Birds

An image from Birds of America by John James Audubon depicting the Great Auk.

Humans May Be Solely to Blame for the Great Auk’s Extinction

A new study suggests that the flightless birds were not declining due to environmental changes when humans began to hunt them in large numbers

Shaikh Zain ud-Din’s Brahminy Starling with Two Antheraea Moths, Caterpillar, and Cocoon on an Indian Jujube Tree was originally part of an album commissioned by his British patrons.

The Awe-Inspiring Wildlife Drawings of Shaikh Zain ud-Din

An 18th-century album of India's flora and fauna showcases the startling work of an overlooked master

A Harris hawk lands on a girl's arm to collect the bait.

Six Spots Around the World Where You Can Try Your Hand at Falconry

From castles to vineyards to bird parks, these sites will introduce you to the ancient sport

Life restoration of Fukuipteryx prima.

Newly Discovered Fossil Bird Fills in Gap Between Dinosaurs and Modern Fliers

A skeleton from the Cretaceous found in Japan reveals an early bird with a tail nub resembling the avians of today

Birds Sniff Each Other's Bacteria to Help Choose a Mate

A new study finds the microbiome in a bird's preen oil determines its scent, which can impact its reproductive success

These Beautiful Blue Turkey-Like Birds Have Tiny Brains and Huge Social Networks

A new study finds that vulturine guineafowl live in complex societies previously found in primates, elephants and dolphins

A steppe eagle with an SMS tracker attached.

Text Messages Sent by Roaming Eagles Bankrupt Scientific Study

A steppe eagle named Min spent months out of range before reappearing in Iran and sending hundreds of expensive SMS texts

Why Did Thousands of Rubber Bands Show Up on an Uninhabited Cornish Island?

Nesting gulls have likely been trying to feed the bands found in nearby flower fields to their chicks for decades

A male white bellbird screaming its mating call.

Listen to the Shattering Call of the World’s Loudest Known Bird

The song of the white bellbird can reach 125 decibels, which rivals ‘the amplitude of a pile driver,’ says the author of a new study

The Spectacled Flowerpecker

The Spectacled Flowerpecker Is Now Known to Science

First spotted a decade ago, this elusive bird hangs out in the canopy of Borneo’s lowland forests

North America's Rarest Warbler Comes Off the Endangered List

Habitat restoration and invasive species trapping have helped Kirtland's recover in its central Michigan home

How Zookeepers Built Karl, the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, a New 3-D Beak

For this species, a beak is everything and Karl has had his old one re-tooled for hunting and communication

Birds are considered an indicator species, representing the health of entire ecosystems.

North America Has Lost Nearly 3 Billion Birds Since 1970

The staggering population loss of 29 percent of North American birds could signal an ecological crisis

The only exceptions to the Ayam Cemani's black coloring are its cream-colored eggs and red blood

These Chickens Have Jet-Black Hearts, Beaks and Bones

The Ayam Cemani owes its unusual coloring to a genetic mutation

Birds given doses of a common pesticide lost significant body mass, fat stores

Common Pesticides Delay Songbird Migration, Trigger Significant Weight Loss

Within six hours of ingesting a high dose of pesticide, sparrows lost six percent of their body weight and 17 percent of their fat stores

Cock-a-doodle-doo, losers.

A Rooster Named Maurice Can Keep on Crowing, French Court Rules

‘Maurice has won a battle for the whole of France,” the bird’s owner said

Moonlight Helps White Barn Owls Stun Their Prey

Researchers were surprised to find that brilliant white plumage, which makes the owls more visible at night, did not impact the birds' ability to hunt

By comparing the skulls of extinct dinosaurs to those of living relatives, such as crocodiles and wild turkeys, researchers have conclude that the prehistoric beasts had sophisticated thermoregulation systems in their skulls.

Special Skull Windows Helped Dinosaur Brains Keep Cool

Dinosaur skulls had many cavities and openings, some of which may have held blood vessels to help cool off the animals' heads

A Human-Sized Penguin Once Waddled Through New Zealand

The leg bones of Crossvallia waiparensis suggest it was more than five feet tall and weighed up to 176 pounds

The Scientists Who Stared at Gulls

A new study suggests that watching the birds as they approach will slow them down or scare them off

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