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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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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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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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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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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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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Fears for penguin colonies after the discovery of the highly contagious H5N1 virus in two dead skuas

Bird flu has reached mainland of Antarctica for the first time, officials have confirmed.

The H5N1 virus was found on Friday in two dead scavenging birds called skuas near Primavera Base, the Argentinian scientific research station on the Antarctic peninsula.

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Groups worried about personal safety, and particularly women out alone, question moves by cash-strapped local authorities

The county of Norfolk contains some of the best stargazing spots in the UK and was one of the few places where it was possible to see the spectacle of the aurora borealis this winter, thanks to its dark skies unsullied by light pollution.

But the council’s attempts to plunge Norfolk roads into further darkness are being contested by groups worried about personal safety, particularly for women out alone.

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The bird escaped last year after vandals damaged his enclosure at Central Park Zoo

The Eurasian eagle owl named Flaco, which escaped New York City’s Central Park Zoo last year, has died after crashing into a building in Manhattan, officials said late on Friday.

Flaco went down after striking a building on West 89th Street and people reported the injured owl to the Wild Bird Fund (WBF), a statement from the Central Park Zoo said. WBF staffers soon found Flaco unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene.

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