This week in birds - #684

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

The American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week for this week is the Pomarine Jaeger, a widespread species of both North and South America as well as Hawaii and the Caribbean. The bird's population trends are unknown but its conservation status is considered of least concern.

The Harlequin Duck was the Bird of the Week for last week. A bird of North America in both aquatic and forest habitats, its population is increasing and its status, too, is of least concern.

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On Friday, the Trump administration moved to open habitats of threatened and endangered animals to farming, drilling, mining, real estate development, and other activities that severely erode protections.  

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And, of course, the administration has appointed a critic of mainstream climate science to oversee the federal government's report on how climate change affects the country.

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Here are some fun facts about Bald Eagles.

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There is some evidence that early flowering plants depended on dinosaurs to eat their fleshy fruits and spread their seeds.  

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Bottlenose dolphins are clever animals and it seems that the females of the species have strategies for avoiding "pushy" males.

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The relationship between wolves and people is complex but the California Wolf Project is proving that it is possible for the two species to share the same land.

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Archaeologists have discovered a lost Mayan city that may yield clues about the civilization just before its collapse.

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Western Europe just experienced its hottest June on record. Moreover, higher temperatures in the seas around Britain and Europe are a threat to marine life. 

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So we have an administration that is anti-wind power and pro-coal and that policy is expected to add $650 billion to Americans' energy bills in the next fifteen years.  

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What is the meaning of the "cold blob" in the Atlantic Ocean? Inquiring scientists want to know.

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Here are eleven wildlife images that showcase the wonder of the planet's waters.

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Argentina's Blue-winged Macaw has bounced back from being declared "extinct in the wild."

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First described 189 years ago, the Himalayan Pangolin has emerged as a distinct species.

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Bumblebees seem to respond either positively or negatively to sweet or bad tastes.

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Sea mining could devastate populations of snails and other mollusks that live around hydrothermal vents.

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Maybe our hobbit-like cousins on Flores Island weren't very smart.

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Can the hammerhead shark be saved from extinction?

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More than 70 million years ago, North America was split down the middle by an ancient sea and some of its inhabitants are still perfectly preserved.

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There is evidence of "handedness" in animals even long before hands developed.

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Ten years ago, the White-rumped Vulture's population was devastated by poisoning but the species has now reappeared at a Cambodian sanctuary.

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A newly discovered spider species has the ability to launch ants into its web.

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Giggling humans and great apes have apparently shared our style of laughter for at least 15 million years.