One of America’s most iconic monuments is going dark to save lives — but not humankind

An American landmark is doing its part by going dark this month. The Gateway Arch, which has triumphantly bent over St. Louis, Missouri, for more than half a century, will now bow to nature. Throughout September, the lights on this Midwestern marvel will be turned off as millions of migratory birds begin their journey south. … Read more

A to Zealand: Golf, sheep, doomsday preppers, now a top hotel brand — Kiwi country has it all

Over the last decade or so, New Zealand’s fantasy landscapes have been transformed by twin aristocratic American obsessions: golf and doomsday.  Billionaires and tech oligarchs, half aware of the social destruction their own companies have wrought, bought up tracts of Middle Earth-like terrain to build bug-out bunkers far from potential conflict zones. At the same … Read more

Daniil Medvedev irate as bird sits on net during US Open rally in wild scene

Daniil Medvedev found himself in another bizarre scene at the U.S. Open, but this time, his racket remained intact. A pair of birds landed on the net and interrupted his second-round match Wednesday against American Sebastian Gorzny, leaving the 2021 champ — and No. 7 seed — frustrated over needing to replay a point during … Read more

‘Unprecedented’: Giant vulture delays takeoff after taking plane hostage

Was it looking for carrion luggage? A Ryanair flight out of Greece was delayed after an unexpected passenger — a giant flesh-eating vulture — landed on the aircraft and refused to budge. The plane had reportedly been prepping to depart Crete on August 16, when the super-sized scavenger alighted on the tail fin, the Greek … Read more

Woman wrangles ibis out of bustling Sydney restaurant in chaotic scene

Woman wrangles ibis out of bustling Sydney restaurant in chaotic scene

Diners at a busy restaurant in Sydney’s northwest were treated to a bit of a spectacle on the weekend when a woman stepped up to deal with a wayward bird that had made its way inside. In footage shared on social media, the woman, named Alice, can be seen calmly approaching the ibis, which is … Read more

Famous California bald eagle’s home saved after last-minute donation spares nesting grounds from development

Famous California bald eagle’s home saved after last-minute donation spares nesting grounds from development

The eagles’ home has been saved — but will it ever be a happy one? Friends of Big-Bear Valley (FOBBV), which set up a 24/7 cam for Jackie and Shadow, announced they will purchase the land the pair call home after raising $10 million, largely due to a $5.5 million donation by OpenAI co-founder Greg … Read more

Deadly virus now spreads to crows in San Diego — as officials issue warning

Deadly virus now spreads to crows in San Diego — as officials issue warning

West Nile virus has been found in two dead crows in Southern California, officials have revealed — a week after it was detected in a mosquito. San Diego County officials detected the new cases in Rolando in East County and near Encanto and North Bay Terraces. While there are no current human cases reported, the … Read more

‘The Thorn Birds’ star Rachel Ward traded ‘empty’ Hollywood to run a farm in Australia

‘The Thorn Birds’ star Rachel Ward traded ‘empty’ Hollywood to run a farm in Australia

“The Thorn Birds” star Rachel Ward candidly opened up about leaving Hollywood behind to become a farmer in Australia. Born to an aristocratic family in Britain, Ward, now 68, launched a successful modeling career across London, Paris and New York City before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s to pursue acting. However, during a recent episode … Read more

Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer in Utah is on the mend and flying free

Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer in Utah is on the mend and flying free

An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal. The great horned owl somehow made his way into the truck-mounted mixer in late October and was discovered by workers pouring concrete at a resort construction site. Lucky … Read more

Here’s what to do — and not to do — if you find an animal nesting near your home this spring

Here’s what to do — and not to do — if you find an animal nesting near your home this spring

For four years, a mallard has nested behind a bush near the front door of Caitlin Deal’s home in a Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb, offering an up-close glimpse of nature for her young son and lessons for how people can coexist with wildlife. The duck, dubbed Martha by the family, sits on her nest for about … Read more

Winging it: Seagull imitators compete for best screech at sixth annual championship

Winging it: Seagull imitators compete for best screech at sixth annual championship

Contestants faced off in the Belgian coastal town of ​De Panne on Sunday at the ‌annual European seagull screeching championship, which brought together more than 70 participants seeking to ​produce the best imitation of the ​bird’s distinctive shriek. Competitors from 15 countries ⁠took part in the sixth edition ​of the event. The contest, which took … Read more

‘The Thorn Birds’ actress, 68, claps back at criticisms over aging naturally: ‘Let it go’

‘The Thorn Birds’ actress, 68, claps back at criticisms over aging naturally: ‘Let it go’

Rachel Ward is letting the negative comments fly away. The actress, who starred as Meghan ‘Meggie’ Cleary in the “Thorn Birds,” runs a beef cattle farm with husband Bryan Brown, 78, in Australia. The couple first met on the 1983 miniseries, and Ward, 68, has continued to share glimpses of their life on Instagram over … Read more

Washington man ‘severely ill’ with ‘unpredictable’ virus never before seen in humans

Washington man ‘severely ill’ with ‘unpredictable’ virus never before seen in humans

In a startling first, a Washington state man has been infected with a strain of bird flu previously only detected in animals and never before in humans. The “severely ill” man was hospitalized with a high fever, confusion and respiratory distress earlier this month and confirmed to have H5N5, a subtype of avian influenza carried … Read more

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer’s house was invaded by an owl

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer’s house was invaded by an owl

It wasn’t exactly a hoot to be at the Schottenheimer house this week. The Dallas Cowboys coach revealed he had a winged visitor in his house on Thursday as he was in a game plan meeting, the result of his son, Sutton, leaving a sliding door open. “I don’t know if the owl was looking … Read more

Is your car a poop magnet? Birds prefer using these models as bathrooms, study reveals

Is your car a poop magnet? Birds prefer using these models as bathrooms, study reveals

Is it a poop de ville? Humans aren’t the only ones with brand loyalty when it comes to automobiles. A recent study found that our fine-feathered friends prefer certain types and colors of vehicles for pooping — with brown vehicles and Ram trucks topping the list of favorite on-the-fly toilets. “Car owners often debate whether … Read more

Feisty flamingos threaten production of risotto in Italy

Feisty flamingos threaten production of risotto in Italy

There’s a sticky situation simmering in Italy — where the solution might need plenty of legwork. Flamingos have been making themselves comfy in the rice fields of Ferrara, a charming city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for production of the key ingredient in the nation’s signature dish, risotto. To grow the short-grain … Read more

For the ultimate Galapagos expedition join a luxe safari ship

For the ultimate Galapagos expedition join a luxe safari ship

There comes a time for a SKI trip (Spending the Kids’ Inheritance, that is). Because for some destinations, if you’re going to go, you should do it well. It’s true for African safaris, and it’s certainly the case if you’re considering exploring the time-locked archipelago of the Galapagos. The Galapagos’ baddest, sexiest ship is also … Read more

Man treks 53 miles in bird costume to raise awareness about endangered species

Man treks 53 miles in bird costume to raise awareness about endangered species

A bird lover has walked 53 miles dressed in a homemade costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain’s most iconic and threatened birds. Matt Trevelyan, 46, walked the distance dressed as his favorite bird — the Eurasian Curlew — which is endangered in the United Kingdom. The DIY costume was 3 yards long … Read more

Vulture crashes into plane cockpit’s window, stuns pilot and passengers: ‘We thought we wouldn’t get out alive’

Vulture crashes into plane cockpit’s window, stuns pilot and passengers: ‘We thought we wouldn’t get out alive’

Was it searching for “carrion” luggage? A Brazilian pilot was literally flipped the bird after a vulture crashed through his cockpit window and hung lifelessly in front of him for the remainder of the flight, as seen in wild footage. “It was a close call!” the unnamed flyboy told Jam Press while recounting the wild … Read more

Bizarre moment boy pulls out tooth using pet parrot

Bizarre moment boy pulls out tooth using pet parrot

This is the bizarre moment a boy pulled out his last baby tooth using his pet parrot. Video shows the young boy, from Foshan, China, holding the bird in his right hand and guiding it to his mouth. As he opens his mouth, the clever parrot precisely grabs hold of the wobbly tooth and swiftly … Read more