Why Trump’s move to gut the Endangered Species Act likely won’t hold up in court

Trump seems to hate all animals

Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law & Graduate School

Piping plovers lay their eggs on the ground. They
became an endangered species as development encroached
on their habitat and made it harder for their chicks
to survive. Under the Same Moon/Flickr, CC BY

The Trump administration has decided that destroying the habitat of endangered species is not harmful.

Think about that.

Habitat loss is the No. 1 reason species become endangered. Red-cockaded woodpeckers need mature long-leaf pine forests to reproduce. Endangered western monarch butterflies depend on pesticide-free milkweed for food. Pacific salmon must have clean, cool rivers for spawning. If coastal water becomes too polluted, manatees will starve.

Yet, on July 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Interior formally rescinded the so-called harm rule under the Endangered Species Act, removing language that has protected species from losing millions of acres of habitat.

As a law professor who has followed these issues for over five decades and litigated early cases under the Endangered Species Act, I believe this effort to gut the nation’s premier wildlife conservation law is unjustified and unlawful.

I see several reasons the rule change is not likely to survive the legal challenges that have already begun.

Climate change means an earlier spring, which can be disorienting and threatening for migrating birds

Winter sightings of spring birds may become more common

Morgan Tingley, University of California, Los Angeles

Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly warming climate.

Morgan Tingley, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, studies the effects of climate change on birds.

Morgan Tingley discusses how climate change is affecting bird migration and behavior.

The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion, edited for brevity and clarity.

How is climate change affecting birds?

Morgan Tingley: In the spring, birds migrate north across the United States in order to get to where they will be spending their spring and summer. They try to time their migration so that they can arrive at their breeding grounds, build their nests and lay their eggs at the time of year when there’s going to be maximum food available.

But climate change is causing spring to happen earlier, which can cause real problems for birds. These earlier springs can result in birds falling behind local springtime because they arrive too late on their breeding grounds.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This past winter during the deep cold spell, I saw a bluebird visit our bird feeders and saw several Baltimore Orioles in the trees outside our Charlestown home. And robins on the ground. In the 25 years we've lived here, these winter sightings were a first. - Will Collette

Scientists finally solved how H5N1 bird flu hid in dairy cows

It's always the last place you look

University of Pittsburgh

Researchers uncovered why H5N1 bird flu attacks cows’ udders instead of their lungs: the virus’s preferred receptors are concentrated in mammary tissue. The breakthrough could help scientists predict future bird flu jumps and spot unusual infections before they spread widely.

When H5N1 bird flu began infecting U.S. dairy cattle in early 2024, veterinarians struggled to identify the cause. The virus was difficult to recognize because it behaved very differently in cows than it does in other mammals. Rather than primarily infecting the lungs, H5N1 caused severe infections in the udders while leaving the respiratory system largely unaffected.

Now, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health have uncovered the biological reason behind this unusual pattern. Their findings, published in Science Advances, provide the first detailed explanation for why bird flu took such an unexpected form in cattle. The work could also help scientists better anticipate how H5N1 might behave if it spreads to new animal species in the future.

Bird Flu's Unusual Appearance in Dairy Herds

The outbreak first emerged in dairy cattle in the Texas Panhandle, where animals developed severe cases of necrotizing mastitis, a painful inflammatory disease that damages tissue in the mammary glands.

Bird Flu hits Rhode Island market

Avian Flu Confirmed at Live Bird Market in Providence

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) want to alert consumers that birds at Antonelli Poultry in Providence tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza during routine quarterly testing by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The infected birds, which included live chickens and ducks, did not come from Rhode Island farms. They were from out-of-state dealers. 

Earlier today (June 13), the State Veterinarian oversaw the USDA-required humane euthanasia of about 445 asymptomatic birds at the market to prevent the spread of the disease to other birds. Per USDA regulations, Antonelli Poultry will be closed until 5 days after they have disposed of infected birds and have cleaned and sanitized all areas of the business. Antonelli Poultry is closely cooperating with DEM and RIDOH.

Because staff at Antonelli Poultry may have been exposed to avian influenza, and out of an abundance of caution, RIDOH is monitoring all staff for 10 days for symptoms of avian influenza. The overall risk of humans getting H5N1 remains low.

“Cooking poultry to the proper internal temperature of 165° kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses,” says Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “RIDOH recommends that if anyone still has poultry they bought between June 9 and June 12 that was killed and dressed by Antonelli Poultry, they should double bag the poultry and dispose of it in their regular trash. If you have properly cooked and eaten chicken from Antonelli Poultry, the risk of becoming ill is very low; however, if you develop symptoms of avian influenza, you should seek medical care.”

Symptoms of avian influenza include eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or pneumonia that requires hospitalization. People who get avian influenza can be treated with antivirals.

To prevent any foodborne illness, RIDOH recommends:

• Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after contact with raw poultry, meat, seafood, and eggs.
• Keep raw poultry and meat away from food that won’t be cooked—like fruits and vegetables.
• Cook food to the proper temperature and use a food thermometer to check the food’s internal temperature. You cannot tell by looking at food if it is cooked to the proper temperature.

Avian influenza infections in humans are rare. The best way to prevent avian influenza in humans is for people to avoid exposure.

• Avoid direct contact with birds or other animals infected with, or suspected to be infected with, avian influenza.
• Avoid direct contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, or other animals.
• Do not touch surfaces or materials contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza.
• Do not touch or drink raw milk (unpasteurized milk), especially from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza
• Do not handle any sick or dead wild birds or other animals without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

“DEM works closely with federal and State veterinary and public health officials to respond quickly to confirmed H5N1 cases in domestic birds,” said State Veterinarian Scott Marshall, DVM. “The USDA performs quarterly testing at live bird markets to ensure the public’s safety.” 

This is Rhode Island’s first confirmed domestic bird case of avian influenza in 2026. Rhode Island has previously confirmed infections in noncommercial flocks in 2022 and in 2025. 

To learn more about avian influenza in humans, visit RIDOH’s website. To learn more about avian influenza in animals, visit DEM’s website.

URI researcher aids the fight against bird flu

Identifying data gaps in bird flu host dynamics to help conserve vulnerable species

Kristen Curry

Johanna Harvey, an assistant professor of wildlife disease wildlife ecology at the University of Rhode Island, has described bird flu in public presentations as a quiet virus with loud consequences.

Now she’s published a new paper in Wildlife Monographs, describing how circulating avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) show an expanded set of susceptible hosts, including many migratory wild birds, and higher transmission rates. In the paper, Harvey examines data gaps in avian influenza host dynamics to prioritize wildlife conservation — and protect human health.

Johanna Harvey’s new paper in Wildlife Monographs describes how circulating avian influenza viruses show an expanded set of susceptible hosts and higher transmission rates.

Not comforting

Bobby Junior's bizarre post of him "rescuing" a starling at Dulles Airport

So what's the plan? Is he going to eat it? Test it for bird flu? Cut off its genitals?

How to feed your garden birds without spreading disease

Keep your backyard birds healthy

Richard Gregory, UCL

The outbreak of a mysterious and deadly disease in finches in British gardens in 2005 set alarms bells ringing for conservationists. A decade later, the extent of that disease in greenfinches and chaffinches was reported. And now, bird scientists are beginning to understand how feeding birds in our gardens might be linked to their health and survival.

Major new guidance on bird feeding released by the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), asks that we feed birds seasonally and safely.

Feeding birds in gardens is helpful, especially during winter when birds might be facing food shortages. But summer feeding should be paused because this is a time when natural food sources such as caterpillars, bugs and flies are much more abundant. In summer, the benefits of feeding the birds are less obvious. Limiting summer bird feeding also limits the spread of disease, which happens more prominently when birds gather in numbers to share food and water.

Scientists now know that the disease detected in finches in the 2000s is trichomonosis, caused by a microscopic parasite called Trichomonas gallinae. It typically infects the bird’s throat and has been known for many years to affect pigeons and doves, along with birds of prey. Birds can act as carriers or succumb to the disease. Quite how this parasite spilled over into finches is uncertain, but probably happened through the sharing of food or water.

Studies show that this parasite can persist in moist bird feed for up to five days and in water up to 30 hours, especially in milder conditions. July to October is the peak time for disease outbreaks in finches.

The disease causes lesions in the bird’s throat that interfere with its ability to swallow. This causes the bird to regurgitate food and water, and eventually die. It can spread between birds when they feed one another during courtship, when feeding chicks or through regurgitation at food or water sources in gardens. Poorly birds appear fluffed up and lethargic. Some may have messy or wet feathers around their beak and often shake their heads as they try to swallow. It’s a sad sight.

Trichomonsis has had devastating consequences in bird populations across the UK and into mainland Europe. Greenfinches and chaffinches have been hit hardest. Greenfinch numbers are down by 65% and chaffinch down by 36% since 1995. Bullfinches also catch this disease and die, and a range of other birds may contract the disease – some of which are already declining in numbers.

Two new studies could change critics’ opinions about how many birds die from wind turbines

Trump, wrong again

By Diana Resnik, EuroNews

Critics say wind turbines endanger birds but two new studies have now analysed the risk in more detail. What they have found could change the debate.

The energy company Vattenfall and the tech company Spoor have analyzed the extent to which wind turbines endanger birds at the offshore wind farm in Aberdeen. Over a period of 19 months - from June 2023 to December 2024 - video recordings of a wind turbine were made with the help of AI-supported analyses. A total of 2,007 bird flight paths near the monitored turbine were examined.

"By combining AI-powered detection and detailed expert analysis, we can replace assumptions with concrete observations and measure actual behavior in the immediate vicinity of wind turbines," says Ask Helseth, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Spoor.

The study found that there was not a single collision, "The results from Aberdeen Bay show that modern offshore wind farms can be operated with low risk to wildlife," says Dr Eva Julius-Philipp, Director Environment and Sustainability BU Wind at Vattenfall.

German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO) study: Over 99 per cent of migratory birds avoid wind turbines

How to contain avian flu H5N1 if human-to-human spread begins

With RFK Jr. in charge of the CDC, we are not prepared

By Sandra McLean, York University

Edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan 

The Onion

At this point, avian flu H5N1 is thought to have very limited ability to transmit between humans, but a recent case in British Columbia with an unknown source of transmission has piqued the curiosity and concern of scientists, including York University Professor Seyed Moghadas. Did this lone case come about through transmission from an animal or another person, and if it was via human transmission, what methods would control its spread in the human population?

Director of York's Agent-Based Modeling Laboratory in the Center of Excellence in AI for Public Health Advancement, Moghadas and a group of researchers used modeling to understand the best spread control measures should human-to-human transmission become possible.

"The idea was, let's evaluate some of the interventions that we usually implement at the very earliest stage of a disease outbreak or emerging disease, which we know very little about," he says.

For the research, "Containment Scenarios for Post-Spillover Transmission Chains of Avian Influenza H5N1 from Poultry to Humans," published in Nature Health, various scenarios from isolation to vaccination before or after a spillover event were modeled.

It is one of only a few studies that have explicitly modeled outbreak dynamics following spillover into humans or the effectiveness of public health interventions in early and highly uncertain phases of virus development.

Leave Ninigret, Trustom Pond et al. alone, dammit!

Wildlife Refuges on Trump’s Hit List 

By Gina-Marie Cheeseman

Trustom Pond. Photo by Will Collette

The Trump administration has wildlife refuges in its sights. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service head Brian Nesvik launched a review of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Fish Hatchery System. The review will look for “refuges or hatcheries established for a purpose that no longer aligns with the mission. It will also look for operational funding and the workforce.

The NWRS has 573 refuges on more than 96 million acres of land and five Marine National Monuments on 760 million acres of submerged lands and waters. Half of FWS employees work for the NWRS. The NFSH stocks over 122 million fish per year. President Theodore Roosevelt created the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge off Florida’s coast as the first unit of the NWRS.” Congress created the NFHS in 1872 to help the production of fish for food. 

Wildlife refuges are places set aside to protect wildlife and their habitats. The NWRS and the NFHS protect 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles and amphibians, and more than 1,000 species of fish. Wildlife refuges welcome more than 67 million visitors per year, generate over $3 billion in economic activity, and support more than 41,000 jobs.

A new nasal spray vaccine could stop bird flu at the door — blocking infection, reducing spread, and helping head off the next pandemic.

This Vaccine Stops Bird Flu Before It Reaches the Lungs

By WashU Medicine

Since first appearing in the United States in 2014, H5N1 avian influenza, widely known as bird flu, has steadily expanded its reach. The virus has spread from wild birds into farm animals and, more recently, to humans. Since 2022, 

more than 70 people in the U.S. have been infected, including two deaths. Because the virus continues to circulate widely among animals, scientists warn that it has ongoing opportunities to adapt in ways that could allow it to spread more easily between people, raising fears of a future pandemic.

A Nasal Vaccine Designed to Stop Infection Early

To reduce that risk, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis developed a nasal spray vaccine aimed at stopping the virus at its point of entry. When tested in hamsters and mice, the vaccine triggered strong immune responses and successfully prevented infection after exposure to H5N1.

One major concern with bird flu vaccines is that immunity from previous seasonal flu infections or vaccinations could weaken their effectiveness. The research team addressed this issue directly and found that their nasal vaccine remained highly protective even in animals with prior flu immunity.

The findings were published today (January 30) in Cell Reports Medicine.

Parakeets Reveal a Surprising Rule for Making Friends

Bonding with your 'keet

By University of Cincinnati

Forming new relationships can be difficult, even in the animal world. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati discovered that monk parakeets introduced to unfamiliar birds tend to “test the waters” before deciding whether a potential companion is safe. 

Instead of approaching immediately, they move in gradually, becoming comfortable over time before engaging in interactions that carry a higher risk of conflict or injury.

The work was published in the journal Biology Letters.

Why Parrots Value Close Social Bonds

“There can be a lot of benefits to being social, but these friendships have to start somewhere,“ said Claire O’Connell, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

O’Connell conducted the study with UC Associate Professor Elizabeth Hobson, former UC postdoctoral researcher Annemarie van der Marel, and Princeton University Associate Professor Gerald Carter. She explained that many parrot species develop deep connections with one or two trusted partners. These pairs may spend long periods together, groom each other, or form reproductive partnerships. According to O’Connell, maintaining strong bonds such as these is often associated with reduced stress and higher reproductive success.

Why bird flu is so dangerous

Fever-Proof Bird Flu Variant Could Fuel the Next Pandemic

By University of Cambridge

Bird flu viruses present a significant risk to humans because they can continue replicating at temperatures higher than a typical fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing or stopping viral infections, yet research led by the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow shows that avian flu strains can keep multiplying even when the body reaches temperatures that normally hinder viruses.

In a study published in Science, the researchers identified a gene that strongly influences how sensitive a flu virus is to heat. During the major pandemics of 1957 and 1968, this gene moved into human flu viruses, and the resulting strains were able to spread efficiently.

Another stupid Donald post

Wrong bird, wrong country, wrong year

URI natural resources faculty offer screen-free suggestions for an active new year

Make a resolution to engage more with the natural world

Kristen Curry

Lots of Boomer kids (like PC's editor) got these
for Christmas

As youth social media time remains a worldwide topic, faculty in the University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences offer some last-minute shopping suggestions for family activities or pastimes that get children — and their family members — off devices and out of the house.

Mindful gift planning can build science literacy and future scientists as well as offer connection and benefits for adults looking to minimize their own screen time in the year ahead, say faculty members, drawing on not only professional expertise, but also their off-campus roles as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

“There are a number of ways to encourage science interests in young people from an early age,” said Becky Sartini, the college’s associate dean. “We don’t have to wait for kids to be in high school to give them opportunities to try science or explore.”

Looking at the world around you

Scott McWilliams, professor of natural resources science, says a simple pair of binoculars is a great idea for a holiday gift. “It changes the way kids see the world and also makes them feel like a real birder,” he said.

McWilliams, an expert in birds and their migratory patterns, says the first foray into birding can start in one’s own backyard. He likes the bird feeders that come with a camera so children (“and adults that behave like kids”) can see their feathered friends up close. Likewise, he says a dissecting microscope can open up a whole new world for a young person. He also is a fan of collection display cases; future geologists might use them to store rocks — McWilliams’ grandson uses one for bugs. Bug boxes are fun to get or give, too.

Other gift suggestions from faculty include microscopes, mineral kits, a bird field guide, nature journal, a plant or tree ID guide, a lupe magnifying tool, nature notebook, or a plant press to start a dried plant collection (heavy books and old newspapers can also be used).

Michelle Peach, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources Science, enjoyed many outdoor activities with her own children and says that nets make a fun gift for younger kids to catch insects or frogs. Children might also find the idea of a butterfly garden appealing, she says, and can learn about which plants attract butterflies by contacting the University’s Cooperative Extension Gardening Hotline at gardener@uri.edu.

Faculty members also suggested ways for Rhode Island families to be more active or set adventures in the year ahead that don’t require shopping.

What the Trump regime is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic

One way to deal with a health care crisis is to pretend it doesn't exist

By Nat Lash for ProPublica

Nearly a million chickens packed the barns at Howe’s Hens last Christmas Eve when the first of them tested positive for bird flu. The deadly virus spreads so fast that even if only one hen is infected, farmers are legally obligated to kill all of the others. Massive mounds of carcasses soon appeared outside the Ohio egg farm, covered in compost. 

The slaughter wasn’t enough. The virus tore through industrial barns in Darke County and moved on through one of the most poultry-dense regions in America, crossing the state line into Indiana. Rows of raised earth became a familiar sight alongside the roads that crisscrossed the plains. The air stank of death, recalled cafe owner Deborah Mertz: “The smell of every bird in Mercer County, rotting.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture urged farmers to follow a longstanding playbook that assumes that bird flu is spread by wild birds and tracked into barns with lax safety practices. The agency blamed the outbreak on “shared people and equipment.”  

Three years into a brutal wave of the virus, industry leaders raised evidence that bird flu was entering barns differently and evading even the strictest protocols. They suspected it could be airborne and begged officials to deploy a proven weapon against the disease: a vaccine for poultry.

The USDA didn’t do that or explore their theory, and its playbook failed: In just three months, the virus that erupted in a single Ohio farm spread to flocks with over 18 million hens — 5% of America’s egg layers. All were killed to try to stop the contagion, and egg prices hit historic highs, surpassing the previous fall’s spike, which Donald Trump had cited as a massive failure of economic leadership in his successful campaign for the presidency.

After a quiet summer, bird flu is on the move again, and experts say it poses an escalating threat. While the virus doesn’t appear capable of spreading from human to human, it has killed people exposed to sick poultry. This year, the United States saw its first death from bird flu, a Louisiana senior with a flock of backyard chickens.  

Viruses are constantly evolving, and if a person catches bird flu while infected with a seasonal flu, the pathogens could mutate into a variant that infects large numbers of people. “The minute it transmits in humans, it’s done,” warned Erin Sorrell, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 

Given the stakes — and the government’s limited investigation of this winter’s outbreak — ProPublica set out to examine the USDA’s continuing conviction that the spread of the virus can sufficiently be curbed by its safety practices.

How tiny woodpeckers deliver devastating strikes to drill into wood

Pecking with power

Brown University

Photo by Will Collette

It’s one of nature’s mysteries: How can woodpeckers, the smallest of which weigh less than an ounce, drill permanent holes into massive trees using only their tiny heads? New research shows that there’s much more at play, anatomically: When a woodpecker bores into wood, it uses not only its head but its entire body, as well as its breathing.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, a team led by biologists at Brown University reveals how woodpeckers combine breathing and whole-body coordination to drill into trees with extraordinary force. 

“These findings expand our understanding of the links between respiration, muscle physiology and behavior to perform extreme motor feats and meet ecological challenges,” said lead author Nicholas Antonson, a postdoctoral research fellow in ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Brown.

Photo by Will Collette

The team studied downy woodpeckers, the smallest species of woodpeckers in North America, which populate forested areas throughout the United States and Canada. Most scientists who investigate woodpecker physiology focus on neck muscles, said study co-author Matthew Fuxjager, a professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Brown who has been studying woodpeckers for over a decade.

“We’re left to wonder, where does all the power come from?” Fuxjager said. “Where does the protection come from? Those questions stimulated our study, which took a more whole-body approach.”

In experiments conducted in Fuxjager’s lab, the scientists offered woodpecker study subjects some of their favorite types of wood and then measured the muscles the birds employed while drilling. The team used high-speed video to observe frame-by-frame, every 4 milliseconds, how the birds’ head positioning coordinated with activation of various muscles. They also measured air pressure and airflow in the birds’ airways.

Assessing wild turkeys in Rhode Island

Trying to better understand these majestic birds

Kristen Curry

Photo by Will Collette

New URI project launching this fall will study the state’s wild turkeys to better understand and maintain local population

Everyone’s talking turkey at this time of year. But Scott McWilliams’ lab at the University of Rhode Island is thinking about them in particular, hoping to call significant attention to the iconic New England bird.

The University’s Department of Natural Resources Science is launching a five-year study of the North American Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) to track its health and population in Rhode Island, in partnership with the state’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

Professor McWilliams, a certified wildlife biologist, says the team seeks to learn more about the reintroduced bird’s health in terms of disease prevalence, stressors, reproduction, and other habits.

“This is a well-known species, but we don’t know a lot about the drivers of this population,” he says.

Bird flu seems to be surging again

Aren't you glad that Bobby Jr. cancelled federal funding for bird flu vaccine research?

Stephanie Soucheray, MA

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced another flurry of highly pathogenic avian flu detections in waterfowl and other wild birds from across the country. 

APHIS also reported that a black bear in Larimer County, Colorado, was infected with a Eurasian H5 avian flu strain.

Six Canada geese in Campaign County, Illinois, died from H5N1, as did six Canada geese found in Kent County, Michigan. A swan in Shelby County, Missouri, was also recorded. 

New York’s Genesee County had 10 H5 detections, in mallards, wood ducks, and green-winged teal. All New York birds were hunter harvested. 

The Onion

In Colorado, four counties, including Rio Grande and Alamosa, reported H5 identifications in ducks. South Dakota confirmed H5N1 in a gull in Minnehaha County and in a Canada goose in Codington County.

A late-fall surge in avian flu activity has become seasonal in North America, as migratory waterfowl fly south for the winter. But several scientists are worried that the current government shutdown will only make surveillance that much more difficult in the coming weeks. 

The New York Times reported that the National Animal Laboratory Health Network, which is coordinated by the USDA, has a suspended its weekly calls during the shutdown. Those calls had allowed labs to share information.