Conservation News

A person holding a female cardinal affixes a metal band around her leg.
Looming Federal Cuts Threaten the Bird Banding Lab, a Cornerstone of Avian Science
June 12, 2025 — For more than a century, the USGS program has revealed crucial insights about where birds go, how they’re faring, and what we can do to help them. Its budget and staff are now on the chopping block.
Two American Oystercatchers walk on the beach with people in bathing suits by the ocean in the background.
Help Protect Beaches—and the Birds That Need Them—With a Smartphone and a Coin
June 12, 2025 — A community science project is building a sand-grain database to understand how and why coastlines change.
Why Federal Bird Science Deserves Our Strongest Support
June 11, 2025 — For decades, two programs from the U.S. Geological Survey have provided essential information about birds. They must continue to be fully funded.
Policy & Advocacy
A group of people with binoculars in a rocky desert landscape.
On Public Lands, Federal Staffing Chaos Threatens Fragile Ecosystems
June 04, 2025 — Layoffs and uncertainty across the already weakened workforce could cause lasting damage to wildlife.
The shallow San Pedro river meanders through grassy reeds.
Will Arizona Save Its Groundwater Before It's Gone for Good?
May 20, 2025 — As wells run dry, difficulties for people and wildlife are surfacing. Advocates say an era of unlimited water pumping must end.
A plain, gray bird perches on a thin, curvy branch.
Researchers Favor Beautiful, Colorful Birds in Scientific Studies, New Analysis Finds
April 25, 2025 — A review of 50 years of ornithological literature revealed a strong bias for familiar, visually appealing species over avians with drabber features. Here's why that's worrisome for conservation.
Partially hidden by brown grass and shrubbery, a Lesser Prairie-Chicken with its patterned, striped feathers dances to attract a mate.
In the Great Plains, Landowners Are Banking On the Lesser Prairie-Chicken’s Survival
March 25, 2025 — The best bet to save the imperiled species may be a system that pays farmers and ranchers to protect its grassland home.
Feature Stories
Colorful leaves float on the surface of a pool of shallow water on the forest floor.
Vernal Pools Are the Place to Be for Woodland Critters—as Long as They Last
March 25, 2025 — Researchers and community scientists have teamed up to map and protect these ephemeral biodiversity hotspots before they disappear for good.
A Sandhill Crane walks through a freshly planted corn field.
Wisconsin Weighs Sandhill Crane Hunts to Protect Crops Despite a Nonlethal Option
March 25, 2025 — Wildlife advocates say hunting Sandhill Cranes could hurt populations without solving the problem of crop damage. Meanwhile, a nontoxic coating for seeds offers a safer path.
A Loggerhead Shrike with colorful leg bands held in someone's hand.
‘Shrubs for Shrikes’ Strives to Save Indiana's Butcherbirds From Going Extinct
March 25, 2025 — A state-run program pays farmers to help beleaguered Loggerhead Shrikes rebound by putting more shrubby habitat back on the modern agricultural landscape.