Birds

December 12, 2024

World’s Oldest-Known Wild Bird May Become a Mom Again After Laying Egg at 74

Over the last decades, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom has fascinated ornithologists. At an approximate age of 74, she is the oldest known wild bird in the world. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Wisdom recently laid an egg, meaning she could soon be raising a new chick well into her golden years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years.

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October 30, 2024

Night Parrot Previously Thought To Be Extinct Is Discovered by Indigenous Rangers and Researchers

Australia is an extremely biodiverse nation, boasting over 800 species of bird. Among these are petite penguins, sand pipers, and tropical cockatoos. One of the island’s delightful species that once flew is the night parrot, a delightfully sweet green and yellow critter with small black flecks on its wings. For most of the 20th century, the species was thought to be extinct. Sightings were virtually nonexistent, and today remain exceptionally rare.

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September 17, 2024

Scientists Take Flight to Help Nearly Extinct Birds Migrate

Flying in an ultralight aircraft, scientists in Austria are taking to the skies to help nearly-extinct birds learn to migrate. In August 2024, the conservationists of the Waldrappteam began to guide 36 human-raised northern bald ibises (or Waldrapp) through the clouds from Austria to Spain. It’s the 17th time they have helped ibis migrate, and this journey of 1,740 miles will likely take up to 50 days.

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August 16, 2024

Same-Sex Couple of Flamingos Successfully Hatch Chick at UK Zoo

Paignton Zoo, in the United Kingdom, has recently welcomed an adorable group of new habitants. For the first time since 2018, the zoo has seen the birth of a handful of Chilean flamingo chicks. Among the new bird parents, are Curtis and Arthur, a same-sex pair that successfully hatched a chick. While zoo workers are puzzled by the whole thing, Pete Smallbones, curator of birds at Paignton Zoo, has a theory.

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