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Special Report
The Wonderful World of Birds
As the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute prepares to open its reimagined and beloved Bird House, explore the fascinating science of our feathery friends
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Experience the Wonder of Migration at the National Zoo’s New Bird House
Following a six-year renovation, the revamped exhibition will open March 13 with three indoor aviaries
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An Icelandic Town Goes All Out to Save Baby Puffins
Kids and senior citizens alike rally to rescue beloved young seabirds that have lost their bearings
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If all goes to plan, officials hope to vaccinate up to 100 of the large seabirds on Albatross Island, giving each two doses of the vaccine. Afterward, they plan to keep tabs on the birds using remote cameras and follow-up visits
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Birds in Their Pants: Two Men Accused of Smuggling 21 Avians After Miami Airport Bust
Customs officers say they found the creatures hidden in the men’s clothes after they touched down on separate flights from Cuba, and it’s unclear whether the two incidents are related. Wildlife trafficking is the world’s fourth-largest form of organized crime
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These 19 recognized images highlight the diversity across our planet and the value in appreciating and protecting the natural world
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The feathered residents have attracted lots of attention, as their species is considered an extremely rare sight in the city
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One of the World’s Largest Chinstrap Penguin Colonies Is Shrinking Fast
Zavodovski Island, a remote, uninhabited volcanic island between South America and Antarctica, lost 63 percent of its chinstrap penguins between 2011 and 2025, according to a new study
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The bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema can produce sounds at amplitudes that exceed 120 decibels, which puts them on par with a trumpeting elephant or a chainsaw
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Five Discoveries That Changed Our Understanding of T. Rex Forever, From Warm Blood to Lips
Paleontologists are still unraveling the secrets of the world’s most famous dinosaur, such as its outward appearance or the way that it hunted. With each new finding, our view of the “tyrant lizard king” has gotten a little clearer—and sometimes has radically shifted
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These Five Birds Have Disappeared Forever. Their History Offers a Valuable Lesson for the Future
In an exhibition celebrating the natural history of the United States, a small group of taxidermy birds stands as a reminder of loss—and a symbol of hope
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The fossil belonged to a category of dinosaurs called microraptors, which were bird-like but not ancestors of modern-day avians. A new study found that this group of ancient predators evolved similar anatomical adaptations to birds, but developed them in a different order
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The East African nation is home to a number of conservation parks where its impressive animals roam free