Bird | Jotup

First Peoples’ land overlaps with 130 imperilled bird species – and their knowledge may be vital to saving them

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Our new research explored this opportunity by examining where Australia’s imperilled birds overlap with the Country of First Peoples.

Key Points:

Our new research explored this opportunity by examining where Australia’s imperilled birds overlap with the Country of First Peoples.
The includes but is not confined to Indigenous Protected Areas, native title land and areas controlled by Indigenous land councils.
Our analysis found 64% of these, or about 130 species, occur on lands and waters to which First Peoples’ groups have a legal determination.

‘Threatened species’ is a Western concept

In the decades since Australia’s threatened species legislation was passed in 1992, First Peoples have become key partners in conservation.
For millennia, birds have been integral to the cultural practice and livelihoods of Australia’s First Peoples.
The concept of “threatened species” is founded in Western science and is not necessarily a term First Peoples use.

What we found

Under Australian law, First Peoples lack legal title to much of their ancestral lands.
Regardless, connections to Country – and species that live there – remain.
For example, the entire population of Australia’s rarest bird, the mukarrthippi grasswren, lives on Ngiyampaa Country in central NSW.
And the entire range of three threatened species is on the Country of Tiwi Islander First Peoples.

How First Peoples can become more involved

But it may help First Peoples know which threatened bird species occur on their Country.
For example, First Peoples may seek expansion of Indigenous Protected Areas where the species occur.
The monitoring of imperilled birds is another activity where First Peoples already contribute strongly but could be more involved.

Compensation for centuries of damage

For example, Indigenous Protected Areas make up almost half of Australia’s conservation areas, yet receive just a fraction of funding for the federal conservation estate.
Australia’s First Peoples were begrudgingly granted land rights after two centuries of having their ownership denied.
They also have a right to compensation for the damage done.

Amanda Lilleyman is affiliated with BirdLife Australia. She works for and consults to Aboriginal ranger groups and Charles Darwin University. Jack Pascoe is affiliated with Back to Country and is Co-Chief Councilor of the Biodiversity Council. Stephen Garnett works for Charles Darwin University. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with BirdLife Australia.

The world’s spectacular animal migrations are dwindling. Fishing, fences and development are fast-tracking extinctions

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 12, 2024

This fate is all too common for migratory species.

Key Points:

This fate is all too common for migratory species.
Today, we get a global glimpse of how migratory species are faring, in the first-ever stocktake produced by the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.
After all, the migratory humpback whale was headed for rapid extinction – until we stopped whaling.

Why are migratory species at higher risk?

Some bar-tailed godwits fly 13,000 km without stopping – one of the longest known continuous migrations.
On land, roads and fences carve up migratory routes for animals like wildebeest.
While a few species are benefiting greatly from farming and artificial wetlands, many more are being severely harmed.

Overexploitation is the top risk

Animals often migrate in large groups, making them an appealing target for hunting or fishing.
Bycatch in commercial fisheries is a huge problem for sharks, turtles, mammals and birds, but it can be massively reduced with existing technology, if deployed across all fleets Overexploitation can be stopped.
In 1981, Australia and Japan agreed to stop hunting Latham’s Snipe, a migratory shorebird that travels between the two countries.

On fences and stepping stones

Light pollution can mess with navigation, climate change plays havoc with the timing of migration, and underwater noise pollution can confuse marine migrants.
Even simple actions like building fences, roads and dams can disrupt migrations over land and through rivers.
Many migratory species need stepping stones: resting sites linking up their whole migratory route.

What the report didn’t cover

First, it only covers species listed under the UN convention, a tiny fraction of all migratory species.
Listing unlocks stronger protections and urgently needs to be rolled out to more species.
For instance, around 60 migratory fish species are covered – but more than 1,700 others are not.

Can we save these species?

More than 90% of the world’s migratory birds aren’t adequately protected by national parks and other protected areas.
Only 8% of the world’s protected land is joined up, preventing migrating animals from moving safely across their routes.
Because of this, animals have to make daring sorties across unprotected land or sea to complete their journeys.

Richard Fuller receives funding for migratory species research from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program.
Lily Bentley works on the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO; mico.eco) system, which has been previously supported by the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) and UNEP-WCMC, the authors of the UN report.

Migrating animals face collapsing numbers – major new UN report

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 12, 2024

The first ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report, released today by the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, showed that the conservation status of many migratory species is getting worse.

Key Points:

The first ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report, released today by the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, showed that the conservation status of many migratory species is getting worse.
The convention maintains a list of migratory species that are already in need of protection.
More than one in five (or 22%) of the already threatened migratory species now face extinction.

Which species are listed?

There are 4,508 species in the world that are migratory, and the convention lists 1,189.
What must be done
My research has pointed out that migratory species undertake remarkable journeys that connect diverse habitats across the globe.
The report found that the threatened migratory species occurring in Africa, Asia and North America are experiencing the fastest declines.
Of the migratory species that the convention lists as needing some level of protection, 97% are under threat of extinction.

Migratory animals’ habitats are being destroyed

In Africa, 79% of new cropland over the past few decades has been established by destroying the natural vegetation where many migratory animals lived, the report says.
The report also points out that pollution and introducing alien invasive species into habitats of natural vegetation put pressure on these indigenous species.

Why migratory species are important

Migratory species consume tons of food daily.
For example, deep-sea creatures, particularly tiny zooplankton, migrate from deep waters to the surface at night to feed on phytoplankton.
Tiny marine animals are key to working out its climate impacts
Protecting migratory species goes beyond conserving biodiversity; it is crucial for ensuring a healthier future for our planet.

What to do about it

This includes expanding protected areas used by migratory species, taking down fences and making more effort to connect protected areas to each other.
Stronger laws, enhanced international collaboration to curb illegal activities, and reducing bycatch in fisheries are urgently required, says the report.
This report marks a significant step towards creating a conservation roadmap for migratory species.

He is a senior Statistician at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
He is also affilicated with the One Mara Research Hub (OMRH) and the Greater Serengeti-Mara Conservation Society; both devoted to securing the future of the magnificient Greater-Serengeti Mara Ecosystem.

As Valentine's Day Approaches, Four in Ten Canadians Say Money is a Major Cause of Stress in their Relationship

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 12, 2024

Valentine, News, Love, Wine, Trust, Bird, Ageing, Simplii Financial, Communication, Partnership

Four in ten Canadians (38 per cent) say that money is a major cause of stress in their relationship, a feeling that is particularly pronounced amongst young love birds aged 18 to 34 (46 per cent).

Key Points:

Four in ten Canadians (38 per cent) say that money is a major cause of stress in their relationship, a feeling that is particularly pronounced amongst young love birds aged 18 to 34 (46 per cent).
Nearly one in three (32 per cent) Canadians in this age group have broken up with a partner over money.
"While money can't buy love, personal finances can make or break a romantic relationship," said Jimmy Dinh, Managing Director, Simplii Financial.
Only half of Canadians in a relationship (50 per cent) talk money with their partner on a weekly basis.

The good news: 25 Australian birds are now at less risk of extinction. The bad news: 29 are gone and 4 more might be

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 12, 2024

Our new research answers these questions for Australian birds.

Key Points:

Our new research answers these questions for Australian birds.
One of the goals of conservation is to reduce the risk of a species becoming extinct.
Nine of these would have gone extinct if not for hard work and expertise to prevent it happening.

What were the successes?

This success also changed the average characteristics of Australian threatened birds.
Before the pest eradications on Macquarie Island, large seabirds dominated the profile of the threatened Australian birds.
The likely huge benefits from eradicating rodents from Lord Howe Island, for example, are yet to show up in these figures.
One of the largest national parks in New South Wales was acquired for the Bulloo grey grasswren (Amytornis barbatus barbatus).
Very few glossy black-cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus) on Kangaroo Island were nesting successfully before their nests were protected from predatory possums.

Read more:
We identified the 63 animals most likely to go extinct by 2041. We can't give up on them yet

There have also been setbacks

In the past decade, Gould’s petrel and the bristlebird have suffered setbacks due to new or escalating threats.
A new report suggests Tasmanian wind farms are killing and injuring significant numbers of eagles – and many more windfarms are planned.
Our analysis of improvements in the conservation outlook for Australian birds was complemented with an assessment of Australian bird extinctions.

29 birds are gone, but we can halt the losses

At present, 29 Australian birds are known to have become extinct.
After years of searching, this century-old bird mystery has yet to be solved
For the 29 extinct birds, we can do nothing.
The important lesson is that this number of losses need grow no more.
However, the examples of birds whose risk of extinction has declined show what can be achieved.

Sarah Legge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
She is a member of the Biodiversity Council; the Conservation and Science Committee for the Invasive Species Council; and the Threatened Species Committee for Birds Australia.

First Peoples’ land overlaps with 130 imperilled bird species – and this knowledge may be vital to saving them

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 12, 2024

Our new research explored this opportunity by examining where Australia’s imperilled birds overlap with the Country of First Peoples.

Key Points:

Our new research explored this opportunity by examining where Australia’s imperilled birds overlap with the Country of First Peoples.
The includes but is not confined to Indigenous Protected Areas, native title land and areas controlled by Indigenous land councils.
Our analysis found 64% of these, or about 130 species, occur on lands and waters to which First Peoples’ groups have a legal determination.

‘Threatened species’ is a Western concept

In the decades since Australia’s threatened species legislation was passed in 1992, First Peoples have become key partners in conservation.
For millennia, birds have been integral to the cultural practice and livelihoods of Australia’s First Peoples.
The concept of “threatened species” is founded in Western science and is not necessarily a term First Peoples use.

What we found

Under Australian law, First Peoples lack legal title to much of their ancestral lands.
Regardless, connections to Country – and species that live there – remain.
For example, the entire population of Australia’s rarest bird, the mukarrthippi grasswren, lives on Ngiyampaa Country in central NSW.
And the entire range of three threatened species is on the Country of Tiwi Islander First Peoples.

How First Peoples can become more involved

But it may help First Peoples know which threatened bird species occur on their Country.
For example, First Peoples may seek expansion of Indigenous Protected Areas where the species occur.
The monitoring of imperilled birds is another activity where First Peoples already contribute strongly but could be more involved.

Compensation for centuries of damage

For example, Indigenous Protected Areas make up almost half of Australia’s conservation areas, yet receive just a fraction of funding for the federal conservation estate.
Australia’s First Peoples were begrudgingly granted land rights after two centuries of having their ownership denied.
They also have a right to compensation for the damage done.

Morocco dinosaur discovery gives clues on why they went extinct

Retrieved on:

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Giant, Great Plains, Darkness, Cretaceous, Dust, Bird, Deer, Tibia, Flood, Foot, Geography, Food, Dinosaur, Elephant, Fossil, Ecosystem, Herbivore, River, Asteroid, Drowning, Science, Food chain, Chicxulub crater, Museum, Environment

And that suggests their demise came suddenly, with the impact of a giant asteroid.

Key Points:

And that suggests their demise came suddenly, with the impact of a giant asteroid.
The discovery of the 180km-wide Chixculub asteroid impact crater in Mexico suggested a sudden extinction of dinosaurs and other species, driven by the impact.
But others have argued that a long, slow decline in dinosaur diversity contributed to their extinction.
It’s not just that dinosaur fossils are so rare; the fossil record is also patchy.
Because it’s such a huge landmass, Africa probably had far more dinosaur species than North America.

What we’ve found

Dinosaurs may have swum out to islands searching for food, as deer and elephants do today, and some might have drowned.
Other dinosaurs might have been washed out to sea by floods or storms, or drowned in rivers that carried them downstream to the ocean.
And so, studying marine beds, and working over many years, we’ve slowly put together a picture of Africa’s last dinosaurs, bone by bone.
It was smaller than Chenanisaurus, about five metres long – small by dinosaur standards, but large compared to modern predators.
If so, that means dinosaurs were cut down in their prime; burning out rather than fading away.

What our findings show

For over 100 million years, they evolved and diversified, producing a remarkable range of species: predators, herbivores, aquatic species, even flying forms, the birds.
Then in a single, catastrophic moment, everything was wiped out in the months of darkness caused by dust and soot from the impact.

Nicholas R. Longrich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Compana Pet Brands Reveals New ZuPreem Brand Website Featuring State-of-the Art Nutritional Solutions for Birds, Ferrets, Exotic Felines, and Primates

Retrieved on:

Friday, February 9, 2024

Ferret, Health, Love, ZuPreem, Bird, Seed, Primate, Diet, Environment, Marketing, Online shopping

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Compana Pet Brands, global leader in pet care and nutrition, reveals a new ZuPreem® brand website, featuring state-of-the-art nutritional product solutions for pet birds, exotic felines, primates, and ferrets.

Key Points:

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Compana Pet Brands, global leader in pet care and nutrition, reveals a new ZuPreem® brand website , featuring state-of-the-art nutritional product solutions for pet birds , exotic felines, primates, and ferrets.
Concurrently with the site launch the ZuPreem brand unveils a new look and feel with an enhanced logo, expanded color palette, typography, and graphics.
"We are delighted to share the new ZuPreem website and brand with bird lovers everywhere," said Melissa Ross, Vice President of Marketing and Business Unit Lead (Small Animal, Bird, Homestead), Compana Pet Brands.
With its new energy and vibrancy, the updated ZuPreem brand is a colorful celebration of this love.

Harry Potter and the Disenchanted Wildlife: how light and sound shows can harm nocturnal animals

Retrieved on:

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Human, Mornington Peninsula, Alice Springs, Bird, Growth, Spider, History, Breeding, Smoke, Drinking, Travel, Lizard, Health, Harry, Animal, Food, Research, Reproduction, Crash, Sound, Music, Moth, Hunting

Light and sound shows in parks can enthral crowds with their colour, music and storytelling.

Key Points:

Light and sound shows in parks can enthral crowds with their colour, music and storytelling.
But unless they are well-located, the shows can also harm wildlife.
Research shows artificial light, sound and the presence of lots of people at night can harm wildlife.

A history of community opposition

While they often take place along existing walking trails, they attract huge crowds at a time when animals usually have the place to themselves.
Most of Australia’s mammals and frogs and many bird and reptile species are nocturnal, or active at night.
Light shows proposed for other wildlife conservation areas have also faced community opposition.

Light, sounds, action!

For example, it can change their hormone levels, and the numbers and health of their offspring.
Light also interferes with the ability of many species to navigate.
It masks the natural soundscape, making it harder for animals to find mates or hear the calls of their young.
It can also mask smells vital for an animal’s survival, such as that of food and predators.

Long-term harm

This cuts in half the time animals have to go about their life-sustaining activities and exposes them to greater risks when they do go out.
Light and sound shows are usually temporary – but can have major long-term impacts.
For example, males of the genus Antechinus (small marsupials) live long enough for just one short breeding season.

Find a better location

Organisers may have minimised impacts where they can, but evidence suggests the impact on wildlife will still be extensive.
Finding genuinely suitable locations should be done with care – and should avoid wildlife conservation areas altogether.

Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action.
Therésa Jones receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with NERAL (Network for Ecological Research on Artificial Light).

Love a good light and sound show? Spare a thought for the animals whose homes you’re invading

Retrieved on:

Thursday, February 8, 2024

But unless they are well-located, the shows can also harm wildlife.

Key Points:

But unless they are well-located, the shows can also harm wildlife.
A planned production at a wildlife sanctuary in outer Melbourne has brought these concerns to the fore.
Research shows artificial light, sound and the presence of lots of people at night can harm wildlife.

A history of community opposition

While they often take place along existing walking trails, they attract huge crowds at a time when animals usually have the place to themselves.
Most of Australia’s mammals and frogs and many bird and reptile species are nocturnal, or active at night.
Light shows proposed for other wildlife conservation areas have also faced community opposition.

Light, sounds, action!

For example, it can change their hormone levels, and the numbers and health of their offspring.
Light also interferes with the ability of many species to navigate.
It masks the natural soundscape, making it harder for animals to find mates or hear the calls of their young.
It can also mask smells vital for an animal’s survival, such as that of food and predators.

Long-term harm

This cuts in half the time animals have to go about their life-sustaining activities and exposes them to greater risks when they do go out.
Light and sound shows are usually temporary – but can have major long-term impacts.
For example, males of the genus Antechinus (small marsupials) live long enough for just one short breeding season.

Find a better location

Organisers may have minimised impacts where they can, but evidence suggests the impact on wildlife will still be extensive.
Finding genuinely suitable locations should be done with care – and should avoid wildlife conservation areas altogether.

Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action.
Therésa Jones receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with NERAL (Network for Ecological Research on Artificial Light).