On 16 January, the French oil company Total and the Italian shipping classification society RINA were fined by a Parisian court over their involvement in the huge oil spill that resulted from the sinking of the tanker Erika off the coast of France. The Erika was a 24 year old rusting, Maltese-registered vessel that broke […]
Category: news
BirdLife and T&E react to EU biofuels target
The EU strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuels is in disarry today following the European Commission’s proposal to massively increase biofuel use, according to environmental groups BirdLife International and Transport and Environment (T&E). Whereas both organisations strongly support the Commission’s proposal of a 20% target for renewable energy by 2020, they argue […]
Prestigious honour bestowed on Guyra Paraguay
Guyra Paraguay (BirdLife in Paraguay) has been recognised by one of the country?s leading newspapers, Ultima Hora, as one of the top Paraguayan institutions of 2007. read more at Birdlife
Endangered Bird Hunting in the Philippines
Worldwide, more than 130 bird species, from the flightless Dodo of Mauritius to the gargantuan Elephant Bird of Madagascar, have become extinct or been killed off since the 16th century. Of 10,000 surviving species, 10 percent are threatened with extinction, and the Philippines are no exception: the Luzon Sarus Crane, Ticao Tarictic Hornbill and numerous […]
Hornbill Conservation in Thailand – Poacher to Gamekeeper.
Confronting the hostile and suspicious villagers, Pilai Poonswad was characteristically blunt: ?Your children will dig up your bones and curse them for what you have done to the forests,? she told them. There was a tense heartbeat of silence as the assistant headman arose. ?That is true,? he said. ?There are times when I?d like […]
New habitat being created for wigeon at WWT Welney
Wigeon will soon have 38 hectares of specially created wintering habitat next to WWT Welney Wetland Centre in Norfolk, thanks to the combined efforts of WWT and the Environment Agency, who is funding the project. read more at wildlifextra
Changing Fashions Govern Mating Success In Lark Buntings, Study Finds
A study of how female lark buntings choose their mates, published in Science, adds a surprising new twist to the evolutionary theory of sexual selection. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, discovered that female lark buntings show strong preferences for certain traits in the males, but those preferences change from year to year. […]
Fishermen Will Use New Ways To Avoid Snaring Endangered Seabirds
Fishing fleets from more than 30 countries on the high seas of the Atlantic and Pacific will now use new ways to avoid accidentally snaring seabirds going after bait on long lines. The new protections are the focus of strong international measures, promoted by NOAA, that go into effect this year. read more at sciencedaily
Parasite makes ants into “berries” to entice birds
A parasitic worm can make its ant victims swell into what looks like a delicious, juicy berry to birds, which apparently eat the ants and help the worm spread and reproduce, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. read more at reuters
Bald Ibis jigsaw falling into place
Efforts to save the Middle East?s rarest bird have been boosted by two chance sightings of the species 1,500 miles apart. Northern Bald Ibises were seen last month in the Jordan Valley for the first time in 13 years, and in Djibouti, east Africa, for the first time ever, raising hopes that numbers of this […]