Category: New

In a world of black and white, two birds stand out from the crowd. The Greater Superb Bird of Paradise is the blackest bird in the world, with feathers that absorb 99.95% of light. The Eurasian Woodcock, on the other hand, has feathers that are the whitest in the world, with feathers that reflect 30% more light than any other known bird. Read on to learn more about these stunning opposites!

We depend on local communities, scientists, researchers, and international organizations to sound the alarm when a bird species is in trouble. Two organizations that are crucial to providing reliable information on endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species are the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Learn how IUCN and CITES play essential roles in documenting the
status of the species that provide our planet with biodiversity and help manage trade in a responsible way.

Blossom the goose was a lonesome “widow” wandering the grounds of Riverside Cemetery in Iowa after Bud, her partner of many years, passed away. To help the lonely goose, cemetery staff put the word out that they were seeking a new goose companion on her behalf, and along came Frankie. See how this new couple, just like the previous one, is endearing itself to staff and visitors.

Flaco, the male Eurasian eagle-owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo, is showing that he can make it on his own after taking up residence in NYC’s Central Park. After eluding capture for two weeks, zoo officials are throwing in the towel and suspending their recovery efforts (but still keeping an eye on the majestic bird).

Thanks to their unique homing abilities, carrier pigeons were used during both the First and Second World Wars to transport messages back to their home coops behind the lines. Perhaps the most famous pigeon of all, Cher Ami, delivered a message that saved a large group of surrounded American infantrymen, referred to as “The Lost Battalion.”

This month’s Lafeber Conservation spotlight takes us to Guatemala, where One Earth Conservation, an organization co-founded by LoraKim Joyner, DVM, and Gail Koelln, carries on the fight to save yellow-naped Amazons in their native region.

Mumble, a blue Indian ring-necked parakeet, captured the hearts of over 2 million with a TikTok video documenting his first steps. Learn the back story of this special parrot who has overcome physical challenges since Day 1.

Ollie the rescue cockatiel, with his colorful hand-knitted outfits, is off on an epic adventure. He and his human steward, Robyn Chappell, are trekking across New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail to raise awareness and money for the trail’s maintenance. See how this special-needs ‘tiel is warming hearts along the way.

In the birding community, a “big year” is a personal challenge to identify as many species of birds as possible by sight or sound, within a single calendar year and within a specific geographic area. Texas native Tiffany Kersten not only set the record for the youngest woman to spot 700 bird species in the Lower 48 states, but she also made it her mission to make birding a safer activity for women by gifting personal safety alarms, fittingly called Birdie alarms, to women she encounters on her birding adventures.

See how six computer-savvy kea parrots fared when challenged with a series of tasks that were either entirely physical, entirely virtual, or a mixture of both.

Once upon a time, kea parrots lived among humans in lower altitudes. However, they ultimately settled in New Zealand’s mountainous habitat, namely because it was an area least disturbed by human activity. Discover how researchers recently came to this conclusion.

To combat declining wild bird populations, some cities are making their landscapes more bird-friendly.

Lafeber’s latest Conservation Spotlight takes us to Indonesia, where The Indonesian Parrot Project (IPP) has spent the past 20 years supporting conservation efforts for many parrot species, including Moluccan cockatoos, Eclectus, various other cockatoos, great-billed parrots, and lorikeets.

An injured beak can severely impact a parrot’s health—a missing beak can put a parrot in peril. Fortunately, this wild parrot got a second chance at life with the help of Paulo Roberto Martins Nunziata and veterinarian Maria Ângela Panelli Marchió of the Renascer ACN animal rehabilitation center in Brazil.

If you live in Australia, it’s not unusual to spot native parrot species foraging in your yard. New South Wales resident Jayde Parrey, for one, is used to seeing rainbow lorikeets, but one member of a recent flock of 20 parrots certainly stood out for it was an unusually colored rainbow lorikeet. Learn more about this special lorikeet.

Wild parrot conservation groups are working hard to protect a wide diversity of parrot species. Lafeber is committed to helping as well with our Global Parrot conservation grant. This month’s spotlight takes us to Bolivia, South America, where the Conservación del Loro Boliviano Foundation is fighting to save macaws and other parrot species.

A new study affirms what many of us bird enthusiasts already sense—wild birds give us an emotional boost. Seeing and hearing the variety of birds in our neighborhoods can make us happier, especially when we choose to engage with them by offering food and creating a safe and inviting habitat to visit.

A new year is upon us, and with that comes new motivations for the 12 months ahead. We can use this time to think of ways we can make our lives and the lives of our feathered friends more enriched, less stressful, and healthier.