Tag: USA

EIner der Vögel Nordamerikas, dessen Bestandsrückgang sich beschleunigt: der Rotflügelstärling (Agelaius phoeniceus)
The red-winged blackbird is one of the most recognizable birds of North American wetlands and agricultural landscapes. Yet even for this once very common species, the decline in populations is accelerating. (© Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Bird populations in North America: Decline accelerating—nearly every second species affected

Bird populations in North America have been declining for decades. But a new study now shows that not only are bird numbers falling, the speed of this decline is also increasing. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Science by researchers from Ohio State University and

Continue reading
Singvögel im Museum
Museum bird specimens as scientific reference objects—and as a mirror of historical collecting practices. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, Naturkundemuseum Berlin, 2025)

The invisible half of biodiversity — How male-biased collections skew research and species conservation

We will probably never find out what the females of Schomburgk’s deer (Rucervus schomburgki) looked like. In historical drawings, travel reports, and museum collections, only remains of males are found—with their unique, many-branched antlers. Females likely carried none, and apparently collectors in the 19th century considered them too inconspicuous to

Continue reading
A. hebardi
The grasshopper species Appalachia hebardi, long believed to be extinct, is flightless, measures about 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters in length, and has so far been recorded in only three U.S. states. (© Nicholas Gilchenok, courtesy of the photographer, via iNaturalist)

USA: Appalachian grasshopper thought to be extinct rediscovered

In Augusta County, Virginia, USA, an interesting discovery was made: The Appalachian grasshopper (Appalachia hebardi), a species belonging to the family of Acrididae that had been considered extinct for decades, has been rediscovered. The last confirmed sighting of this rare species dates back—depending on the source—either to the 1960s or

Continue reading
Ectopistes migratorius Wandertaube
The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America. Today, it exists only in historical records and museum samples. Now modern gene-editing technologies are supposed to help bring the species back. (© Hayashi and Toda (artists), Charles Otis Whitman (author)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Revival of the Passenger Pigeon: A Project by Revive & Restore

The passenger pigeon, once the most common bird in North America, has been extinct for more than a century. Now, biologists from the nonprofit organization Revive & Restore have set a goal to bring the species back using cutting-edge gene-editing technologies. Under the leadership of Ben Novak, efforts are underway

Continue reading
Gelingt Wissenschaftlern die Elfenbeinspecht-Wiederbelebung bis 2025?
Ivory-billed woodpeckers were found mainly in the southern United States. The main causes of their population decline are believed to be hunting and habitat loss. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, fotografiert im Natural History Museum in London, England, 2024)

Biotech Company Plans to Revive the Ivory-billed Woodpecker by 2025

The U.S. biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences announced on October 1st its plan to revive the ivory-billed woodpecker by 2025, amidst the ongoing debate about whether this iconic bird species is truly extinct. The ivory-billed woodpecker was once a keystone species in the forests of the southern United States, playing a

Continue reading
Ausgestorbene Wandertaube: Jungvogel, Männchen, Weibchen
A depiction of the extinct passenger pigeon created between 1910 and 1914: a young bird (left), a male (middle) and a female (right). (© Louis Agassiz Fuertes, via Wikimedia Commons)

Passenger Pigeon

From the most common to an extinct bird species When European explorers reached eastern North America in the 16th century, they were amazed at the huge flocks of birds they found in the ancient forests. Compared to Europe, where large parts of the forests had already been cut down, they

Continue reading
Rocky-Mountain-Heuschrecke oder Felsengebirgsschrecke
Illustration from 1902. Rocky Mountain locusts belong to the suborder of short-horned grasshoppers (Caelifera). (© Julius Bien (1826-1909) biography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Rocky Mountain Locust

Record: A swarm of 12.5 trillion locusts The correct biological term for animals that form large groups is “swarm,” but when it comes to large assemblies of migratory locusts, the term “plague” is used because they not only migrate but also devastate entire regions. Migratory locusts differ from ordinary grasshoppers

Continue reading
Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii)
The Key Largo tree cactus is now considered extinct in the United States. Small populations of this very rare plant species still exist in the Bahamas, Haiti, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. (© Luke Padon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Loss in the USA: Key Largo tree cactus wiped out by climate change

Scientists have documented the first local extinction of a species caused by climate change and the associated rise in sea level. The Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii), which can grow up to seven meters tall and occurred in the U.S. only on the Florida Keys, has disappeared. This rare,

Continue reading
Mücken in Hawaii zur Rettung des Hawaii-Sichelkleidervogels Hemignathus munroi
The ʻiʻiwi is among the species in Hawaii threatened by avian malaria, to which they have no natural immunity. The IUCN classifies the ʻiʻiwi as “endangered”. (© Photographer: Carter Atkinson, U.S. Geological Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Saving the Last Honeycreepers: Millions of Mosquitoes in Hawaii to Prevent Extinction

For the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, the ʻula-ʻai-hāwane, and the black mamo, any help comes too late, but the still existing honeycreepers (Drepanidini) and numerous other bird species on the Hawaiian Islands can still be saved. An unusual measure could now secure the survival of the endangered species. The problem: Avian malaria

Continue reading
vom Aussterben bedroht: Vaquita
The vaquita, or Gulf of California porpoise, is among the smallest whales in the world, at around one and a half meters long and weighing about 50 kilograms. (© Paula Olson, NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Vaquita: New video footage of the rarest marine mammal in the world

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) has been one of the most endangered mammals in the world since the extinction of the Chinese river dolphin (Baiji) in 2002. Recently, Sea Shepherd released the latest results of their most recent vaquita survey during a press conference. The environmental organization presented footage showing a

Continue reading