Need to Know: Nature News Stories This Month (December 2016)

These are the top three nature news stories that you need to know about this month (December):

Wisdom, a Laysan Albatross and the old known breeding seabird, is expecting, again, — at age 66. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisdom was banded in 1956 and has fledged at least 9 chick in the past 10 years. More on that story at USFWS.
Thousands of snow geese have died after landing in an acidic mine pit water. According to The Washington Post, the Berkeley pit mine was abandoned in 1982 and is a federally managed Superfund site. The death for these geese is not instant and the Missoulian reported that dead snow geese are being found in the vicinity. One bird that was found alive later succumbed to the toxicity of the pit. Approximately 10,000 snow geese landed on the pit water.
The Red List 2016 is out and one of the species on the list might surprise you — the African Grey Parrot. Yes, a very common pet in North America has been listed as endangered. Read more about the species on the list here.