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      Northumberland’s Farne Islands reopen to tourists after bird flu outbreak

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 2 days ago - 12:19

    Boats had been barred from landing since July 2022 owing to virus, which has ravaged populations of seabirds

    The puffins started arriving two weeks ago – and now there are thousands of them fizzing around in a mad frenzy. They have joined kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and shags. Soon Arctic terns will arrive after their epic journey across the world from the Antarctic.

    This week humans arrived after a two-year ban from the Farne Islands in Northumberland, one of the UK’s most important sanctuaries for breeding seabirds.

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      ‘Cautious optimism’ as penguins test positive for bird flu but show no symptoms

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 3 days ago - 07:00

    Asymptomatic cases may seem reassuring for the penguins, but scientists fear they could act as ‘Trojan horses’ for other species

    Adélie penguins in Antarctica are testing positive for bird flu without showing outward signs of disease, according to researchers who travelled around 13 remote breeding sites on an ice-breaking cruise ship.

    Since bird flu arrived in the region this year , there have been concerns about the virus reaching the Antarctic’s fragile penguin populations. In November last year, researchers warned in a pre-print research paper that if the virus caused mass mortality in these colonies, “it could signal one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times”.

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      Eagles and falcons deployed to scare away pigeons in Barcelona

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 4 days ago - 12:06

    Trial project aims to drive colonies causing a nuisance at Camp Nou football stadium to nearby parks

    Barcelona has recruited a new weapon in its fight to keep the urban pigeon population under control: Harris eagles and falcons.

    As part of a trial, teams of three or four birds of prey have started patrolling an area around Camp Nou , FC Barcelona’s football ground, between 8am and 4pm. Pigeons nesting in the ground have been driven out by building works and have relocated to nearby blocks of flats whose residents have demanded action.

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      How birdwatching’s biggest record threw its online community into chaos

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 5 days ago - 16:00

    In late 2023, Peter Kaestner was about to log his 10,000th bird species seen in the wild. Then Jason Mann showed up

    In late 2023, 70-year-old birder Peter Kaestner was within striking distance of a goal that had never been accomplished: seeing more than 10,000 different species of birds in the wild.

    Such a record had previously been unthinkable, but with new technology facilitating rare bird sightings, improved DNA testing identifying a growing number of bird species, and public listing platforms making it easier to keep track of and share findings, more super-birders are inching towards the five digits.

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      Ernie the owl to retire after 30 years at Warwick Castle

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 5 days ago - 11:48


    African Verreaux’s eagle owl to make final flyover during Easter holidays before move to Yorkshire Dales

    Any night owl who has spent 30 years of working all day would be dreaming of retirement.

    Such is the case for Ernie, an owl with a “big personality”, who will be quitting after delighting guests at Warwick Castle for three decades.

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      Scottish grouse moors to be licensed in attempt to protect birds of prey

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Thursday, 21 March - 18:14

    MSPs vote for controls as it emerges another hen harrier has vanished in area ‘notorious’ for persecution

    Grouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and face being banned from shooting as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday.

    The Scottish parliament voted for the controls following intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey by gamekeepers instructed to protect grouse on shooting estates from being eaten.

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      Pythons for bait and dodging militias: on the trail of the rare ‘monkey-eating’ eagle

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Monday, 18 March - 12:00

    Mindanao island is the last stronghold of the endangered Philippine eagle. But now the raptor’s habitat is at risk from logging, hunting and armed groups

    Christian Daug whistles with all the spirit he can muster. “The male and female were perched there yesterday,” he says, pointing to a dead tree amid the sea of flora that smothers the tallest mountain on the Philippine archipelago.

    He whistles again as we look out over the jungle from a wooden observation post. This area is one of the last remaining strongholds of Pithecophaga jefferyi : one of the world’s largest and rarest eagles. Measuring about a metre in height when perched, with a wingspan that can reach more than two metres (6.5ft), it is known locally as the “monkey-eating eagle”. The enormous raptors prey primarily on macaques, but also feed on pythons, chickens, cats and dogs.

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      Bird flu: access to Ernest Shackleton’s grave ‘blocked by dead seals’

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Thursday, 14 March - 05:00

    Exclusive: The H5N1 virus reached the region late last year and is killing wildlife, with witnesses spotting numerous seal corpses on South Georgia island

    The grave of the explorer Ernest Shackleton on South Georgia island has become inaccessible to visitorsdue to bodies of “dead seals blocking the way”, as increasing numbers of animals are killed by bird flu’s spread through the Antarctic .

    The H5N1 virus has spread to 10 species of birds and mammals since it arrived in the region last October , with five king penguins and five gentoo penguins the latest to test positive on the sub-Antarctic islands . Those confirmations follow reports of mass die-offs of elephant seals at the end of last year.

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      Bald eagles seen nesting in Toronto for first time in city’s recorded history

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Sunday, 10 March - 12:30

    Presence of birds proof of improving health of city’s green spaces, as they are highly sensitive to environmental disturbances

    Few things delight residents of Toronto more than unexpected animals in unexpected places.

    When a family of foxes took up residence beneath a boardwalk during the coronavirus pandemic, thousands flocked to the beach for a glimpse of the kits. When a beaver waddled throughout the city’s downtown core with a large branch in its mouth, children excitedly cheered on the determined rodent. And even when a raccoon plunged parts of Toronto into darkness , the urban critters were celebrated for their wily, indefatigable character.

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