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New Zealand's unique birds are at risk of extinction, like the kiwi. So the country is trying to eradicate the invasive species that prey on them. Everyday people are lining up to help.

After the dinosaurs disappeared, the world saw an explosion of birds and mammals. But a study suggests a burst of new snakes appeared, too, with diets to match the newly expanding array of animals.

Laser beams that sweep erratically across crops have shown promise in protecting harvests from loss caused by birds. But researchers are still studying whether the beams may harm the animals' retinas.

Something good recently happened to the town of Brinkley, Ark. The ivory-billed woodpecker, last seen in 1944, was rediscovered nearby. Independent radio producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister and singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens collaborate on a tribute to Brinkley and its rare bird.

The former Trump aide's appearance before the Judiciary Committee is the first time an official from the White House agreed to show up. But Democrats said she declined to answer many questions.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Democratic strategist David Axelrod about Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, which explores Biden's decline and how his inner circle has concealed it from the public.

Thailand has killed more than 40 million chickens this year in an effort to stop a deadly strain of bird flu that's killed at least 17 people in the country. But the virus keeps resurfacing. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports.

A grand jury declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till in 1955. The grand jury determined that there was not sufficient evidence.

Caroll Spinney, 84, has performed the roles since the show's very first episode. "I will always be Big Bird," he said. "And even Oscar, once in a while!"

One veterinarian at a shelter in New York has become infected with a rare bird flu that infected dozens of cats there. The vet had only mild illness and recovered, as have all but one of the cats.

In Kansas, some cattle are now wearing GPS trackers. It's part of a plan to see if invisible fences can help ranchers grow healthy grass while also protecting disappearing prairie birds.

New Zealand plans to eradicate millions of invasive animals that threaten its rare birds. The goal may be out of reach unless new technology makes it possible.

The USDA says "several" staffers working on the bird flu response were terminated over the weekend, and "we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters."

In 2017, the Trump administration scaled back protections of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A federal judge has now struck down the rule change — and cited To Kill a Mockingbird in so doing.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with biologist Johannes Fritz, who's currently on a journey to teach northern bald ibises how to migrate for winter. The birds species was previously extinct in central Europe.

So far, there have been 14 human cases of bird flu this year. All the patients — except the one from Missouri — had been linked to sick dairy cows or poultry.

It sounds like a fairy tale but it's real. A study shows how wild birds and people communicate to find bees' nests and share the sweet honeycomb. The teamwork may date back thousands of years or more.

Health officials say a human case of the H5N1 bird flu has been found in Texas in a person exposed to dairy cattle. The risk to people remains low, but the virus bears watching.

The United States is backing production of an experimental human vaccine against bird flu for stockpiling in case the current virus mutates and starts a global pandemic. But it's not clear how useful the vaccine would be if a pandemic occurs.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Emily Kwong and Regina Barber of Short Wave about the fluid dynamics of crowds, an early fossil of a modern bird and new data on how people's moods change through the day.