Bird Science

Five Incredible Ways Birds Change Their Bodies for Spring and Fall Migration

April 09, 2021 — To power perilous journeys, birds undergo extreme feats like doubling their body weight and rearranging or even consuming their internal organs.

Bird Migration

Do Yourself a Favor This Spring: Go See the American Woodcock’s ‘Sky Dance’

March 26, 2021 — Timberdoodles have one of the wildest mating rituals among North American birds, and you should definitely check it out. Here’s how.

Birding Advice

Rare Yellow Penguin Bewilders Scientists

March 03, 2021 — After photos of the striking King Penguin went viral in recent weeks, experts have been searching for answers.

Bird Feathers and Colors

Roxie Laybourne studies specimens from the Birds Collection at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., in 1992. Chip Clark/Division of Birds, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution

The Remarkable Life of Roxie Laybourne

October 05, 2020 — From deep within the Smithsonian, the world’s first forensic ornithologist cracked cases, busted criminals, and changed the course of aviation—making the skies safer for us all.

Profiles

These Masters of the Sky Can Fly for Hours (or Days) While Barely Flapping

September 04, 2020 — Seven extraordinary examples of birds that figured out how to let the wind do the work for them.

How a White-throated Sparrow's New Tune Went Viral

July 02, 2020 — A modified dialect of male song began in a local population in western Canada and, in two decades, traveled to birds more than 1,800 miles away.

Bird Songs and Calls

Hot, Bothered, and Parasite-free: Why Birds Sun Themselves

February 27, 2020 — Avian sunbathing has mystified ornithologists for decades, but some recent research is confirming an old suspicion that the behavior helps fend off lice.

Bird Behavior