This week in birds - #674

 A roundup of the week's news of birds and the environment:

The American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week is the Yellow-winged Blackbird. It is a bird that is not found in North America but is found in wetlands throughout much of South America in habitats similar to our own beloved Red-winged Blackbird. Happily, its population appears to be stable and its status is not presently of concern.

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The new Environmental Protection Agency administrator believes his job is about supporting industry and exporting fossil fuels rather than protecting the environment.

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The Florida Scrub Jay is classified as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. Now a lawsuit there could cause their status to deteriorate further.

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The defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary's recent election is potentially very good news for the country's environment. 

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Greater Sage Grouse males are attempting to lure mates near the Jackson Hole Airport where a number of the birds have been struck and killed. Conservationists are deploying dancing animatronic birds to try to entice  them away.

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The nutria is an invasive species that is causing havoc in California and conservationists are working hard to try to eradicate it from the state. 

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How did the Grand Canyon form? Some new research may provide clues.

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This tiny creature is a warty frogfish named Domino and it is believed to be the first of its kind to be born and raised in captivity.

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In March, renewable energy provided more power to the United States than natural gas and that is a first for the country.

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Studying civil war between rival chimpanzee groups in Uganda may provide some clues for scientists about the roots of warfare in the human species.

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Becoming an expert birder can have many benefits and it turns out that one of them may be to reshape the brain and protect it from aging. 

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The Kakapo is an endangered New Zealand bird on the brink of extinction, but the species is having a very good breeding season that has produced 95 living chicks so far.

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The glowing lures of the female anglerfish serve the dual purpose of attracting mates and helping them to snag meals.

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As climate change disrupts their traditional prey, more gray whales are entering San Francisco Bay in search of food and, unfortunately, many of them die there. 

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Insects are key to a healthy environment. These are some simple actions we can take to help them. 

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Despite pressure to end commercial whaling, Norway has reopened its annual whale hunt.

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It turns out that exposure to heat and air pollution can increase the risk of suicide.

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Another harmful effect of climate change is to alter the way our planet smells.

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An entomologist has discovered a relationship between two ant species in which one provides a "carwash" service to the other!