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Bird Science

A yellow bird in flight, blue sky in the background.
Migrating Male Birds Race Ahead to Keep Up with Spring’s Early Arrival
January 26, 2023 — New research finds females are lagging behind males as they try and keep up with earlier springs driven by climate change.
A chickadee perched on a pine branch with a blue background.
In the Rockies, Human Activity Paves the Way for a Hybrid Bird Boom
January 12, 2023 — Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees mate more often than previously believed, research shows—especially where people disturb their habitat.
A large white bird with dark brown wings and a long orange beak sits in the grass.
Why Birds Are Anti-Aging Superstars
November 10, 2022 — Despite their extreme lifestyles, avians can live remarkably long lives for animals their size.
María Gabriela Núñez Montellano holds a White-fronted Woodpecker, a small black and white bird with a long beak.
Systemic Barriers Hinder Bird Research, Say 124 Latin American Ornithologists
October 17, 2022 — A new preprint from scientists across the region asserts that advances in neotropical ornithology will require a stronger commitment to inclusion.
Conservation News
New Study Shakes Up Long-held Belief on Woodpecker Hammering
July 14, 2022 — The findings refute the theory that the birds’ skulls act like helmets, absorbing the shock of impact. Instead, they minimize it to strike harder.
Injury or Illusion? Why a Bird With a Broken Wing May Not Be What It Appears
April 28, 2022 — Some species feign injuries to protect their nests from predators—a more common behavior than previously thought, new research shows.
Bird Behavior
North American Birds Face Their Own Pandemic With Latest Bout of Avian Flu
April 21, 2022 — Typically a threat to mainly domestic poultry, the virus has infected and killed an unprecedented number of wild birds, worrying experts.
Conservation News
How and Why Did Bird Migration Evolve?
April 19, 2022 — The drive for birds to migrate is at least partially genetic. How those genes developed—and how they function in modern birds—isn't fully known.
Bird Migration
Oldest Known Roseate Spoonbill Identified Thanks to Lucky Photograph
April 18, 2022 — After closely examining images taken by photographer Mac Stone, experts were able to identify a spoonbill banded as a chick 18 years ago.
Bird News
Silhouettes of large birds fly across the a pink and gray sky in a line. A large full moon in centered in the frame behind them.
A Brief History of How Scientists Have Learned About Bird Migration
April 13, 2022 — Researchers today can follow birds' paths as they fly thousands of miles. But it wasn't always that way. Scroll through more than two centuries of advances in understanding this natural wonder.
Bird Migration