Hacker News with Generative AI: Wildlife

How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully (frontiersin.org)
A Cooper’s hawk, a medium-sized raptor native to North America, appears to have learned how to adapt its hunting strategy and strike at a flock of birds precisely when cars at an intersection lined up after traffic lights switched to red, having been alerted by a sound signal that the red phase would last longer than usual.

Animal Behavior, Wildlife, Science, Urban Wildlife, Birds

461 points by layer8 11 days ago | 145 comments

Owls in Towels (owlsintowels.org)
Wildlife rehabilitators often wrap owls in fabric so they can be weighed, treated, and fed. If not, the owls get in a flap.The result? Loads of pictures of #owlsintowels

Wildlife, Photography, Animal Care

770 points by schaum 12 days ago | 98 comments

The Pedestrians Who Abetted a Hawk's Deadly Attack (theatlantic.com)
A zoologist observed a Cooper’s hawk using a pedestrian signal as a cue to ambush its prey.

Animal Behavior, Wildlife, Urban Ecology

5 points by JumpCrisscross 15 days ago | 0 comments

Seal found nearly 30 miles from the ocean (elpais.com)
The sun was rising over Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia when a couple of tourists, accompanied by a park ranger, spotted something out of place in the landscape. It wasn’t a puma, nor a guanaco or condor — species commonly seen in the area.

Wildlife, Chile, Patagonia, Tourism

5 points by geox 15 days ago | 0 comments

Bear cub rescued from woods is being raised by humans dressed as bears (msn.com)
A tiny black bear cub was crying alone in the California woods, his mother nowhere in sight.

Animals, Wildlife, Rescue, Conservation

4 points by Stratoscope 16 days ago | 0 comments

Monkeys are kidnapping babies of another species, perplexing scientists (cnn.com)

Animal Behavior, Primate Behavior, Science, Wildlife

10 points by kjhughes 19 days ago | 3 comments

Eagle Hunters of Kyrgyzstan (atavist.com)
In the spring of 2021, Talgar Shaybyrov embarked on a heartbreaking journey.

Kyrgyzstan, Wildlife, Conservation

53 points by gmays 32 days ago | 22 comments

Five people survive 36 hours in alligator-infested swamp after plane crash (bbc.com)
Five people have been rescued after spending 36 hours atop a plane in an alligator-infested swamp in the Amazon after it was forced to make an emergency landing, local authorities said.

Survival, Accidents, Aviation, Wildlife

7 points by clusterfook 35 days ago | 2 comments

A Diver Visited a Fallen Whale. When He Returned, It Was Gone (nytimes.com)
How does an 18-foot-long, 2,000-pound carcass just disappear?

Ocean Mysteries, Wildlife, Environmental News

7 points by axiomdata316 38 days ago | 0 comments

Banned DDT discovered in Canadian trout 70 years after use (theguardian.com)
Residues of the insecticide DDT have been found to persist at “alarming rates” in trout even after 70 years, potentially posing a significant danger to humans and wildlife that eat the fish, research has found.

Environment, Science, Canada, Pesticides, Wildlife

11 points by pseudolus 47 days ago | 0 comments

Finland is painting deer antlers with reflective paint (2014) (smithsonianmag.com)
Every year, about 4,000 reindeer lose their lives on Finnish roads in car accidents, causing 15 million Euros of damage every year. And now, the Finnish Reindeer Herders Association is testing out a new way to make the large mammals more visible to drivers: reflective paint.

Wildlife, Traffic Safety, Finland, Environmental Issues, Animal Welfare

101 points by andrewfromx 48 days ago | 120 comments

People in Iceland Collect Baby Puffins in Streets – Throw Them Back in the Ocean (aol.com)
Even though Iceland’s national bird is the magnificent Gyrfalcon, the Atlantic puffin has become the most precious bird and even attraction there.

Wildlife, Iceland, Animals, Conservation

11 points by mhb 50 days ago | 0 comments

The Return of the European Bison (cnn.com)

Wildlife, Conservation, Europe

4 points by Beijinger 52 days ago | 1 comments

First confirmed footage of a colossal squid captured (rnz.co.nz)
The colossal squid was first described in 1925 based on specimens from the stomach of a commercially hunted sperm whale. A century later, an international voyage captured the first confirmed video of this species in its natural habitat - a 30cm juvenile, at a depth of 600 metres near the South Sandwich Islands.

Marine Biology, Deep Sea, Squid, Wildlife

37 points by ghewgill 53 days ago | 0 comments

Millions tune in for three-week live stream of Sweden's moose migration (theguardian.com)
Last year, 9 million people tuned in to watch The Great Moose Migration.

Wildlife, Live Streaming, Sweden

7 points by sandebert 53 days ago | 3 comments

DIY "Teensy" Bat Detector (zachpoff.com)
Ultrasound has fascinated me for a long time (see my other pages about ultrasound recording and microphones), and I’ve been observing urban bats in NYC for several years. I’m fascinated by the urban wildlife that coexists with humans and particularly interested in making unheard voices accessible by playing them back at slower speed (AKA “time expansion”) so the fast details of their vocalizations and echoes are preserved.

DIY, Bats, Sound Recording, Wildlife, Technology

25 points by walterbell 59 days ago | 0 comments

The Hole Story: How Woodpeckers Make Homes for the Rest of the Forest (allaboutbirds.org)
Woodpecker nest holes are valuable pieces of real estate that may be used by hundreds of other species over many years. Researchers are using the concept of "nest webs" to understand how this valuable resource passes from one owner to the next.

Wildlife, Ecology, Research, Birds

4 points by hn_acker 71 days ago | 0 comments

'Don't call it zombie deer disease': infections spread across the US and globe (theguardian.com)
The contagious, fatal illness in deer, elk and moose must be taken seriously, say experts as it takes hold in the US and reaches other countries. While it has not infected humans yet, the risk is growing

Wildlife, Diseases, Public Health, Science, Environmental Issues

9 points by mindracer 79 days ago | 2 comments

When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024) (katu.com)
Tuesday, November 12 denotes a remarkable day in Oregon history: 54 years since a dead whale was infamously blown up on a Florence beach, showering bystanders and cars with whale bits - and capturing the hearts and minds of the public.

History, Oregon, Wildlife, Accidents

83 points by gscott 82 days ago | 65 comments

Cougar cubs found in Michigan for first time in more than a century (mlive.com)
Michigan wildlife biologists confirmed a pair of endangered cougar cubs were spotted and photographed last week in the far reaches of the western Upper Peninsula.

Wildlife, Endangered Species, Michigan, Cougars

6 points by geox 85 days ago | 1 comments

Butterfly population in US shrinking by 22% over last 20 years, study shows (theguardian.com)
Butterflies may be among the most beloved of all creatures, routinely deified in art and verse, but they are in alarming decline in the United States with populations plummeting by a fifth in just the past two decades, according to the most comprehensive study yet of their fortunes.

Environmental Science, Wildlife, Entomology, Climate Change, Conservation

6 points by PaulHoule 85 days ago | 0 comments

Plastic pollution leaves seabirds with brain damage similar to Alzheimer's (theguardian.com)
Ingesting plastic is leaving seabird chicks with brain damage “akin to Alzheimer’s disease”, according to a new study – adding to growing evidence of the devastating impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife.

Environmentalism, Science, Wildlife, Pollution, Health

6 points by pseudolus 87 days ago | 0 comments

US butterflies 'all in trouble' as their numbers rapidly decline, report finds (usatoday.com)
Over the past 20 years the U.S. butterfly population has declined 22%, a dramatic loss that has scientists concerned.

Environment, Science, Wildlife, Conservation, Entomology

7 points by rmason 93 days ago | 1 comments

Bird study finds larger volumes of toxic PFAS chemicals than previously reported (phys.org)
Researchers studying birds and the food they eat are now finding much larger volumes of the toxic PFAS chemicals than before.

Environmental Science, Chemistry, Wildlife, Pollution, PFAS

6 points by PaulHoule 94 days ago | 0 comments

Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice (theguardian.com)
Photographer captures 20-minute clash between birds emblematic of Canada and US amid high trade tensions

Wildlife, Photography, Canada, United States, Symbolism

12 points by saadatq 94 days ago | 2 comments

After 120 years, Yellowstone bison are a single breeding population (phys.org)
Researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that bison in Yellowstone National Park—the only group of American bison that has continually existed as wildlife in the United States—now consist of a single large, interbreeding population derived from multiple historic bison herds.

Biology, Conservation, Wildlife

114 points by bikenaga 94 days ago | 63 comments

Farallon Islands live (and controllable) webcam (calacademy.org)
Explore the fabled Farallones via the islands' only webcam.

Webcams, Wildlife, California, Nature, Technology

19 points by kaycebasques 95 days ago | 16 comments

Drone captures narwhals using their tusks to explore, forage and play (phys.org)
The Arctic's iconic narwhal, renowned for its long, spiral tusk, is one of nature's most fascinating creatures. Yet, few have witnessed how these elusive animals use their tusks in the wild.

Animals, Arctic, Nature, Wildlife, Science

86 points by dnetesn 99 days ago | 17 comments

Captain 'lost for words' after witnessing a super pod of more than 2k dolphins (cbc.ca)
Tour boat workers spotted a super pod of more than 2,000 northern right whale dolphins in Monterey Bay, Calif.

Marine Life, Animals, California, Wildlife

47 points by petethomas 101 days ago | 11 comments

Bald eagles are thriving again after near extinction (newsweek.com)
The bald eagle, once teetering on the brink of extinction, has made a significant comeback in the United States.

Wildlife, Conservation, Environment, Endangered Species

292 points by geox 104 days ago | 200 comments