Photos: raptor launch!

Raptor in Yucatan, Mexico. We have been unable to identify this species, if you know please contact us. Photo by Rhett A. Butler,...

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Photo: what species am I?

A rarely seen bird in the nightjar family is photographed in Brazil’s Pantanal. But which nightjar species is this? If you know please contact us. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

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Volunteer opportunity in the Peruvian Amazon
Mar06

Volunteer opportunity in the Peruvian Amazon

Chanti waterfall. Photo courtesy of: The Amazon Waterfalls Association. Have you ever dreamed of visiting the Amazon? How about touring little-seen jungle waterfalls—one of which is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower and 17 times taller than Niagara Falls? The Amazon Waterfalls Association is looking for a few good volunteers to help develop walking paths passing by a series of astounding waterfalls in Peru. “The trek...

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Photo: the lovely gray-necked wood rail
Mar03

Photo: the lovely gray-necked wood rail

The gray-necked wood rail (Aramides cajanea) can be found from Mexico south to Argentina. This individual was photographed in Costa Rica. The bird is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Photo by Rhett A....

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Photo: silhouetted ibis
Feb20

Photo: silhouetted ibis

Hadeda ibis in a tree in Kenya. This species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.

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Emergency appeal for cassowarys impacted by Cyclone Yasi

Note: mongabay.com does not endorse the action below, but believes its readers may be interested in taking action or discussing the issue in comments. Northern cassowary from New Guinea, a relative of the Southern cassowary that survives in Australia. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Tropical cyclone Yasi has left cassowarys to starve according to Australian NGO, Rainforest Rescue. Cassowarys eat the fruit of from tropical forests, but many...

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Picture: strange and beautiful – the snowy owl

Snowy owl at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.

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Photo: Mexican hawk

I spotted this hawk atop a dead tree on the shores of the freshwater lagoon at Punta Laguna. I haven’t determined the species. Any ideas?

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The unmissable Shoebill
Dec06

The unmissable Shoebill

A shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) in Uganda. This swamp-loving large bird is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, hunting, and nest disturbance. Researchers estimate that there are around 5,000-8,000 left in the wild. Populations in the Sudan still need to be determind, however. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Click to see more photos of Uganda’s...

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Songbirds to eat
Nov23

Songbirds to eat

While attention in the bushmeat trade is often given to mammals, birds–such as these songbirds for sale as food in Laos–are also eaten in many parts of the world. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Click to see more photos of the wildlife trade in Laos. Related Article: Laos Emerges as Key Source in Asia’s Illicit Wildlife...

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Golden-fronted woodpecker
Nov17

Golden-fronted woodpecker

A lovely golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) in Guatemala. This species is also present in Texas and Oklahoma of the US. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Click to see more photos of...

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The eagle owl
Nov11

The eagle owl

The newest resident of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo in New York City is Flaco, an eagle owl (Bulbo bulbo). Native to Europe and Asia, eagle owls are one of the world’s biggest owl species with a wingspan up to 79 inches. The species is considered Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Photo by Julie Larsen...

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A week of Papua: bowerbird bower
Oct27

A week of Papua: bowerbird bower

The elaborate bower of a male Vogelkop bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata) is artistically arranged with colorful items from the forest to attract a mate. Female Vogelkop bowerbirds select males based, not on size or strength, but on the best bower. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse...

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A week of Papua: black-capped lory
Oct25

A week of Papua: black-capped lory

A black-capped lory (Lorius lory) in Indonesian New Guinea. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. This week we’ll be posting photos from Rhett Butler’s (mongabay.com founder) recent trip to western New Guinea, one of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally diverse place in the world. To see more photos of...

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Photo: jabiru stork takes off
Oct04

Photo: jabiru stork takes off

In the Brazilian pantanal, a jabiru stork take off. The pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, is threatened by commercial agriculture and livestock production. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, 2009. More photos of the...

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