Chicks blackmail parents, study finds

Fledglings of a southern African bird species threaten suicide to blackmail their parents into bringing them more food, scientists have said.

• New avian flu in W Cape
• China to vaccinate 90 000 pigeons
• Ostrich farm bird flu no link to China

Going, going, gone - dodo bone for sale

A rare 10cm fragment of a dodo bone will go on sale in Britain, around 300 years after the flightless bird was hunted to extinction.

• Hairy penis goes way of Dodo
• UN: Sharks risk extinction
• Extinction fears 'alarmist'

US bird invasion brings real-life horror

Millions of birds have descended on a small Kentucky city, fouling the landscape, scaring pets and raising the risk for disease.

• Chinese woman dies of bird flu
• Evolutionary dead-end for toothed birds
• US cats kill billions of birds, mammals

Serbian town protects winter owls

The townsfolk of Kikinda in northeast Serbia have welcomed an unlikely intruder into their midst, even decreeing stiff fines for anyone who dares disturb the peace of the long-eared owls.

• 10 new owl species discovered
• Rat poison killing PE owls
• Retired teacher launches owl rescue

Birds avoid sick flock

House finches avoid sick members of their own species; a finding that could be useful for tracking the spread of diseases like bird flu that also affects humans.

• Care about gannets - conservationist
• Why clever crow is no bird brain
• e-Atlas of marine bird areas launched

Care about gannets - conservationist

It is important to care about vulnerable species in order to afford them protection before they are wiped out, a conservationist has said.

• SA makes progress on livestock loss
• CapeNature racing to save rare tortoise
• Karoo reserve caters to stargazers

Putin leads young Siberian cranes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has piloted a motorised hang glider to lead a flock of young Siberian white cranes in flight.

• National bird remains endangered
• Rare Asian bird takes wrong turn to US
• Drought threatens last whooping cranes

Plan to save penguins floated

A plan to save South Africa's rapidly dwindling African penguin population has been released for public comment by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.

• Penguins aplenty in Antarctica
• SA scientists launch penguin study
• R800m for green fund: Molewa

National bird remains endangered

South Africa's national bird, the blue crane, remains endangered as the annual KwaZulu-Natal aerial crane survey enters its 20th year.

• Blue Crane Route
• Three SA bird species under threat
• Blue swallows face extinction

Austrian city puts pigeons on the pill

What works for humans might as well work for birds, so thinks the Austrian city of Linz, which has confronted the problem of too many pigeons by feeding them contraceptive pills.

• Pigeon riddle flies in face of science
• Pigeon fever takes over SA
• Pigeon hunt may be illegal - NSPCA

Penguins aplenty in Antarctica

Antarctica boasts almost twice as many emperor penguins as previously thought, researchers have discovered using satellite mapping technology.

• Happy Feet, the penguin, lost again
• Ancient penguins lacked 'tuxedo'
• SA scientists launch penguin study

Rare Asian bird takes wrong turn to US

A rare Asian hooded crane, normally seen only in Southeast Asia, China and Japan, "took a wrong turn" and joined sandhill cranes wintering in the southern United States.

• Drought leaves slim pickings for birds
• 1000s of birds crash land in US
• Rare white kiwi seeing red after surgery

Rare white kiwi seeing red after surgery

A rare white kiwi is seeing red after surgery to remove a stone from its gizzard.

• Rare white Kiwi hatched
• White kiwi lifts hopes in New Zealand

Hawks to patrol Singapore shop precinct

Businesses along Singapore's famous Orchard Road shopping street plan to deploy trained hawks to scare off thousands of birds whose droppings rain down on pedestrians' heads.

• Social media shake up Singapore
• Bird strike hits Qantas flight
• UN group warns of new bird flu strain

'Happy Feet' has 120 000 web fans

The Wayward New Zealand penguin known ad 'Happy Feet' has joined the internet age with 120 000 online fans.

• NZ penguin is a boy - DNA tests
• Happy Feet, the penguin, to swim home
• Lost penguin gets another stomach flush

Zoo fakes eggs so mama flamingoes rest

A Zoo in the US is using artificial eggs to fool mother flamingoes so they don't overdo their egg-laying.

• Fox kills flamingo flock
• Falcons to 'tweet' their nesting
• Rare bird nests in UK

Lost penguin gets another stomach flush

An emperor penguin that found its way to New Zealand from Antarctica has undergone a fourth operation.

• Happy Feet, the penguin, to swim home
• Lost penguin more lively after surgery
• Rare penguin takes a wrong turn

Rare white Kiwi hatched

A white kiwi chick has been born at a New Zealand wildlife centre, the first of its kind to hatch in captivity.

• Kiwi hatches, despite quake
• New York agog over red-tailed hawk mom
• Australian birds have cocky attitude

Australian birds have cocky attitude

It's not yet the Bodega Bay of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but winged creatures are increasingly becoming a concern for inhabitants of Australia's biggest city.

• Millions watch bald eagles nesting
• Over 1 000 dead birds fall from sky
• Birds vanishing in the Philippines

Millions watch bald eagles nesting

A new US reality show has gone viral on the internet featuring a life and death struggle, a love story and a birds eye view of - an eagle family.

• Eagle mystery solved

Tristan penguin rescue in full swing

A race to rescue up to 20 000 endangered penguins from an oil spill in an isolated south Atlantic British island group is under way.

• Fear for birds after oil spill
• Atlantic oil spill threatens penguins
• 100s of dead penguins wash up

Oldest US albatross hatches chick

The oldest known free-flying bird in the United States, a roughly 60-year-old albatross named Wisdom, has hatched her chick on Sand Island at Midway.

• Tragedy hits albatross race
• Albatross threatened by mice
• Oil slick threatens birds, fish

Pigeon fever takes over SA

A racing pigeon's recent victory over an ADSL line has resulted in a serious case of pigeon fever in SA. News24 learns more about these amazing creatures.

French hunters skewered

Activists have staged a commando operation to denounce the capture of a rare, tiny songbird that is roasted and eaten whole by French gourmets.