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Articles by Rob Heinsohn
Orange-bellied parrot shows there's more to saving endangered species than captive breeding
Captive breeding of threatened species for release into the wild is an important conservation tool. But where threats to wild populations remain unresolved, this tool may not guarantee population recovery in the long term. Our new research on one of the most endangered birds in the world shows we need to tackle underlying threats to survival if we are to save species from extinction in the wild.
Meet the parrots that carry toolkit around to complete tasks
By Rob Heinsohn From pocket knives to smart phones, humans keep inventing ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, retrieving termites from holes with stripped twigs. Tool use among non-human animals is hotly debated.
Who's a clever boy? Cockatoo joins exclusive tool-carrying club
Image credit: Shutterstock Goffin’s cockatoo named third species that carries toolsets around in preparation for future tasks. From pocket knives to smart phones, humans keep inventing ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, retrieving termites from holes with stripped twigs. Tool use among non-human animals is hotly debated.
Goffin’s cockatoo named third species that carries toolsets around in preparation for future tasks
From pocket knives to smart phones, humans keep inventing ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, retrieving termites from holes with stripped twigs. Tool use among non-human animals is hotly debated.
Goffin’s Cockatoos Join Humans and Chimps as Third Species Shown to Carry Toolsets for Future Tasks
From pocket knives to smartphones, humans keep inventing ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, retrieving termites from holes with stripped twigs. Tool use among non-human animals is hotly debated.
Goffin’s cockatoo named third species that carries toolsets around in preparation for future tasks
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Goffin’s cockatoo named third species that carries toolsets around in preparation for future tasks
From pocket knives to smart phones, humans keep inventing ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, retrieving termites from holes with stripped twigs. Tool use among non-human animals is hotly debated.
Goffin’s cockatoo named third species that carries toolsets around in preparation for future tasks
Which seat on a plane is the safest? We asked an aviation expert When booking a flight, do you ever think about which seat will protect you the most in an emergency? Probably not. Most people book seats for comfort, such as leg room, or convenience, such as easy access to toilets. Frequent flyers (this author included) might book their seat as close as possible to the front so they can disembark more quickly. We rarely book a flight with hopes of getting one of the middle seats in the last row.
Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water
By Rachael Gross and Rob Heinsohn African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415,000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge. Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe. This damages elephant habitats and denies them the water they need.
THE CONVERSATION: Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water
Ensuring African elephants survive drought will increasingly require new conservation strategies, lest already dwindling populations continue to decline. African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415,000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge. Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe.
Climate change poses threat to African elephants
Climate change poses threat to African elephants More frequent droughts leaving African elephants desperate for water If the situation doesn't change, the world may lose one of its most iconic animal species. Rachael Gross, Rob Heinsohn 1 Hour Ago - 2023-01-17 01:00:00 African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415 000 today.While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majes ...
Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water
Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe. The African savannah elephant is listed as endangered and if the situation doesn’t change, Africa – indeed, the world – may lose one of its most iconic animal species. By Rachael Gross and Rob Heinsohn AFRICAN elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415,000 today.
OPINION | Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water
African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415 000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge, say Rachael Gross & Rob Heinsohn. For climate change news and analysis, go to News24 Climate Future. Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe. This damages elephant habitats and denies them the water they need.
Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water Original
African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415,000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge. Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe. This damages elephant habitats and denies them the water they need. Due to their unique physiology, African elephants need hundreds of litres of water each day to survive.
Regent honeyeaters were once kings of flowering gums. Now they're on the edge of extinction. What happened?
Less than 80 years ago, regent honeyeaters ruled Australia’s flowering gum forests, with huge raucous flocks roaming from Adelaide to Rockhampton. Now, there are less than 300 birds left in the wild. Habitat loss has pushed the survivors into little pockets across their once vast range. Sadly, our new research shows these birds are now heading for rapid extinction.
Regent honeyeaters were once kings of flowering gums but are now on the edge of extinction
Regent honeyeaters are one of the most endangered birds in Australia. Credit: Lachlan Hall Less than 80 years ago, regent honeyeaters ruled Australia's flowering gum forests, with huge raucous flocks roaming from Adelaide to Rockhampton. Now, there are less than 300 birds left in the wild. Habitat loss has pushed the survivors into little pockets across their once vast range. Sadly, our new research shows these birds are now heading for rapid extinction.
Regent honeyeaters were once kings of flowering gums. Now they're on the edge of extinction. What happened?
Less than 80 years ago, regent honeyeaters ruled Australia’s flowering gum forests, with huge raucous flocks roaming from Adelaide to Rockhampton. Now, there are less than 300 birds left in the wild. Habitat loss has pushed the survivors into little pockets across their once vast range. Sadly, our new research shows these birds are now heading for rapid extinction.
Regent honeyeaters were once kings of flowering gums. Now they're on the edge of extinction. What happened?
Less than 80 years ago, regent honeyeaters ruled Australia’s flowering gum forests, with huge raucous flocks roaming from Adelaide to Rockhampton. Now, there are less than 300 birds left in the wild. Habitat loss has pushed the survivors into little pockets across their once vast range. Sadly, our new research shows these birds are now heading for rapid extinction.
The 'Ringo Starr' of birds is now endangered: How to save our drum-playing palm cockatoos
Palm cockatoo breeding pair at the nesting hollow. Female on left, male on the right. Credit: Christina N. Zdenek Australia's largest parrot, the palm cockatoo, is justifiably famous as the only non-human animal to craft tools for sound. They create drumsticks to make a rhythmic beat. Sadly, the "Ringo Starr" of the bird world is now threatened with extinction—just as many other parrots are around the world.
The 'Ringo Starr' of birds is now endangered – here’s how we can still save our drum-playing palm cockatoos
Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field. Australia’s largest parrot, the palm cockatoo, is justifiably famous as the only non-human animal to craft tools for sound. They create drumsticks to make a rhythmic beat. Sadly, the “Ringo Starr” of the bird world is now threatened with extinction – just as many other parrots are around the world.
Only the lonely
Nowhere is this more true than in the case of regent honeyeaters. In a paper published today, we describe how a population crash to fewer than 300 has caused the species’ song culture to break down. Plummet In healthy populations, the song of adult male honeyeaters is complex and long. But where the population is very small, the song is diminished and, in many cases, the birds have adopted the song of other species.
Only the lonely: an endangered bird is forgetting its song as the species dies out
Just as humans learn languages, animals learn behaviours crucial for survival and reproduction from older, experienced individuals of the same species. In this way, important “cultures” such as bird songs are passed from one generation to the next. But global biodiversity loss means many animal populations are becoming small and sparsely distributed. This jeopardises the ability of young animals to learn important behaviours. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of regent honeyeaters.
When a wild bird loses its song, the silence is deafening
Just as humans learn languages, animals learn behaviours crucial for survival and reproduction from older, experienced individuals of the same species. In this way, important “cultures”, such asbird songs,are passed from one generation to the next. Butglobal biodiversity lossmeans many animal populations are becoming small and sparsely distributed. This jeopardises the ability of young animals to learn important behaviours. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of Regent honeyeaters.
Swift parrots need protection from sugar gliders, but that's not enough
Swift parrots are icons of Tasmania’s old-growth forests, but they’re also pretty tricky to find. These highly nomadic birds settle in a different place each year to breed, leaving nesting sites deserted for years between breeding events. This mobility makes them fascinating to study, but a nightmare to conserve. Despite their elusive nature, we know enough about swift parrots to know they are under grave threat, particularly from Tasmania’s highly politicised logging industry.
There are 14 wild orange-bellied parrots left - this summer is the last to save them
WHEN ONLY 14 OF any species are left in the wild, you know they are in trouble. Such is the crisis faced by the last remaining population of orange-bellied parrots in southwest Tasmania. To make matters even worse, very few of these birds are females. On our trip to southwest Tasmania on Tuesday, we found four nests. We will be returning to the site soon to count the fertile eggs.
There are 14 wild orange-bellied parrots left - this summer is our last chance to save them
When only 14 of any species are left in the wild, you know they are in trouble. Such is the crisis faced by the last remaining population of orange-bellied parrots in southwest Tasmania. To make matters even worse, very few of these birds are females. On our trip to southwest Tasmania on Tuesday, we found four nests. We will be returning to the site soon to count the fertile eggs.
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