Half of the world's glaciers will 'disappear by 2100' - but singing lessons for birds could help

Nada Farhoud explores new research featuring a group of scientists who gave singing lessons to an endangered species of bird in Australia to help preserve the species

Critically endangered Australian honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia) (

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

It's been a bleak start to the year so far.

Seven countries have already recorded their hottest January temperatures; one of the most severe winter heat waves in modern European history.

A few days later, the Met Office confirmed that 2022 was the hottest year on record in the UK, with an average temperature of 10°C recorded for the first time.

It was 160 times more likely due to climate change.

Another study just published warns that half of the world's glaciers will be gone by 2100, even under the Paris 1.5C agreement.

At least half of this loss will occur over the next 30 years under the most optimistic scenario.

The Met Office has confirmed that 2022 is the hottest year on record (stock image) (

Picture:

Getty Images/iStockphoto)

But hope may be sought from a group of scientists who gave singing lessons to a critically endangered species of bird.

The regent honeyeater, an Australian songbird, was on the verge of extinction after habitat destruction saw its numbers drop to just 300.

As fathers do not sing until they drive their offspring from the nest, young male birds must learn their love songs from other adults in the flock.

As teachers become scarcer, researchers discovered last year that juveniles had resorted to copying the songs of other species because there were not enough adult males to learn from.

But their imitations of what should have been a sweet chiming song were so bad that the regent honeyeater females rejected them - a phenomenon not seen in wildlife since...