Avian influenza has been around for centuries in many strains, but the strain making the news as bird flu is a “highly pathogenic avian influenza,” caused by the H5N1 virus. It’s being found in both wild birds and domestic fowl and, less commonly, in mammals, even humans.

World Shorebirds Day, an event sponsored by the Shorebird Conservation Society, was September 6th. Around this time people around the world celebrate the planet’s shorebirds, including by participating in the Global Shorebird Count.