Scientist rediscovers long feared extinct bird

October 8th, 2009 Correction: Iranian nuclear scientist storyTEHRAN, Iran — In an Oct. 7 story about the disappearance of an Iranian nuclear scientist, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat identified an Iranian who disappeared in Georgia as a second nuclear scientist.

September 14th, 2009 LONDON - Archaeologists have discovered teeth and bones from late Ice Age animals, including hyenas, deer and woolly rhinos at a cave in Devon, UK, which may yield clues as to why Neanderthals became extinct. According to a report by BBC News, the dig, organised by the University of Durham and the University of Sheffield, is part of a study into Neanderthals.

September 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have determined that the role of a predator, before humans colonized New Zealand about 750 years ago, was filled by a giant, extinct raptor known as Haast's eagle. Although the bones of Haast's eagle have been known for well over a century, the behavior of these giants has been a point of debate.

September 11th, 2009 Extinct New Zealand eagle may have eaten humansBANGKOK — Sophisticated computer scans of fossils have helped solve a mystery over the nature of a giant, ancient raptor known as the Haast's eagle which became extinct about 500 years ago, researchers said Friday. The researchers say they have determined that the eagle — which lived in the mountains of New Zealand and weighed about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) — was a predator and not a mere scavenger as many thought.

September 7th, 2009 LONDON - The results of a new study indicate that winds turbines might be hastening the local extinction of an endangered vulture in southern Spain. Studies have so far focused on the short-term effects of wind turbines, looking at the number of bird collisions per turbine per year.

August 14th, 2009 LONDON - A seabird thought to have been driven to extinction by hungry European sailors in the late 18th century has been rediscovered, in the laboratory. It turns out the 'extinct' species is actually a sub-species of a bird very much alive.

August 13th, 2009 ExxonMobil pleads guilty to killing birdsWASHINGTON — Exxon Mobil Corp. pleaded guilty to killing migratory birds in five states, and will pay about $7,000 for each bird killed, Justice Department officials said Thursday.

August 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a surprising finding, scientific sleuths have rediscovered an "extinct" bird living under a false name and wearing a mask. Native to small islands off Australia and New Zealand, the species, known as the Tasman booby, was dealt its first near fatal blow around A.D.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has come up with the strongest evidence yet that noise pollution negatively influences the nesting habits of birds. The study also indicates that at least a few species opt for noisy areas over quiet ones, perhaps because of their vocalisation pitches, a reduction in nest predators and less competition from other song birds that prefer quiet environments.

June 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The loss of endangered species sends alarm bells ringing among conservationists, but what happens to the parasites they host? Although most people would side with the panda over the parasite, which group should we worry about more? North Carolina State University (NCSU) biologist Rob Dunn and colleagues examined the concept of co-extinction, the loss of one species upon the extinction of another. "Decline in host species could drive parasite species to switch onto alternative hosts, which could escalate the rate of emerging pathogens and parasites both for humans and our domesticated animals and plants," Dunn said.

June 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have determined that when host species go extinct, their parasites could switch onto alternative hosts which in turn could increase the rate of emerging pathogens for humans, domesticated animals and plants. The study was carried out by North Carolina State University biologist Rob Dunn and colleagues.

May 28th, 2009 SYDNEY - In a new study, researchers have found ancient rock art depicting the extinct marsupial lion found in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, which hints at what the extinct beasts may have looked like, and suggests that they co-exited with early Australians. The Marsupial Lion is an extinct species of a carnivorous marsupial mammal that lived in Australia from the early to the late Pleistocene (1,600,000-46,000 years ago).

March 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Conservation efforts are helping stem dwindling numbers of some bird species, according to report based on 40 years of data analysed by official US agencies. The report shows such efforts have protected 30 million acres of wetlands and contributed to thriving populations of hunted waterfowl, herons, egrets and other birds, according to the US State of the Birds report.

March 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A computerised method could more accurately and speedily test efficacy of proposed flu vaccines against multiple strains of the disease. Avian flu or bird flu is a particularly deadly type of flu that is transmitted from birds to humans.

February 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - About 150 million years ago, an evolutionarily hybrid creature, a dinosaur metamorphosing into a bird, died in what is now Germany, and become fossilised in limestone. About 150 years ago, the fossil of this 'dinobird' was discovered and celebrated as proof of Charles Darwin's new theory of evolution.