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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

A Savannah sparrow stands on a patch of melting snow in a warm-season grass field in Virginia. (Amy Johnson, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

Not All Birds Fly South for the Winter

Researchers in Virginia wanted to learn how common field management practices — like mowing, burning or animal grazing — affect birds that stay for the winter. They turned to local farmers and landowners for help.

Long-billed curlews are the largest shorebirds in North America, but they are only found along coasts during the winter. They spend their summers breeding in the grasslands of Montana.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Tracking the Long-billed Curlew

Long-billed curlew are shorebirds that spend their summers breeding in the grasslands of Montana. Smithsonian ecologists are equipping them with GPS trackers to learn more about their movements.

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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