Lead's lethal lure for curious kea

A kea doing what kea do. However there's a fear the bird's natural curiosity for pulling things apart might be elevating poisonous lead levels in their blood.The curiosity of kea is putting the native parrot at risk of lead poisoning, according to new research.

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Canberra Close Up: Dr Denis Saunders

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo researcher Denis Saunders. Image: Gabrielle Rumble - ABC

Dr Denis Saunders bounces into the studio at 666, having walked up Mt Painter this morning, on a breathtaking Canberra autumn day. Sometimes he and his golden retriever ("the leggy blonde") have done about 11 or 12 km before breakfast.

The fit as a fiddle scientist has dedicated his life to preserving Western Australia's Carnaby's Black Cockatoo.

Denis came to Canberra with his parents in 1960. His love of nature was ignited at the family's beach house at North Rosedale on the South Coast, precious hours spent exploring on his own.

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Mauritius bird conservationist in running for £63k wildlife prize

Carl Jones has been nominated as a finalist for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize — which is given for leading work in animal conversation around the world.A CARMARTHEN eco-hero has been praised for saving pink pigeons, Mauritius kestrels, and echo parakeets from extinction.

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Environmentalists fight for Guatemala's endangered macaws

It's mating season in the Maya Biosphere...for the scarlet macaw, a crucial time of year. This protected forest reserve is home to 300 birds, almost all of Guatemala's macaw population, and conservationists like Marcial Cordoba of the Wildlife Conservation Society, are doing all they can to protect nests and ensure that numbers go up rather than down.

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Canberra a city dominated by galahs

A Galah is a common Graden bird in Canbarra. Image by Wayne ButterworthIf sulphur-crested cockatoos weren't so fussy about nesting sites they'd probably replace galahs as Canberra's most abundant bird species.

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