Findings from a study that monitored a group in Carlos Botelho State Park in São Paulo, Brazil, help shed light on the habitat use of this vulnerable species.

Every year, millions of photographs and videos of birds are uploaded to online platforms by birdwatchers, photographers, and tourists across the world. A new study shows that scientists are increasingly harnessing this vast digital archive to conduct ornithological research — and that the approach is now transforming what is possible in the field of ornithology.

Europe faces a growing pollinator crisis that could threaten food security, biodiversity and a range of ecosystem services if current trends continue. A new white paper, produced by 135 researchers from eight EU-funded research consortia, presents 15 science-based recommendations to halt and reverse the decline of wild pollinators.

The report highlights that pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hoverflies, are essential not only for agricultural production but also for sectors ranging from medicine and textiles to tourism and cultural heritage. However, efforts to protect them are often undermined by fragmented policymaking, with responsibility spread across agriculture, environment, chemicals regulation, trade and finance.

The researchers call for pollinator protection to become a clear and measurable priority across policy areas. They also emphasize the need to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss, improve knowledge transfer between science and practice, and strengthen education on ecosystems and pollinators across disciplines.

The white paper builds on the latest scientific evidence gathered through eight EU-funded projects, including BUTTERFLY, RestPoll, ProPollSoil and PolinERA, and provides a roadmap for policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders seeking to safeguard Europe's pollinators and the benefits they provide to society.

Researchers from Aarhus University’s Department of Agroecology contributed to the report, including Claus Rasmussen, Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe, James Williams, Johan Axelman and Chris Topping.

White paper: https://zenodo.org/records/20715670

Ongoing research into the impact of landfill foraging on white stork populations has revealed interesting preliminary results that suggest a trade-off between year-round reliable food availability and increased risks from stress and DNA damage. These results provide insights into how human urbanisation is rapidly altering the feeding behaviours of wildlife with possible long-term consequences for their health and fitness.

Research by Oregon State University biologists suggests that toxic air stemming from wildfires won’t necessarily prompt animals to flee in search of better breathing conditions.

Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells, and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, including a polychaetae worm not found in Japanese waters before. The findings, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, show that when species that significantly shape their environments (ecosystem engineers) colonize plastic debris, entire micro-communities can be transported over extended periods, with implications for invasive species risk and marine biodiversity conservation.