Joanna Thompson

Contributor, Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ magazine

Articles by Joanna Thompson

A bird head, wing, feather, and foot silhouetted against a brain scan.
Yes, Birding Does Change Your Brain
March 29, 2023 — Neuroscientists puzzling over how human memory and learning function often turn to birdwatchers to connect the dots.
You Could Use Some Good Bird News
September 10, 2021 — Stop doomscrolling and check out these hopeful stories.
A juvenile Caspian Tern stands on the beach in Ocean Shores, Washington.
Why Heat Waves Amplified by Climate Change Are a Big Problem for Baby Birds
August 13, 2021 — The extreme heat wave earlier this summer was a disaster for nestlings in the Pacific Northwest. With climate change, these intense hot spells will become more frequent, ultimately threatening bird populations.
Emperor Penguins Proposed for Listing Under Endangered Species Act
August 04, 2021 — The Antarctic seabirds may qualify as a ‘threatened’ species due to climate change. But without reducing carbon emissions, can the listing help them?
Florida's Early and Severe Red Tide Raises Concern for Coastal Bird Safety
July 23, 2021 — As harmful algal blooms kill off fish and sicken birds in the Tampa Bay area, conservationists worry that nesting Black Skimmers, terns, and other shorebird species could be at risk from eating tainted seafood.
Viewed from above, a group of 100 or so Emperor Penguins look like tiny ants. They are gathered on the ice near Cape Crozier, Antarctica, one of the species' largest breeding colonies.
How One Clash With an Iceberg Threw an Emperor Penguin Colony into Disarray
July 14, 2021 — Climatologists predict an increase in wayward icebergs as warming seas weaken glaciers. A new analysis shows how they threaten penguin survival.
Scientists Still Searching for the Pathogen Behind the East's Songbird Epidemic
July 08, 2021 — In a new report, experts ruled out a range of causes, but they still recommend taking down feeders until the source of the disease is identified.
A Drone Crash Caused Thousands of Elegant Terns to Abandon Their Nests
June 11, 2021 — California wildlife managers are hoping the birds relocated to other nesting sites. Meanwhile, they are working to ensure this doesn't happen again.