Latest news with #IreneWright
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Camera traps spot rare vibrant creature in India forest. ‘Promising haven'
World Camera traps spot rare vibrant creature in India forest. 'Promising haven' An organization in India saw a rare bird on their camera traps. Screengrab from ENFOGAL's Instagram video In forests of the far east of India, camera traps are giving an organization a closer look at their natural environment. ENFOGAL, or Environmental Force At Grass Root Level, is a non-governmental group working out of the Ukhrul District of India. Their goal is to protect the environment through local initiatives with a focus on youth. Part of that mission involved placing camera traps around the town of Shirui to see what they would find. During recent checks of these traps, the organization made a discovery they are calling 'another breakthrough.' 'Once again, we have been fortunate to capture an image of a rare species thanks to the use of camera traps,' the organization said in a May 5 Instagram post. A video shows people trudging through the thick forest, climbing up and over large branches and trees to reach the remote locations where the cameras were placed. When they find the cameras, the organization members pull out a laptop, and a brightly-colored bird appears on the screen, the video shows. The video shows a Blyth's tragopan, a rare bird from the same family as pheasants, partridges, turkeys and grouse, according to Bird Life. 'Shirui is truly emerging as a promising haven for bird enthusiasts, and it's heartening to see such precious wildlife being documented and appreciated,' the organization said. Blyth's tragopans are listed as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and their numbers are decreasing. Males of the species have a gray breast and belly with a spotted back and bright yellow, orange or red faces, according to the IUCN. Females are more gray and don't have the distinctive vibrant head. The birds are found in Bhutan, northeastern India, Myanmar, Tibet and China, according to Bird Life. The species is considered vulnerable, and rare, because there is a small population that is geographically separated from one another, brought on by hunting and habitat destruction, according to the IUCN. Shirui is in the eastern-most Manipur state of India, just west of northern Myanmar. Irene Wright McClatchy DC Email this person Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Tiny creature — with ‘invisible' eggs — marks amazing comeback on Australia coast
World Tiny creature — with 'invisible' eggs — marks amazing comeback on Australia coast On the beaches of New South Wales, Australia, a small creature is making a record-breaking comeback. Bailey Rytenskild via Unsplash As spring approaches in the Southern Hemisphere, a group of little birds make a long journey. Little terns, a small seabird, travel hundreds or even thousands of miles across the ocean to land on the beaches of Australia to breed. This year, they came in record numbers. 'Little terns in (New South Wales) have experienced another great breeding season, with more than 900 nests counted across the state, the second-highest number in 24 years,' wildlife officials said in a May 5 news release from the environment and heritage department. There were 24 nesting sites found along the coast, including nests from 485 breeding pairs, officials said. This was a jump from the year before, which saw 430 breeding pairs. 'This incredible number of breeding pairs resulted in an estimated 510 fledglings, making it the highest count of fledglings recorded and a substantial jump from last year's figure of around 370,' officials said. Little terns nest right on the beach, and their eggs become nearly invisible in the sand. Andrew Robinson/Central Coast Council New South Wales Government Little terns face threats similar to other beach-nesting birds, including native and invasive predators, being crushed or disturbed by vehicles or people, and flooding of their nesting sites, according to the release. 'Beach-nesting birds, like little terns, lay eggs directly on the sand where they are so well camouflaged, they become almost invisible, making them vulnerable to beach visitors,' officials said. 'It's important beach goers understand the impact they can have on the breeding season of these endangered birds over spring and summer every year.' The nests were counted by an army of volunteers, park staff, local councils, land managers and contractors who conducted 5,000 observations this season, officials said. 'Despite these promising numbers, these birds remain on the edge, and continued efforts are vital to protect them along our coast, and every person can play a role in making a difference,' said Trish Harrup, the acting deputy secretary of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, in the release. New South Wales is an Australian state on the southeastern coast of the country. Irene Wright McClatchy DC Email this person Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.
