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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

A black-tailed prairie dog stands near its burrow.

Ecologists Dig Prairie Dogs, And You Should Too

Are prairie dogs pests or ecosystem engineers? It all depends on your point of view

researcher Tremie Gregory climbs high up a tree in Peruvian Amazon rainforest to set up a camera trap

How Scientists Are Uncovering the Secrets of Life in the Rainforest Canopy

Camera trap photos show arboreal animals living hundreds of feet above the ground

Animu and Giha’s male Guam kingfisher chick at 23 days old.

Winging It: A Parenting Test for Guam Kingfishers

In April, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute celebrated the birth of two extinct-in-the-wild Guam kingfisher chicks. Find out more about the new chicks in this update from animal keeper Erica Royer.

One of the common species Bird House keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are working to better understand is the wood thrush — the official bird of Washington, D.C.

Continuing the Legacy of Bird Conservation

Raising awareness about the plight of migratory birds is key to their survival. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is in the midst of completely transforming its beloved Bird House from its humble foundation (circa 1928) into a celebration of birds and their amazing annual journeys. Since the Bird House closed to visitors in 2018, animal keepers, nutritionists and scientists have been working behind the scenes to better understand the husbandry of native songbirds and shorebirds.

Head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Scott Sillett.

Birds Connect Our World

As the sounds of traffic and crowds have hushed, you may have noticed more birdsong than usual. Stay-at-home measures keeping most of us indoors are likely emboldening our feathered friends, and many more humans are stopping to listen.

Female Guam kingfisher Giha at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Guam kingfishers are extinct in the wild, but scientists are working to change that by breeding the species for release in the near future.

Some Egg-citing News and a Few Love Bites

There are only 135 Guam kingfishers in the world. The species is extinct in the wild, but scientists are working to change that by breeding the species for release in the near future.

A female Guam kingfisher at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2012.

Guam Kingfishers: A Truly Rare Breed

As an animal keeper at SCBI, some of my favorite birds to work with are small but sassy. Guam kingfishers certainly fall into this category. We have three pairs to introduce during this year's breeding season, so we have our work cut out for us.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's

Preparing for Cheetah Cubs

At the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, the carnivore team is gearing up for a very special arrival: cheetah cubs! As one of 10 facilities in the Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, SCBI researchers study the behavior, biology, health and reproduction of these rare cats.

Two pandas at China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (also called Chengdu Panda Base or CPB).

Learning More About Panda Health One Drop of Blood at a Time

You may not like needles or giving blood when you go to the doctor’s office, but did you know that blood is an important diagnostic tool for veterinarians? When an animal is feeling sick, one of the very first steps a veterinarian takes is to obtain a blood sample for analysis.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Persian onagers and their foals enjoyed 6 inches of snow in January.

Persian Onagers Dig the Snow

It has been a fairly mild winter at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, with the exception of a pretty big snowfall Jan. 7. It was the first snow day for SCBI's newest Persian onager foals, but there are no snow days for the animal keepers who care for these ungulates.

Guam rail bird with stocky body, striped chest feathers and stripes on its head walks through grass

Conserving the Last of Guam’s Avifauna: The Recovery of the Guam Rail

Walking through the forests of Guam is arresting — because it’s silent. But the sound of the forest is returning.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed many new animals in 2019, including this endangered red panda cub. (Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute).

2019's Conservation Stories Worth Celebrating

Saving species is what we strive to do every day at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. As the year winds down, we’re reflecting on some of our biggest conservation success stories of 2019.

Forty years ago, the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail could be heard throughout Virginia’s grasslands. Today, their calls are fading.

Answering the Call for Bobwhite Quail

Forty years ago, the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail could be heard throughout Virginia’s grasslands. Today, their calls are fading — silenced by changing farm practices and land development that have led to the quail’s steep population declines. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes program has joined a nationwide effort to save this charismatic species and its habitat.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Mike Henley dives at a coral nursery where brown rice coral and blue rice coral grow.

Testing the Waters: Coral Nurseries and Climate Change

What makes (or breaks) a coral’s ability to survive rising sea temperatures? It’s a puzzling predicament, and scientists are hoping coral nurseries can help crack the code. To test the waters, they grow brown rice coral and blue rice coral in various temperatures and conditions, then reintroduce fragments into the ocean. Suspended from a “tree” above the sea floor, these corals are teaching Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist Mike Henley whether corals grown in warmer waters fare better than their cold-water counterparts.

As far as predators go, coyotes are one of the most resourceful and resilient.

Connecting with Coyotes on the Prowl

In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, eastern coyotes join the ranks of top predators, along with black bears and foxes. Still, these clever canines face threats in their native habitat. Their daily migrations take them over roads and private lands, where the likelihood of human-animal conflict is high. Using GPS collars, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists, led by biologist Joe Guthrie, are about to embark on a study to piece together the movements of coyotes on the prowl.

Scimitar Horned Oryx

Goats and Gazelles and Oryx, Oh My! How Wildlife Veterinarians Treat (Almost) All Species

Goats and Gazelles and Oryx, Oh My! How Wildlife Veterinarians Treat (Almost) All Species

As two orangutan infants tussled in the trees, curator of primates Meredith Bastian and primate keeper Alex Reddy looked on in awe. Over the summer, they traveled to Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to follow these great apes in their native habitat.

Primate Diary: Observing Orangutans in the Wild

Curator of primates Meredith Bastian and primate keeper Alex Reddy traveled to Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to follow great apes in their native habitat. They tell of their research trip in the interview below.

A bison crosses a coulee (a landform shaped by water drainage) during a freezing spring morning.

Studying Animals in Extreme Landscapes

We know that animals select where to live based on their needs — such as food, shelter or safe passage — and their preferences change throughout the year. I want to understand why large mammals choose some areas over others, and how human interaction affects their activity and distribution.

A tapir (Tapirus terrestris) caught on camera in Peru's Amazonian rainforest.

Eyes and Ears on the Amazon Rainforest

Camera traps and acoustic recorders allow researchers to covertly monitor wildlife

When animals are anesthetized, veterinarians cover their eyes to minimize visual stimulation. In this picture, veterinary technician Lisa Ware is administering fluids to help ensure a smooth recovery from anesthesia.

Tracking Tapirs: An Expedition in Ecuador

Tapirs are very charismatic, yet not many people know much about these species. Evolutionarily, tapirs represent a unique taxonomic group; they have retained most of their prehistoric anatomical traits. They are well adapted to climbing steep slopes efficiently, since they live at such high altitudes — between 3,200 meters and 4,300 meters above sea level. Their babies are absolutely cute and sport a brown and white watermelon-like pattern when they are young.

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