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Massive flocks of the red-billed quelea bird — a notorious African crop pest — have decimated grain harvests across farms in western Zimbabwe in recent weeks, causing fears of a local food shortage in the near future, the online newspaper New Zimbabwe reported Monday. “Farmers in Umguza and Bubi farming areas in Matebeleland North province are struggling to contain a massive outbreak of quelea birds which are feasting on their crops, mainly small grains,” the publication reported on May 16. “As a result of the invasion, the farmers, say they are now spending most of their time clanging metal objects...

WATCH: Bird poops on Joe Biden during speech.

Climate change is causing some species of birds to lay their eggs a month earlier than normal. A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology reports that roughly a third of all bird species around the Chicago area are nesting an average of 25 days earlier than usual.

An outbreak of the deadly strain of bird flu is quickly spreading across the U.S. The risk to humans is low, but bird flu could wreak havoc in the nation’s poultry industry ahead of Easter. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in five new states.◾A non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Berkshire County, Massachusetts;◾A non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Johnson County, Wyoming;◾A commercial poultry flock in Johnston County, North Carolina;◾A non-commercial, backyard chicken flock (non-poultry) in Franklin County, Ohio;◾And a...

When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies for a pilot study, we didn't expect to discover an entirely new social behavior rarely seen in birds. Our goal was to learn more about the movement and social dynamics of these highly intelligent birds, and to test these new, durable and reusable devices. Instead, the birds outsmarted us. As our new research paper explains, the magpies began showing evidence of cooperative "rescue" behavior to help each other remove the tracker. While we're familiar with magpies being intelligent and social creatures, this was the first instance we knew of...

"I heard a bang and then a load of birds landed on my car"A woman was left spooked after she encountered dozens of dead birds lying on a road as she was driving home. Michaela Pritchard said the scene looked like a 'massacre' as she travelled on the road between Waterston and Hazelbeach in Pembrokeshire on Thursday evening (10 February). And she wasn't the only person to notice, with one man adding that he heard a loud bang before seven or eight birds rained down on his car in nearby Waterston. But there was apparently little explanation for what caused...

The SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center rescued a Common Murre with a disposable mask wrapped around and deeply embedded in its wing, on Monday. The bird was found near Lover’s Point Beach in Pacific Grove one local, Kevin Abedini who was on a late morning jog. "I thought it was getting a sunbathe but I noticed that the waves were hitting it into the rocks so I realized it was injured. I thought maybe the tail was broken or maybe the wing was broken but it couldn't walk," Abedini said. Wildlife technicians removed the mask but the...

Crows are considered to be some of the most intelligent birds around and some will be trained to pick up litter in exchange for food, potentially saving the Nordic country millions in street-cleaning efforts.videoA start-up in Sweden has begun recruiting crows in a pilot project to assist in cleaning up the streets of the city of Södertälje in Greater Stockholm.Crows are among the most intelligent animals in Sweden and can learn to pick things up in exchange for food, something that the local company Corvid Cleaning aims to benefit from. In particular, the birds will be taught to pick up...

Trailing-edge noise is the dominant source of sound from aeronautical and turbine engines like those in airplanes, drones, and wind turbines. Suppressing this noise pollution is a major environmental goal for some urban areas. In Physics of Fluids, researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong University used the characteristics of owl wings to inform airfoil design and significantly reduce the trailing-edge noise. "Nocturnal owls produce about 18 decibels less noise than other birds at similar flight speeds due to their unique wing configuration," said author Xiaomin Liu. "Moreover, when the owl catches prey, the shape of the wings is also constantly changing, so...

From a flamboyance of flamingos to a crested cockatoo, a photographer showcases some of the world's most brilliant birds in a dazzling new book. London-based photographer Tim Flack, an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, travels the world photographing animals and has turned his attention to our feathered friends for his latest title, Birds, published by Abrams Books. Flack said: 'When I began this project, my intention was to explore the beauty and wonderment of birds by depicting them in a series of portraits, abstract and in flight. 'For many of us, the global pandemic has heightened our awareness...

The danger of Israel’s bird flu outbreak jumping to humans is real and “very concerning,” according to a top epidemiologist. Prof. Amnon Lahad, chairman of Israel’s National Council for Community Health, told The Times of Israel that he is tracking the avian outbreak, which has killed thousands of wild birds. “The widespread nature of the avian flu is very concerning, especially given that it is infecting chickens and not just wild birds. It’s made the move from wildlife to stock animals, and I’m hoping it won’t make the next step to humans,” he said Wednesday. Most bird flu strains don’t...

Time for sex ed with the House speaker. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted the Supreme Court’s conservative justices Thursday after they indicated they would restore a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — with Pelosi saying, “they need a session on the birds and the bees.” During her regular news conference, Pelosi described listening to Wednesday’s oral arguments before the high court and said it was “a very dark day.” “The court is threatening to trample over the Constitution, destroy Roe v. Wade, and take away a woman’s freedom to make the most fundamental decision that she can...

Hundreds of birds migrating through New York City this week died after crashing into the city’s glass towers, a mass casualty event spotlighted by a New York City Audubon volunteer’s tweets showing the World Trade Center littered with bird carcasses. This week’s avian death toll was particularly high, but bird strikes on Manhattan skyscrapers are a persistent problem that NYC Audubon has documented for years, said Kaitlyn Parkins, the group’s associate director of conservation and science. Stormy weather Monday night into Tuesday contributed to the deaths, she said. “We had a big storm and sort of weird weather and lots...

VIDEOOn September 5, 2021 a black swan appeared in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and attracted a lot of attention as you can see. Does this very rare appearance of a black swan in the very center of China portend a Black Swan event? By strange coincidence, on the very same day the black swan appeared in Tiananmen Square, a fascinating documentary about Black Swan Events, "The Worst Kind of Surprise: Black Swan Theory," was uploaded to YouTube. You can see a few excerpts of it in this video but I highly recommend you watch the entire documentary in the link below.The...

France’s top administrative court on Friday banned more traditional techniques for hunting birds following the banning of glue hunting in June, in a ruling welcomed by environmental pressure groups but denounced by hunters. The techniques banned in the new ruling by the State Council included practices popular in the southwest of France and the Ardennes region of the east of the country, such as hunting with nets or bird cages. Its ruling revoked exemptions granted by the government to allow the hunting of birds such as lapwings, golden plovers, skylarks, thrushes and blackbirds after a 2009 EU directive that banned...

"The barred owl's presence in Central Park brought so much joy, reminding all of us that the Park is a vital greenspace for all New Yorkers, including the wildlife that call it home," Barry spent the last 10 months being a focal point for New York City's birdwatchers. Countless photos and videos of Barry have been posted to social media, gaining admiration from both locals and those who live outside the city. Owls are typically nocturnal — but even during the day, many were able to capture Barry splashing in the water and appearing to pose for photos. Barry was...

Vulture hitches a ride on a selfie stick as paragliders soar high above the mountains. Along with several other entertaining videos.

Got a bird feeder? Take it down.That’s the advice of the Audubon Society, the PA Game Commission, the Wildlife Futures Program (WFP) at The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education (SCEE). And if you think their recommendations are for the birds, you’re right.A mysterious illness has been ravaging songbird populations in the eastern United States. Thousands of afflicted birds have been manifesting crusty discharge from swollen eyes and signs of neurologic impairment (erratic flight, trouble walking, tremors). Rehabbers are helpless; the prognosis is death.First observed in the DC area in May and...

BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WPRI) ─ An unexpected visitor at a Massachusetts wildlife hospital Wednesday gave the phrase “through sickness and health” a whole new meaning. The story begins with a Canada goose named Arnold. Arnold and his mate, according to Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, have lived on a pond near the facility for several years. But on Tuesday, staff members noticed Arnold began walking with a limp and kept falling over. After catching him and bringing him inside, the wildlife hospital discovered Arnold had two open fractures on his foot. “Our best guess is that a snapping turtle or other...

HARRISBURG, PA - Wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Futures Program (WFP) at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) and officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission are investigating more than 70 general public reports of songbirds that are sick or dying due to an emerging health condition that is presently unknown. As of July 1, 2021, reports from the public chronicle both adult and young birds exhibiting signs of the condition. The most common clinical symptoms include discharge and/or crusting around the eyes, eye lesions, and/or neurologic signs such as falling over or head tremors. Affected...