Birds

This grand-prize-winning image captures a touching moment between a parent gentoo penguin and its and chick.

Diverse Splendor of Birds on Display in Audubon Photo Competition

100 of the top submissions can now be viewed online

A pin-tailed whydah in Africa

This Beautiful Species Could Be Trouble for Native Birds

Analysis shows that the parasitic pin-tailed whydah could impact native birds in the Caribbean, Hawaii and the southern U.S.

Thank the boy wizard for an uptick in owl demand.

Harry Potter Sparks Illegal Owl Trade in Indonesia

Hedwig made quite the impression—but her popularity is hurting real-life birds

New Species of Amazon Parrot Discovered in Mexico

Researchers say that only 100 blue-winged Amazons, which have distinctive markings and a unique call, exist in the wild

Mary Caswell Stoddard studies eggs at Princeton University.

Scientists Hatch a New Explanation for How Eggs Get Their Shapes

Flight ability could explain how eggs are shaped

Nesting space is at a premium as humans tear down natural habitats.

The Early Birds Might Be Crowding Out the Bees

As humans expand, nesting space contracts—and competition heats up

The bird feathers attached to artifacts in the John Wesley Powell collection can give anthropologists further insight into customs and trade.

Telling the Story of 19th-Century Native American Treasures Through Bird Feathers

Famed explorer John Wesley Powell’s archive of his 19th century travels is newly examined

Eagles Adopt—Not Attack—a Red-Tailed Hawk Chick

Bird lovers are watching with bated breath to see if the eagles will keep feeding the little guy or turn him into dinner

Tree resin trapped this baby bird 99 million years ago.

This 99-Million-Year-Old Bird Coexisted With Dinosaurs

The tiny bird is a big find for paleontologists

How Do Flamingos Stay Stable On One Leg?

They're actually more stable standing on one leg than they are on two

For Minneapolis art lovers, this huge painting needs no introduction—or title.

Enormous Chicken Painting Comes Home to Roost

After years overseas, Doug Argue’s iconic portrait is back

Scimitar-horned oryx calf

Spring Brings a Wave of Baby Animals to the Zoo

Seven different endangered species born so far at the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

Did Peckish Christians Make Chickens More Social?

Religious dietary laws in the Middle Ages could have helped make the fowl less aggressive

Roughly 70 pink pigeons exist in captivity around the world, including this one at the San Diego Zoo.

Threatened Species? Science to the (Genetic) Rescue!

This still-controversial conservation technique will never be a species' panacea. But it might provide a crucial stop-gap

Scientists studying the bones of the Hawaiian petrel, which flies great distances over the north Pacific Ocean to feed, are collecting an invaluable long-term story dating from thousands of years ago.

Bones of the Hawaiian Petrel Open Up a Window Into the Birds' Changing Diet

Industrial fishing may play a role in the shift

A whooping crane in flight in Texas.

The Hopeful Mid-Century Conservation Story of the (Still Endangered) Whooping Crane

There were just 15 whooping cranes left in 1952. Today there are around 600

“Very, very early in my boyhood,” Hudson wrote, “I had acquired the habit of going about alone.”

The Naturalist Who Inspired Ernest Hemingway and Many Others to Love the Wilderness

W.H. Hudson wrote one of the 20th century’s greatest memoirs after a fever rekindled visions of his childhood.

Sirocco, currently MIA, has helped millions connect with the island’s endangered wildlife.

Seduced By a Rare Parrot

What can conservationists learn from New Zealand’s official “spokesbird,” a YouTube celebrity who tries to mate with people’s heads?

Gentoo penguin takes on a slope near its nesting colony.

A Penguin Colony's Rise and Fall, Recorded in Poop

A nearby volcano has decimated the gentoo colony on Ardley Island three times

These baby eagles mean business.

Watch a Baby Bald Eagle Hatch in Real Time

Things are getting serious for the world's most famous bald eagles

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