High-risk life for the adelie penguin

By ONE News reporter Will Hine in Antarctica

Published: 9:21AM Monday January 27, 2014 Source: ONE News

From a distance, the adelie penguin colony at Cape Bird is a sight to behold. Tens of thousands of charismatic little birds waddle about the slopes that lead down to a vast blue sea. Sometimes they slide on their belly on the snow. At the end of the beach is a glacier which descends majestically into the ocean. And offshore, there's an island, and icebergs floating past. The vista is nothing short of gorgeous.

It's not a place for the squeamish though. Firstly there's the stench of centuries of bird poo. The guano lies in mounds on the gravelly beach, the layer rising incrementally each year.

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Rare birds found at Urunga

By Alice BurnetJan. 15, 2014, 7 a.m.

URUNGA locals are inordinately proud of their seaside town, and appreciation of this gem of a location is apparently shared by the rare Beach Stone-curlew.

The Beach Stone-curlew is listed as an endangered species and while it has been observed around the North Coast of Australia, it has largely disappeared, and is now rarely spotted on ocean beaches.

In fact, the Australian population may be as few as 15 breeding pairs.

The range and distribution of the species, within NSW, is thought to have contracted as a result of urban, industrial and recreational development and activities on the coastal area.

So, to have a breeding pair of the Beach Stone-curlew at Urunga, is quite a coup.

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Scottish Parliament told: Axe pigeon killing ban

HOLYROOD bosses have been told they must consider abandoning their “no kill” policy if they want to get rid of the pigeons continuing to plague the Scottish Parliament.

Contractors called in to tackle the persistent bird menace said they had successfully reduced the parliament’s pigeon population to “around 15 individuals” – but warned that if the numbers were to be cut further, options including “lethal controls” could be necessary.

The Evening News revealed last week that NBC Bird and Pest Solutions were using laser pens, as well as hawks, to scare the pigeons away from the £414 million Holyrood building. Animal welfare groups criticised the move, saying the hand-held pointers risked blinding the birds.

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Hedges, edges help pigeons learn their way around

Date: January 22, 2014

Source: University of Oxford

Summary: Homing pigeons' ability to remember routes depends on the complexity of the landscape below, with hedges and boundaries between urban and rural areas providing ideal landmarks for navigation. Researchers released 31 pigeons from four sites around Oxford for an average of 20 flights each. They found that pigeons were better able to memorize flight paths when the landscape below was of a certain visual complexity, such as rural areas with hedgerows.

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Nikita the Steller's sea eagle on the loose in Yorkshire Dales

A giant sea eagle with an 8ft wing-span is loose in the Yorkshire Dales after escaping from its trainer.

Chris O’Donnell lost Nikita, a Steller’s sea eagle, after training in windy conditions near Brackenbottom, North Yorks, and believes the 10-year-old eagle may have been blown off course.

Police today stated the bird was not dangerous to the public, but yesterday tweeted a warning to pet owners to keep small animals indoors.

Nikita's trainer said yesterday: “She’s massive – like a small glider,” but reassured people the eagle was harmless.

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UPDATE:

Missing Nikita the Steller's sea eagle is found in Lancashire

A giant bird of prey which went missing in the Yorkshire Dales six days ago has been found safe and well.

Steller's sea eagle Nikita, who has an 8ft (2.4m) wingspan, went missing on 25 January from her home in Settle.

Trainer Chris O'Donnell said she was eventually tracked down at Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, after what he described as an "epic" journey.

He said the eagle was a bit dirty but was unharmed, and was now back in her normal enclosure.

"She is happy, healthy and has had a really good feed, and I am sure she will be much happier waking up in her own environment," Mr O'Donnell said.

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Andean condors protected by land purchase

January 2014: More than 270,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat in Ecuador has been purchased by the Rainforest Trust. The mammoth property acquisition, which includes the 18,714-foot Antisana Volcano, will create a permanent refuge for the largest population of Andean Condor in the Northern Andes.

The final 6,100 acre property, called Hacienda Antisanilla, was acquired today to complete a project by Rainforest Trust with Fundación Jocotoco, the Municipality of Quito, and the Quito Water Authority in a coordinated effort that will both protect endangered species and secure an important source of drinking water for Ecuador’s capital city.

“The purchase of multiple properties around Volcan Antisana represents one of the greatest conservation victories ever in the Andes of South America,” said Dr. Robert Ridgely, President of Rainforest Trust and a driving force behind this conservation success. “The final acquisition of Hacienda Antisanilla caps a decade-long effort by Rainforest Trust and our Ecuadorian partner Fundación Jocotoco to protect this fragile and biodiverse ecosystem. We are grateful to all of the partners, organizations and donors who made this possible, including The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, who provided critical support to acquire the Hacienda Antisanilla property.”

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'World's oldest flamingo' dies in Australian zoo at 83

A flamingo believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world has died at the age of 83 in Australia.

Greater the flamingo was put to sleep on Friday due to complications brought about by arthritis and old age, officials at Adelaide Zoo said.

The flamingo, named after its species, arrived at the zoo in 1933 and was a popular attraction.

Flamingos are wading birds with a very specialised diet. They have far shorter life spans in the wild.

Greater flamingos - scientific name Phoenicopterus roseus - are usually larger than lesser flamingos and are characterised by pale plumage and pink bills.

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