This week in birds - #691

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

The American Bird Conservancy's Bird of the Week is a species that was only discovered in 2017 in the mountains of southwestern Ecuador. It is a member of the hummingbird family, the beautiful Blue-throated Hillstar. Because of the destruction of its habitat and loss of its favored nectaring plants, it is considered to be critically endangered and thought to be decreasing. There may only be around one hundred individuals left in the wild.

*~*~*~*

When Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth came out twenty years ago, he listed buying energy-efficient appliances including lightbulbs as one way to combat climate change. Some thought that was a very paltry suggestion for fighting such a big problem but it turns out that in that as in so many other things, Al Gore was right.

*~*~*~*

A federal judge (appointed by Trump) has ruled that Americans have no right to safe drinking water.

*~*~*~*

August 2026 tied for the month with the hottest global temperatures on record.

*~*~*~*

Trump has ordered a "review" of Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves and Mexican wolves. It is likely that that is a first step in removing those protections.

*~*~*~*

Some hunter-gatherers of 25,000 years ago were apparently users of betel nuts which are known for their mind-altering properties.

*~*~*~*

This country's symbol, the Bald Eagle, was saved from extinction with the help of Canada.

*~*~*~*

Toxic dust and PTSD may be accelerating brain aging among 9/11 first responders.

*~*~*~*

The state of Illinois now classifies plastic pellets as a pollutant.

*~*~*~*

The extinct cat that once roamed North America was long thought to be a cheetah, but it turns out that was wrong. It was more closely related to the puma.

*~*~*~*

Peruvian archaeologists have discovered ancient tombs from the Chimu kingdom that have not been touched by looters.  

*~*~*~*

A study has revealed that almost half of the world's farmers are poisoned by pesticides every year.

*~*~*~*

New York City's Mayor Mamdani has released documents that reveal that first responders who rushed to the World Trade Center twenty-five years ago were likely exposed to dangerous toxins.  

*~*~*~*

Hawaii has often dodged the path of hurricanes but not this summer.

*~*~*~*

How did vertebrates first develop eyes?

*~*~*~*

It seems that the smallest planet in our solar system, Mercury, is getting even smaller. 

*~*~*~*

A gene that helped bowhead whales adapt to frigid Arctic waters may also be a key to their extraordinary longevity.

*~*~*~*

As important as it is to save the whales, it may be just as important to save the microbes.

*~*~*~*

Birds are migrating, mostly by night. Help them by turning off outside lights.