Scientists Deconstruct the “Biological Clock” That Regulates Precise Timing of Complex Birdsong
The precise timing of a bird’s complex song is driven in part by the often-ignored “wires” connecting neurons in the bird’s brain, according to a…
Birds
Bird Brains Are Surprisingly Complex: Extraordinary Cognitive Performance
Innovative microscopy method reveals unexpected similarities between mammals and birds. Some birds can achieve extraordinary cognitive performance — but their brains were considered to be…
Lily the Barn Owl and Innovative Technology Reveals How Birds Fly in Gusty Winds
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions — findings that…
The Surprising Organization of Bird Brains: New Research Clears Up 150 Years of False Assumptions
Some birds can perform amazing cognitive feats – even though their forebrains seem to just consist of lumps of grey cells, while mammalian forebrains harbor…
Citizens Help Scientists Demonstrate Value of Protected Areas in Biodiversity Hotspots Across the Globe
New study used millions of bird observations collated by citizens to test the effectiveness of protected areas in tropical forests across the globe. Protected areas…
How COVID-19 Caused Birds to Up Their Song Quality in the San Francisco Bay Area
Reductions in humanmade noise resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown led birds in parts of California to adapt their songs to be higher quality, a…
Researchers Hope to Save Seabirds – Such As Gulls and Pelicans – By Calculating the Value of Their Poop
Seabird species such as gulls and pelicans are often overlooked when it comes to conservation and can struggle to capture the public eye. To raise…
Scientists Say Oriole Hybridization Is a Dead End
Baltimore and Bullock’s Orioles Are Not Merging A half-century of controversy over two popular bird species may have finally come to an end. In one…
Why Bird Nests Attract Flying Insects and Parasites
Researchers in Spain study how disease vectors such as flying midges sense differences in gas concentration in order to locate their hosts. Flying insects and…
Secrets of Magnificent Soaring Birds Revealed – Flapping Their Wings for Just 1% of Flight Time
New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds rely on air currents, not flapping to move around. New research has…
Listen to Sparrow Song That Went “Viral” Across Canada – Traveled Over 1,800 Miles
Most bird species are slow to change their tune, preferring to stick with tried-and-true songs to defend territories and attract females. Now, with the help…
Hummingbirds See Spectacular Colors Humans Can Only Imagine – Comparatively, We’re Color-Blind
Princeton-led team trains wild hummingbirds to discriminate UV color combinations. To find food, dazzle mates, escape predators and navigate diverse terrain, birds rely on their…
Mysterious Australian Night Parrots May Not Be Much Better at Seeing in the Dark
Australia’s most elusive bird, the Night Parrot, may not be much better at seeing in the dark than other parrots active during the day. An…
How Gene Flow Between Species Influenced the Evolution of Darwin’s Finches
Despite the traditional view that species do not exchange genes by hybridization, recent studies show that gene flow between closely related species is more common…
Revealed: How Bird Wings Adapted to Their Environment and Behavior
Bird wings adapted for long-distance flight are linked to their environment and behavior, according to new research on an extensive database of wing measurements, led…
Some Birds Live Fast and Die Young – Scientists Study of Thousands of Species to Explain Why
Research from the University of Sheffield has revealed why some bird species take longer to develop than others Findings could help scientists predict how animals…
Microscopic Feather Features Explain Why These Terrifyingly Dangerous Birds Shine
Cassowaries are big flightless birds with blue heads and dinosaur-looking feet; they look like emus that time forgot, and they’re objectively terrifying. They’re also, along…
Tyrannosaurs to Modern Crows: Evolutionary Tracing to Discover How Birds Evolved Big Brains
International team of researchers traces the history of brain evolution from tyrannosaurs to modern crows. An international team of evolutionary biologists and paleontologists have reconstructed…