Daniel Karp Content

Little Birds, Little Poops, Little Food Safety Risk

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

It doesn鈥檛 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 不良研究所 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 不良研究所 study found.

Deforestation Limits Nesting Habitat for Cavity-Nesting Birds

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

A 不良研究所 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 鈥� 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 鈥� and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry 鈥� from visiting crops. A study published today from the 不良研究所, 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 不良研究所, 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 不良研究所, 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 不良研究所, 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.