Daniel Karp Content

Little Birds, Little Poops, Little Food Safety Risk

Katherine E Kerlin — January 21, 2025 - 2:16pm

It doesn’t require a degree in ornithology, a lab test or even an app for most growers to determine whether bird poop near their crops presents a food safety risk. They just need to ask themselves a simple question: How big is it?

In Hotter Regions, Mammals Seek Forests, Avoid Human Habitats

Katherine E Kerlin — December 04, 2023 - 12:00pm

As the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation, finds a ��о�� study of North American mammals.

Heat Waves Harm Bird Reproduction on Agricultural Lands

Tiffany Dobbyn — October 19, 2023 - 11:00am

Extreme heat diminishes bird reproductive success in agricultural landscapes more so than in forests, a ��о�� study found.

Deforestation Limits Nesting Habitat for Cavity-Nesting Birds

Katherine E Kerlin — August 23, 2023 - 1:18pm

A ��о�� study of cavity-nesting birds in Ecuador shows the influence of deforestation on their habitat and reproductive success. Nest boxes could help.

Bringing Out the Best in Wild Birds on Farms

Katherine E Kerlin — February 23, 2022 - 11:38am

A supportive environment can bring out the best in an individual — even for a bird.

After an E.coli outbreak in 2006 devastated the spinach industry, farmers were pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry — from visiting crops. A study published today from the ��о��, shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.

Researchers Pinpoint Which Bird Species Pose Food Safety Risk to Crops

Katherine E Kerlin — January 05, 2022 - 9:00am

Concerns over foodborne risk from birds may not be as severe as once thought by produce farmers, according to research from the ��о��, that found low instances of E. coli and Salmonella prevalence.

Deforestation and Climate Change Threaten the Most Beloved Wild Birds

Katherine E Kerlin — October 07, 2020 - 9:00am

Deforestation and a drying climate threaten the bird species that people value most, according to a recent study led by researchers at the ��о��, and the University of British Columbia.

Natural Habitat Can Help Farmers Control Pests, But Not Always a Win-Win

Katherine E Kerlin — July 30, 2018 - 11:54am

Songbirds and coffee farms in Central America. Ladybugs and soybean fields in the Midwest. These are well-known, win-win stories of how conserving natural habitat can benefit farmers.

But an international team of authors led by the ��о��, found that natural habitat surrounding farm fields is not always an effective pest-control tool for farmers worldwide. Their analysis is published the week of July 30 in the journal PNAS.