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Birds

Wilson works to band waterfowl in the summer to help track the birds. Hunters that harvest banded birds will report their harvest to state wildlife officials.

Age of Humans

This Biologist Defies Gravity (and Glass Ceilings) to Document the Effects of Climate Change

As one of five American women in this role, Heather Wilson blends aviation and birds to bolster climate change records

Deciding when to get divorced is a difficult calculation—even for birds.

Age of Humans

Birds Struggle to Keep Their Marriages in Rapidly Changing Urban Environments

Deciding whether to get divorced is a complex calculation, even for birds

Peregrine falcons are found on every continent except Antarctica

Super Bowl

Ten Fun Facts About Falcons, the Birds

As the Atlanta Falcons prepare to play in the Super Bowl, learn about the remarkable raptors behind the name

As his ancestors have done for generations, Icelander Árni Hilmarsson catches an Atlantic puffin in a net called a háfur.

Disappearing Puffins Bring an Icelandic Hunting Tradition Under Scrutiny

Historically, hunting seabirds has been a distinctive feature of Nordic coastal culture. Should it still be?

The Javan myna is critically endangered in its natural Indonesian habitat, but exploding populations in Singapore have made it a nuisance there.

New Research

How Escaped Exotic Pet Birds Could Help Save Threatened Species

Though usually seen as a threat to local populations, these escapees could also help in the recovery of creatures in trouble

Poppies near Ribeira de Piscos, Côa Valley, Western Iberia, Portugal

Europe

A Project to “Rewild” Europe, Brings a Safari-Style Camp to Portugal

See Europe as it was five thousand years ago

This bird has a bun in the oven.

Trending Today

Wisdom the Oldest Known Albatross Is Having Another Baby

Old age hasn’t slowed down the prolific bird

A flock of snow geese safely land on a lake at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.

Trending Today

Thousands of Snow Geese Die at Abandoned Pit Mine

Despite attempts to scare them away, thousands of geese landed on the acidic Berkeley Pit, which is full of toxic heavy metals

Underside of preserved tail section, displaying paler plumage, numerous decay products, and an associated ant.

New Research

This 99-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Tail Trapped in Amber Hints at Feather Evolution

The rare specimen provides new insights into how feathers came to be

Obi the parrotlet

New Research

How a Goggle-Wearing Parrot Could Help Future Robots Fly

By flying through a haze and lasers, Obi the parrotlet helped researchers figure out how much lift birds produce

Half of All North American Shorebirds Use This Rest Stop

Bottoms is the nation’s largest inland marsh, an area of over 60 square miles. It’s also the favored resting spot of many species of migrating birds

Showy traits, like the large antlers of these bull moose, can be detrimental to an animal's health.

New Research

Go Big or Go Generic: How Sexual Selection Is Like Advertising

When it comes to attracting mates, it pays to either go all out—or not try at all

Stunning Slo-Mo Footage of Hummingbirds Hovering in Air

The hovering technique of a hummingbird is one of the most mesmerizing sights to witness

The puffin is one of the many species of birds that contribute to the massive amount of poop covering the arctic every year.

New Research

How Bird Poop Could Help Keep the Arctic Cool

Researchers have discovered that ammonia produced from tons of seabird guano helps form low lying clouds that can partially block sunlight

As a professional falconer, Rosen has trained all of her birds, which now number close to a dozen. Her brood includes Ziggy, a hybrid prairie-gyrfalcon.

Why Winemakers are Turning to Falconry to Tackle Pests

Napa Valley vintners are finding this tried-and-true deterrent more effective than modern technology

Blue petrel, one of the seabird species that mistakes the smell of algae on plastic as food

New Research

Why Seabirds Eat So Much Plastic

A new study suggests that algae growing on plastic in the oceans makes it smell like dinner

A purplish-mantled tanager, a species the study suggests should be listed at vulnerable

New Research

Is the Endangered Species List Missing Hundreds of Species of Birds?

A new study suggests the IUCN’s methods are underestimating the risks to many species, but the organization say the research is flawed

The Surprising Reason Birds First Grew Feathers

When birds first grew feathers 150 million years ago, their function was not necessarily to help with flight

The Incredible Reptiles That Flew 200 Million Years Ago

A 200-million-year-old fossil reveals the amazing body structure of a reptilian creature known as the dimorphodon

Griffon Vultures Depend on the Sun to Fly. Why?

The Griffon vulture is one of the largest vulture species. Because of its giant stature, it uses an immense amount of energy to take off

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