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Palm cockatoo: Why a unique ‘drumming’ bird is in peril

The palm cockatoo is thought to be the only bird species to use tools musically – drumming wood to attract a mate.

Found only in Australia and neighbouring New Guinea, the species is facing a dramatic population decline, scientists say.

Video by Isabelle Rodd

6 January 2021

Papua New Guinea

Australia climate

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BBC reporter, Megan Davies, is central looking at the camera. She in presenting the social video. On her left is are images of a dog and a traditonal fox hunting helmet. On her right is a fox. All three images have been photo edited into the shot rather than placed there. On the table is a coffee insulation cup

Are people still fox hunting?

Column of dark ash against blue sky

Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki spews giant column of ash

Mini the monkey

Moment BBC reporter returns tortured monkey into wild

Bernard and Twinkle the vultures perched on a log, in a cage, looking towards each other

Arthritic vulture reunited with partner after jab

Two dairy cow calves, with black and white patterns, standing in on hay and in a pen.

Cow has four calves in 'one-in-11 million' birth

Two rhinos stand close together in their enclosure, one is an adult and the other is a calf

Rhino calf with feeding issue now stomping around

Beds, Herts & Bucks

Curlew, brown bird with speckled wings, mid-flight

The curlew's return to Lower Lough Erne

Two parrots looking at eachother

Couple love showing people their 20 rescued parrots

A screen grab from a camera inside an owl nesting box. It shows a mother owl and her four chicks. The mother owl and one of the chicks both have small rodents in their beaks.

A bird's-eye view inside a baby barn owl nest

Northern Ireland

Pope Francis wears traditional headwear during his visit to Vanimo

Pope Francis welcomed in remote Vanimo in Papua New Guinea

A group of dolphins and seagulls fight over a group of fish.

Watch: Dolphins and seagulls fight for food off Malibu coast

Maddie with the two binmen

Meet the dog brightening up a weekly bin round

Northern Ireland

Gentoo penguin chick standing sideways and looking at the camera with ice and a wall behind it

Penguin chick takes its first swim at aquarium

Hull & East Yorkshire

Thousands of dead fish are seen on the salt marsh beach in Volos, Thessaly, Greece

Thousands of floating dead fish blanket Greek port

A gold and green leopard frog peers out of some leaves

Endangered leopard frogs released into the wild

A bear eats honey off a measuring stick

Watch: Bears tempted with honey into zoo weigh-in

Beds, Herts & Bucks

Two swimmers look at an oarfish on a paddle-board with one man atop the board

Rare ‘doomsday’ oarfish spotted off California coast

Tortoise on a railway track.

Watch: Tortoise spotted walking on railway tracks

Cow and man sitting together

What is it like to cuddle a cow?

Stella the cat meows at her front door

Is this London’s most adventurous cat?

Thom Yorke speaking on microphone on stage and pointing at audience

Radiohead's Thom Yorke calls out heckler over Gaza protest

Watch: Radiohead's Thom Yorke responds to heckler shouting about Gaza

Tilly Cooper

Australian teen: Oh my God, I just talked to the Queen

An Australian says "you can't get any better than that" after meeting King Charles and Queen Camilla in Sydney.

Indigenous protester arrested by police in Sydney.

'He is a King of thieves': Aboriginal protester arrested in Sydney

BBC footage shows the protester shouting to crowds waiting to see King Charles outside of the Sydney Opera House.

Lidia Thorpe being ejected as she heckles King Charles in Parliament House in Canberra

Moment King Charles is heckled by Australian politician

The woman shouted "you are not our King" and "this is not your land" before being escorted out.

A woman on a Sydney street speaks to the camera

What do Australians think of the King's visit?

The BBC asks Australians about the King's visit this week and local feelings about the monarchy.

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnolley wearing white shirts and black suit jackets

Ant & Dec helped reunite me with my Aussie family

Tina flies to Melbourne to meet her four siblings for the first time and it is captured on film.

People trapped in mid-air after ride malfunctions in Australia

People trapped in mid-air after ride malfunctions in Australia

The ride was stopped due to a "sensor communication fault", according to a theme park official.

Raygun speaking

Australian breakdancer Raygun opens up about 'devastating' hate online

The Australian b-girl said she "gave her best" during her performance at the Paris Olympics

Nate Byne presenting the weather on ABC News Breakfast

Weather presenter speaks out about on-air panic attack

ABC News Breakfast's Nate Byrne speaks with the BBC about how he handled the on-air moment.

Julian Assange hugs wife

Assange 'needs time... to recuperate', wife tells reporters

Julian Assange is with his family in Australia, after walking free from a US court in Saipan.

Nish Veer, speaking from Sydney

‘He went through hell’: Australians on Assange’s release

‘He went through hell’: Australians react to Julian Assange’s release

Swimmers on the beach in Hobart for the naked winter solstice swim

Naked swimmers mark Australia's winter solstice

Around 3,000 people took the plunge in the River Derwent in Hobart to mark the winter solstice.

Light plane flying over houses

‘Mayday’: Plane flies near homes before crash landing

The pilot was able to steer clear of roofs in Sydney’s suburbs after the plane lost power mid-flight.

Debra and

Watch: Mother of slain surfers says ‘shine brighter’ in their memory

The mother of two Australian brothers killed in Mexico says “the world has become a darker place”.

A family in Sydney attending a vigil for the Sydney stabbing victims.

'We felt we should honour a mum in our community'

People gather for a vigil in Sydney to remember those who died in a stabbing attack in the city's Bondi Junction.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel

Stabbed Sydney bishop forgives his alleged attacker

In an audio message, Mar Mari Emmanuel said he was ‘doing fine’ in his first statement since being attacked on Monday.

Two police officers stand outside a church with riot shields

Police disperse crowds after Sydney church stabbing

A bishop and several other people have been stabbed during a sermon in the suburb of Wakeley in Sydney.

Katy Watson in front of police tape

Sydney attack: What's known about how it unfolded?

The BBC's Katy Watson explains the violence at Bondi Junction that left six people and their attacker dead.

The words 'This video has been removed for rights reasons' on a red background

This video has been removed for rights reasons

This video has been removed for rights reasons.

Two men on an escalator appearing to have a confrontation

Video shows Sydney stabbing attack suspect in mall

The footage appears to show a man confronting the knifeman on an escalator with a pole.