News - Birds'n'Ways

Bird Flu Vaccinations Begin at South Australia’s Cleland Wildlife Park

September 7, 2026 by Alice Wender

A male orange-bellied parrot perched on a bare branch, showing bright green upperparts, yellow underparts, an orange belly patch, a blue band above the beak and dark blue outer wing feathers.

Up to 100 birds across 30 species, two doses each, then release. Why the vaccine stops at the park gate, and what South Australian keepers do instead.

World Shorebirds Day Is September 6 and Even a Zero Count Matters

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 by Alice Wender

A dense flock of small brown-and-white sandpipers flying low over rippled blue water, wings raised and bills slightly downcurved.

The Global Shorebird Counts run September 1-7 and welcome absolute beginners. Why the organizers want your zero counts, and what to do before you head home.

120 Swift Boxes Go Up Across Calderdale Before the Birds Return

September 5, 2026September 3, 2026 by Alice Wender

A common swift seen from the side in flight against a pale blue sky, long curved wings swept back, pale throat patch visible.

The RSPB, Calderdale Council and Openreach fitted 120 boxes this year, taking the project to 180. Swifts reuse the exact same nest site, so timing matters.

San Francisco Firefighters Free a Wild Parrot Stuck in Balcony Glass

September 2, 2026 by Alice Wender

Two green parrots with red faces perched facing each other on top of a black street lamp, one with a wing raised showing red feathers underneath, a pale building blurred behind them.

A red-masked parakeet spent Sunday with its head caught in balcony glass on Telegraph Hill. The flock it flew back to began as escaped cage birds.

Atlantic Hurricane Peak Is September 10: Pack Your Bird’s Kit Now

August 26, 2026 by Alice Wender

A cockatiel perched on top of an open grey plastic pet travel carrier, with a sealed container of pellets, a water bottle, a folded white towel, a steel bowl and a manila document folder laid out on a wooden floor

The NHC is tracking two Atlantic lows and the season peaks September 10. What a veterinarian says to pack for a bird, and the two failures after a storm.

Penn State Finds Early Exercise Makes Adult Birds Move Easier

August 25, 2026 by Alice Wender

Guinea fowl that carried leg weights while growing later moved with no extra energy cost. Birds raised without weights spent 23% more on the same walk.

Australia Will Vaccinate Captive Native Birds Against H5 Bird Flu

September 6, 2026August 21, 2026 by Alice Wender

A greater crested tern flying head-on with a small fish held crosswise in its yellow bill, showing its black cap and long slender white wings against a dark blurred background.

Priority native species in captivity are first in line, and pet birds are not on the list. What Australian keepers should change, and what to report.

Fall Migration Opened August 15 and Most Window Strikes Happen in Daylight

September 5, 2026August 18, 2026 by Alice Wender

The outside of a white-framed house window covered in a close, even grid of small white dots, with trees and a pale morning sky reflected in the glass and shrubs on either side.

BirdCast’s fall Lights Out window opened August 15. Cornell and ABC say most strikes happen in daylight, and hundreds of millions occur at ordinary homes.

RSPB Asks UK Gardens to Pause Seed Feeders Until November

September 5, 2026August 12, 2026 by Alice Wender

A male European greenfinch with olive-green plumage and a bright yellow wing flash, perched on a lichen-covered branch against a blurred winter background.

New RSPB guidance pauses seed and peanut feeding from 1 May to 31 October, drops bird tables entirely, and explains why August gardens fall silent.

Magpie Swooping Season Has Started in Queensland and Northern NSW

August 20, 2026August 10, 2026 by Alice Wender

An adult male Australian magpie walking across grass beside a grey-brown fledgling with its beak open, begging to be fed.

Swooping has begun in the north and moves south over coming weeks. Magpies defend a 100-metre radius for about six weeks, and most never make contact at all.