Birds
The Wandering Albatross and Global Warming
The giant oceanic birds are producing more and plumper chicks, at least for now
February 08, 2012 |
By Greg Laden
Telomeres and Longevity in Zebra Finches
A study in birds confirms that protective caps on chromosomes predict a longer lifespan
February 02, 2012 |
By Greg Laden
Dinosaurs of a Feather
Some researchers insist that birds are not dinosaurs, but do they have any evidence?
January 13, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Birds Have No Reason to Like Fireworks
New Year's Eve fireworks can badly startle and disorient birds
December 30, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Top Ten Science Blog Posts of 2011
Cats, zombies, earthquakes, chickens--our readers have an eclectic taste
December 28, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
How to Turn a Dinosaur Into a Bird
Two classic bits of animation beautifully visualized the evolution of birds from dinosaurs
December 28, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Huxley’s Apocryphal Dinosaur Dinner
Fossil lore says 19th century naturalist T.H. Huxley realized that birds were dinosaurs when he carved into a Christmas turkey, but what really happened?
December 22, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Hitchcock’s Primeval Birds
Paleontologist Edward Hitchcock was one of the first dinosaur track experts, but why did he insist that birds left the footprints?
December 19, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The City Bird and the Country Bird
As in Aesop's fable, there are advantages and disadvantages for birds living in the city
December 07, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Columbines and Their Pollinators: An Evolutionary Tale
New research provides insight into an evolutionary concept introduced by Charles Darwin
December 02, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
How A Pigeon Is Like A Helicopter
The bird changes direction with its whole body
November 29, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Was Tyrannosaurus a Big Turkey?
Tyrannosaurus has an image as the apex of the apex predators, and maybe that's why people get upset when paleontologists suggest it was at least partly covered in a coat of feathers
November 23, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
14 Fun Facts About Turkeys
Number 8: A turkey's gender can be determined from its droppings
November 23, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Disappearing Habitats of the Vaux’s Swifts
Chimneys may be obsolete in modern buildings, but they’re crucial habitat for the bird species on the West Coast
November 18, 2011 |
By Maria Dolan
A Call to Save the Whooping Crane
Smithsonian researchers join an international effort to bring the five-foot-tall bird back from the brink of extinction
November 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Living Sauropods? No Way
Dinosaurs have long been rumored to still survive in the Congo Basin, but is there any truth to the tall tales?
October 28, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The Great Archaeopteryx Debates Continue
A new study claims to confirm Archaeopteryx as one of the earliest birds, but what does the ongoing debate about this feathered dinosaur mean for the way science works?
October 26, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Paleontologists Unveil the 11th Archaeopteryx
Just in time for the 150th anniversary year of Archaeopteryx, paleontologists announce an 11th specimen of the dinosaur-like bird
October 19, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The Invasive Species We Can Blame On Shakespeare
There are 200 million European starlings in North America, and they are a menace
October 04, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
A Buddhist Monk Saves One of the World's Rarest Birds
High in the Himalayas, the Tibetan bunting is getting help from a very special friend
October 2011 |
By Phil McKenna
