The resilience of the iconic Australian birds—purple-crowned fairywrens—who were found alive and well four months after extreme flooding despite all their nests being washed away is noteworthy, according to researchers. The Western Australian floodings at the start of the year brought heavy rain and swelled the nearby Fitzroy River to nearly 15.81 meters (52 feet)…

Bird researchers are relieved to find that the majority of the endangered purple-crowned fairywrens (Malurus coronatus), a small, social bird found in dense Australian vegetation, survived one of the region’s worst flooding in January and were still breeding. Western Australia entered a state of emergency when ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie inundated the Kimberley region with unprecedented flooding,…

Barely four months have passed since record floods swamped the Kimberley, but the region is already burning. For those unfamiliar with Western Australia’s remote and rugged north, it’s hard to fathom it could be dry enough to ignite. But for those who know the place, there’s an urgency to fire management efforts in a landscape…