Birds

Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, stands beside a trap with a rat inside. He tried to grab the rat and became briefly snared by the trap's wires, then got free and flew away.

Owl Escapes From Zoo, Becomes a New York Celebrity

A Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco has been on the loose for a week after his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo was vandalized

Personnel bury pelicans that may have died from avian flu in Lima, Peru, on December 7, 2022. At least 585 seals and 55,000 birds have been found dead in Peru, likely due to avian flu.

As Bird Flu Spreads to Mammals, Health Officials Urge Caution

Transmission between minks has called attention to the potential risks to humans, though experts say not to panic

A female (left) and male (right) golden-shouldered parrot

Australia’s Most Endangered Parrot Faces an Unusual Threat: Trees

Native vegetation blocks the birds’ ability to see approaching predators

The dodo, now extinct, weighed about 50 pounds, had blue and grey feathers and couldn't fly.

This Company Wants to Bring the Dodo Back From Extinction

Colossal Biosciences plans to de-extinct the dodo, but some scientists question whether it’s ethical—or even plausible

A grizzly bear in Glacier National Park in Montana

Three Grizzly Bears Tested Positive for Avian Flu in Montana

The current outbreak has led to the deaths of more than 52 million birds in the United States

Red junglefowl, ancestors of wild chickens, are known to mix with domestic birds.

Why Chickens Need to Stop Breeding With Their Wild Cousins

The red junglefowl is losing important genetic diversity in its native Asian habitat

A Pasadena resident photographs a peacock as it spreads out its tail feathers on the front lawn of her home in 2021.

California City Relocates Noisy Peacocks

The colorful birds have sparked disputes between residents in South Pasadena, with some enjoying the animals and others wanting them gone

The new local celebrity of Cypress, California, perches on a rooftop.

A Rare Snowy Owl Is Captivating Southern California

How the Arctic bird ended up among palm trees remains a mystery

The small mammal's foot in the fossil of the microraptor.

This 120-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Had a Mammal Hiding in Its Stomach

The finding represents only the second recorded instance of a dinosaur consuming a mammal

Pollinators, including bees, are suffering because of human activities.

Shrinking Pollinator Populations Could Be Killing 427,000 People Per Year

New research explores the relationship between human health and crop loss due to pollination deficits around the world

For several decades, flocks of lesser and greater flamingos have returned to a sliver of wetlands on the shoreline of Mumbai, India, increasing the population 13-fold. Their arrival has been a source of pride for local people, but development pressures are threatening the habitat of these feathered residents.

Mumbai Is Embracing the 100,000 Flamingos That Winter on Its Coast

The birds and their habitat are threatened by development, but efforts to protect them are gaining traction

Humans have come up with a number of wacky methods to keep animals deemed "vermin" in check.

Seven of the Wildest and Weirdest Attempts to Curb Animal Pests

Why use fences or traps, when you can use deadly viruses or lustful snakes?

Artist’s reconstruction of Janavis finalidens

How a 67-Million-Year-Old Fossil Turned the Theory of Bird Evolution Upside-Down

A skull bone suggests prehistoric birds could move their upper beaks, much like most modern birds

The current outbreak has led to the first case of avian flu in humans in the United States.

More Than 52 Million Birds in the U.S. Are Dead Because of Avian Flu

Many domestic birds have been culled to contain the disease, which is also spreading in wild flocks

Male great bustard (Otis tarda)

These Giant Birds Might Self-Medicate Their STIs

During the breeding season, great bustards consume two plants that may combat common pathogens

This year's list includes Bird Planet, Floridas, I Just Wanna Surf and more.

The Ten Best Photography Books of 2022

Our favorite titles this year invite viewers to worlds outside their own

Previous research has demonstrated that crows can make tools and recognize faces.

Scientists Suggest a New Layer to Crows’ Cognitive Complexity

The birds may be able to grasp a pattern-forming concept once thought to be unique to humans

Streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) sitting on a rock in on Mikura Island in Japan. 

To Survive a Typhoon, Some Seabirds Fly Straight Into It

Streaked shearwaters will face a storm's high winds rather than risk getting blown to land

The eastern lowland gorilla saw an estimated 80 percent decline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kahuzi-Biega National Park between 1994 and 2019. 

Animal Populations Faced a ‘Very Sharp Decline’ Since 1970

World Wildlife Fund researchers say vertebrate populations decreased by 69 percent, on average

An Adélie penguin

Adélie Penguins Are Dwindling in East Antarctica

Researchers blame too much summer sea ice for causing a downward spiral in one colony

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