Category: Birds

Birds, Coexistence, Connectivity, Keystone species, Reintroductions

Reviving Portugal’s vultures [Southern Europe]

Milene Matos writes: “The mighty cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) is a true giant of the skies. It is the largest Old World vulture and one of the heaviest birds of prey in the world, with a wingspan of almost three metres. Unfortunately, the species has suffered a dramatic decline across Europe—but there is hope. Thanks to the recovery of the Spanish population, this impressive vulture is making a…” Continue reading Reviving Portugal’s vultures [Southern Europe]

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Birds, Forests, Keystone species, Mammals, Plants, Reintroductions, Reptiles

Rewilding Rio: The story of Tijuca NP [South America]

Lara Norberto Renzeti writes: “At the heart of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most iconic cities in the world, lies a 3958-hectare expanse of imposing, green-covered hills. The Tijuca Forest has witnessed a history of devastation followed by a slow, though unsteady, process of restoration. By the 19th century, what was once a fragment of the Atlantic Forest had become a patchwork of areas dedicated to timber…” Continue reading Rewilding Rio: The story of Tijuca NP [South America]

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Birds, Grasslands, Mammals, Plants

Hobart’s grassy woodland restoration [Australia]

Erica Nathan writes: “Hobart, Tasmania, is a small city recessed into nearby river and mountain. At its urban edge is the Domain—some two hundred hectares that, in colonial times, served as grazing paddock for Government House. Walking from the centre of the city, or from the harbour’s edge, it takes ten minutes to reach the Domain’s southern boundary, a further thirty minutes to get to the summit, and…” Continue reading Hobart’s grassy woodland restoration [Australia]

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Amphibians, Birds, Grasslands, Mammals, Plants, Rewilding ourselves, Wetlands

Rewilding ourselves: A project of hope [Midwest USA]

Laurie Lawlor writes: “The eight-acre lot in the small, rural town of Eagle, Wisconsin, appeared anything but promising. Over the years, the dumping ground of rusty cans, bottles, and old tires had become so choked with buckthorn and other invasive plants that nobody knew what was inside the municipally owned property between the local elementary school and the public library. Students traveling on foot…” Continue reading Rewilding ourselves: A project of hope [Midwest USA]

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Birds, Connectivity, Fish, Mammals, Plants, Rivers, Wetlands

Rewilding itself: the Union Canal [Northeast USA]

Sally Zaino writes: “Connecting the Susquehanna River to the Schuylkill River with a canal was William Penn’s idea, before 1700—but construction was not begun for another hundred years. The canal was to be known as the “Golden Link”. However, construction suffered many stops and starts, while engineers struggled to create a canal that, from west to east, would rise 92 feet and fall 311 feet, that was prone…” Continue reading Rewilding itself: the Union Canal [Northeast USA]

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Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Mammals, Reintroductions, Rivers, Wetlands

Life’s revival in a natural harbor [Northeast USA]

Judith S Weis writes: “During much of the previous century, the New York–New Jersey (NY–NJ) Harbor Estuary was severely degraded due to the effects of heavy industry, including the unregulated discharge of raw sewage and all kinds of industrial pollutants into the water, as well as the filling-in of marshes for development (e.g., three major area airports were built in this way). Major…” Continue reading Life’s revival in a natural harbor [Northeast USA]

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Birds, Coexistence, Reintroductions

An eagle’s return to Scottish skies [Northern Europe]

Joe Gray writes: “There are patterns in life that recur at different scales. Take the shape of a stretch of rocky coastline, like that found in western Scotland. The kayaker bobbing along a short section of this sees rugged corners and sweeping curves that are repeated—on a larger scale—for a viewer up in the sky. For our aerial spectator in this comparison, let us choose an eagle—that bird of famed acuity. Actually, let us…” Continue reading An eagle’s return to Scottish skies [Northern Europe]

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Birds, Conservation breeding, Reintroductions

Return of a European native [Western Europe]

Johannes Fritz writes: “Northern Bald Ibises are whimsical birds, with their tuft of iridescent lancet feathers, their bare head with individual black patterns, and their long-curved bill. They are one of the best known and most popular birds in Europe. The species is kept in many zoos throughout Europe, where it is loved by zoo visitors due to the exotic appearance and extraordinary behaviour. But with some luck…” Continue reading Return of a European native [Western Europe]

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Birds, Conservation breeding

Conservation of white-bellied herons [South Asia]

Indra Acharja writes: “A new phase in the conservation and recovery of white-bellied heron (WBH), Ardea insignis, has begun in Bhutan with the establishment of the first pair of ex-situ breeding birds. In April 2021, researchers at the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) collected a pair of pre-fledged juveniles from a wild nest and transferred them to the newly constructed Conservation Center in south…” Continue reading Conservation of white-bellied herons [South Asia]

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