Project Noah

05/02/2026

A Crab-Eating Macaque, Macaca Fascicularis, is Project Noah’s Spotting of the Month for May! Photographed by honosuryo in a mangrove on the island of Borneo, this mother is seen protecting her young.
This species isn’t just adaptable—it’s a biological powerhouse shaped by evolution to thrive across diverse environments. Here’s what makes their biology so remarkable: Crab-eating macaques have long tails (often longer than their body!) that help with balance and agility, especially when navigating trees and uneven coastal terrain. Their dexterous hands allow precise manipulation of food—whether peeling fruit or cracking open shellfish.
Teeth tell the story - their dentition reflects an omnivorous diet: sharp incisors for biting, strong molars for grinding plant material, and canines used in both feeding and social signaling. This dental versatility supports their ability to exploit many food sources.With relatively large brains for their body size, these macaques exhibit advanced cognitive abilities. They learn quickly, solve problems, and even use simple tools in some populations—key traits for survival in changing environments.
Females typically give birth to a single infant after a gestation period of about 5–6 months. Infants are highly dependent at birth, and maternal care is crucial—strong social bonds directly impact survival and development. Their bodies are well-suited to tropical climates, with efficient thermoregulation and the ability to process a wide variety of foods, including those found in coastal and brackish ecosystems.
From their teeth to their tails, every part of the crab-eating macaque reflects an evolutionary story of adaptability, intelligence, and survival
https://projectnoah.org/wildlife-spotting-month

04/27/2026

Happy World Tapir Day! Held every year on April 27, this quirky and heartwarming day shines a spotlight on one of the animal kingdom’s most underrated creatures: the tapir.
Often described as a mix between a pig, an anteater, and a tiny elephant (thanks to that adorable prehensile snout), tapirs have actually been around for millions of years. They’re ancient mammals, with fossil records dating back to the time when horses and rhinos were just starting out.
Today, there are four species—three in Central and South America and one in Southeast Asia—and all of them play a crucial role in their ecosystems. Think of them as “gardeners of the forest,” spreading seeds and helping plants grow simply by going about their daily lives.
World Tapir Day isn’t just about appreciating how cute and fascinating these animals are (though that’s definitely part of it). It’s also about raising awareness. Tapirs face serious threats from habitat loss and hunting. Conservationists use this day to highlight efforts to protect them and their homes.
The celebration itself is wonderfully wholesome. Zoos, wildlife organizations, and animal lovers around the world share photos, fun facts, artwork, and stories about tapirs. You might see tapir-themed crafts, educational posts, or even birthday-style celebrations for tapirs in captivity.


Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus, photographed by Project Noah community member ShannaB in Australia.
https://projectnoah.org/spottings/malayan-tapir-1

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day 2026! 💚🌍

This year’s theme is "Our Power, Our Planet", and it's all about recognizing the incredible power we have to make a difference for our planet! 🌱 From tackling climate change to preserving biodiversity, each of us has the ability to create positive, lasting change. Around the world today, community cleanups, tree planting events, and sustainability initiatives are taking place to protect and restore the Earth. 🌳 It's a reminder that when we unite our efforts, we can build a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone. 🌿

How are you celebrating Earth Day 2026? Whether it's reducing waste, conserving energy, or getting involved in a local event, every action—big or small—makes a difference. 💚

Let’s harness our power and protect the planet for generations to come! 🌍

🌿🌎

Earth Day Events: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/

Earth Day on Nature Conservancy: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/earth-day/

Earth Day on Project Noah Nature Calendar:
https://projectnoah.org/nature-calendar/earth-day

Tagging EarthDay.org

04/20/2026

Project Noah launched a series of coding updates to our main site recently to improve site functionality, enhance interaction design, launch a new landing page and fix some bugs.

Release notes from this code deployment:
• New Instagram-focused social media landing
• Enhanced content organization and layout of stories overview
• Improved styling of comment box on stories
• Expanded footer design with two new sub-footer sections
• Added hover text when user hovers over icons on spotting and story
• Added underline to story title links upon hover
• Styled story cards on tag and category templates with new design
• Improved design of button hover states
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

We also produced a new "What's New: Feature Releases, Code Deployments & Announcements" webpage that shows community members important feature releases, code release notes and site announcements over the last 4-5 years. This new page is easily accessible from the supernav menu. Future code release notes will be added to this page.

https://projectnoah.org/whats-new-across-project-noah

04/17/2026

🦇Happy Bat Appreciation Day! 🦇

Did you know that bats are among the hardest-working mammals? A single bat will search for and consume thousands of insects in one night. In the process, these flying mammals help farmers protect crops and reduce the need for pesticides.

Bats are also critically important pollinators. They pollinate plants like bananas, mangoes and agave (yes, the plant used to make tequila) - and help to spread seeds. Let's set aside those spooky myths and celebrate these intelligent, shy and reclusive mammals, as they play a key role in biodiverse, healthy ecosystems.

Bat-focused Project Noah Missions:

North American Bat Tracker:
https://projectnoah.org/missions/north-american-bat-tracker-0

Bat Monitoring Project:
https://projectnoah.org/missions/bat-monitoring-project

Bats of Africa:
https://projectnoah.org/missions/bats-africa

Photo: Wahlberg's epaulettes fruit bat photographed by KateBraun
https://projectnoah.org/spottings/wahlbergs-epauletted-fruit-bat

Bat Appreciation Day on Project Noah:
https://projectnoah.org/nature-calendar/bat-appreciation-day

04/16/2026

Project Noah reorganized and enhanced our Discover page to better feature exciting wildlife content across the community. The new Discover page now includes: What's Featured Today, A Spotlight on Special Nature Stories, Trending Wildlife Spotters and the Wildlife Photo of the Month!
https://projectnoah.org/discover

04/14/2026

A Streak-throated Woodpecker, Picus xanthopygaeus, is Project Noah's Featured Spotting! This woodpecker was photographed by SukanyaDatta near Maheshtala in northeast India. As Sukanya writes in her field notes: "Medium-sized. Female has a black crown; males have red. Streaky underbelly and throat. Calls quite loudly. Comes to feed on the crumbs I put out for other birds on my terrace. Usually on rainy days. This is a house in a residential colony that still has tall trees, three large lakes and open spaces. Sadly many houses are now uninhabited and over run with weeds and creepers. These sustain plenty of shy wildlife."
https://projectnoah.org/spottings/streak-throated-woodpecker-0

04/04/2026

The Project Noah Team introduced a new Design to our Nature Stories this past week. Nature Stories now include a Brown background color to better highlight and showcase the story content. We also built a new widget for the Homepage to showcase the wide variety of Nature Stories across our community. As part of this release, a few other minor design enhancements and user experience improvements were also introduced to Stories. We hope the community likes this improved design. Please feel free to share any thoughts or feedback in the comments. 📢🌏☘️

02/07/2026

Did you know that Oystercatchers use their bold orange-red bills like precision tools - perfectly shaped to break into buried clams and pry open mussels. Individual oystercatchers even specialize in how they break apart shells to access food - some are "priers" slipping the bill between shell halves of mussels while other individuals are "stabbers" pushing the bill into the mud or sand to capture worms or buried clams. Oystercatcher bills have pressure-sensitive nerve endings close to the tip, which helps with prey detection. These coastal birds form long-term pair bonds to help coordinate feeding, incubation and defense of chicks. Their typical habitat includes sandy beaches, rocky shores and estuaries abundant with shellfish. Once they choose a home site, oystercatchers show strong site fidelity - returning to the same shoreline each year. This particular Oystercatcher (scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus) was photographed by Project Noah Community Member Zlatan Celebic in northern France.

https://projectnoah.org/spottings/oystercatcher-17

02/05/2026

Say Hi to this pair of Sri Lanka frogmouth birds (Scientific Name: Batrachostomus moniliger)! These birds were photographed in southwestern India by Project Noah community member sunnyjosef!

This species belongs to the family Podargidae, a lineage of nocturnal birds that split from other night birds like nightjars and owls. The ultimate master of disguise, Sri Lanka frogmouths often freeze in place as they camouflage with nearby branches through the help of their mottled, gray-brown feathers. Its famous name comes from its wide, frog-like mouth which helps it to easily capture flying insects. Endemic to Sri Lanka, this bird is perfectly adapted for nocturnal hunting. They lay 1-2 eggs on shallow nests, with both parents involved in incubation and caring for the chicks.

https://projectnoah.org/spottings/sri-lanka-frogmouth-0

01/20/2026

National Moth Week begins July 18th, this summer! 🦋

Mark your calendars and start making plans!

National Moth Week will be held July 18-26, 2026.