos of the birds that are singing or calling. [Read more…] about ID Bird Sounds in Real Time with Free Merlin App
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation is one of six grant recipients in a natural resource damages settlement from the tank barge Bouchard B-120 oil spill that occurred in Buzzard’s Bay, MA, in April, 2003. More than 500 Common Loons wintering in Buzzard’s Bay were killed by the spill of No 6 Fuel Oil. [Read more…] about Loon Center Awarded Oil Spill Settlement Money
Having a hummingbird feeder near your home and being able to regularly monitor the activity around this colorful structure can provide some insight into the summer life of this tiny, iridescent bird.
When the hummingbird returns in the spring, this petite creature tends to seek out the same general region that served as its home the previous summer. Older adults are known to claim the same surroundings which they used the past year as their breeding territory. [Read more…] about Feeding Hummingbirds
Over the past several centuries, there have been numerous additions to New York State’s flora and fauna. Invasive Species Awareness Week highlights some of the many forms of life that have invaded the region and are currently wreaking havoc with the established members of the region’s plant and animal communities.
However, not all organisms from outside the area adversely impact the environment like Eurasian milfoil or the zebra mussel. One of the largest transplants to New York’s North Country is the turkey vulture, a bird that occupies a niche for which few other creatures are so well suited. [Read more…] about The Turkey Vulture: A Welcome Invasive Species?
Building lights are a deadly lure for the billions of birds that migrate at night, disrupting their natural navigation cues and leading to deadly collisions. But even if you can’t turn out all the lights in a building, darkening even some windows at night during bird migration periods could be a major lifesaver for birds. [Read more…] about Study: Darkened Windows Save Migrating Birds