Land Birds

Vampire finches will resort to drinking blood for survival when they can't find other food sources like seeds and insects.

Why Some of Darwin's Finches Evolved to Drink Blood

Scientists suggest the vampire finch evolved to drink blood to survive the volcanic archipelago's harsh environment and scarce resources

Along the Potomac River, somebody spotted a bird so vibrant that it looked splattered as if it was splattered with gobs of bright paint.

A Visit From a Dazzling Bird Drew Crowds of People Into a Maryland Park

A painted bunting was spotted along the Potomac River, far from its home in the south

Dead bird specimens seen in the collection of the Museum of Southwestern Biology in New Mexico on September 14, 2020.

Southwest Bird Die-Off Caused by Long-Term Starvation

New report finds majority of the birds found dead in early fall were emaciated

One specimen of the ultra-black fish species Anoplogaster cornuta.

Ten Scientific Discoveries From 2020 That May Lead to New Inventions

From soaring snakes to surfing suckerfish, nature is an endless source of inspiration

Longer days signal to birds when they should breed and lay their new clutch of eggs, and they match up their timing so that their chicks are born when the springtime's bounty is at its peak.

Light Pollution Is Causing Birds to Nest Earlier, Mitigating Some Effects of Climate Change

But two wrongs don't make a right, as both problems are altering the birds' biology

The spectacled tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) inhabits harsh, dry deserts, which new research suggests tend to produce new species at a higher rate than lush, biodiverse places like the Amazon.

Earth's Harshest Ecosystems May Birth New Species Fastest

A genetic study of nearly 1,300 different birds suggests places with fewer species spit out new ones more frequently than biodiversity hotspots

Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail and a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared.

Meet Tasi, a Little Bird with a Big Purpose

A 4-year-old Guam rail is a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared

A great blue heron seen wading in front of an oil refinery. Burning and producing fossil fuels are major sources of air pollution. A new study estimates that over the last four decades environmental regulations aimed at improving air quality have saved the lives of some 1.5 billion birds across the United States.

Study Estimates Clean Air Act Has Saved 1.5 Billion Birds

Over the last 40 years, bird populations across the U.S. did the best in places with the most stringent air pollution regulations

This year's top ten titles explore the cosmos, fear and cleanliness alongside narratives about owls, fish and eels.

The Ten Best Science Books of 2020

New titles explore the mysterious lives of eels, the science of fear and our connections to the stars

Regular dust bathing keeps the wild turkey's iridescent feathers in top condition.

View Amazing Photos and Video of a Turkey Dust Bathing

A New York photographer captured stunning footage of this captivating behavior in her backyard

A couple hiking in the Alsace region of northeastern France spotted the tiny aluminum message capsule in a grassy field in September. The note, written in German in cursive script by a Prussian military officer, was probably attached to a carrier pigeon but never reached its destination.

A Carrier Pigeon's Military Message Was Delivered a Century Too Late

A couple in Alsace, France, stumbled onto a capsule containing a cryptic note dated to either 1910 or 1916

A fossilized feather first unearthed in 1861 in Germany. New research suggests the feather came from the bird-like dinosaur Archaeopteryx.

New Study Reignites Debate Over Which Species Shed the First Fossil Feather Ever Found

Initially discovered in the 1800s, researchers argue that the 150-million-year-old plume came from the fluttering dinosaur Archaeopteryx

The results of a new study suggest crows are aware of their own sensory perceptions, a hallmark of what's called primary or sensory consciousness.

Do Crows Possess a Form of Consciousness?

New study suggests the corvids may join humans and some primates as one of the rare animals capable of having subjective experiences

NMSU professor Martha Desmond, biologist in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology is trying to find out why hundreds of thousands of migratory birds have been found dead across the state.

Thousands of Migrating Birds Drop Dead Across Southwestern U.S.

Researchers aren’t sure what’s causing the mass die-off impacting birds flying south for the winter

An acorn woodpecker wearing one of the radio tags used in the study.

These Woodpeckers’ Bloody Wars Draw Crowds

Acorn woodpeckers will fight to the death to control the finest habitat and new research finds up to 30 non-combatants will pull up a branch to watch

Knowing that the birds do some extracurricular exploration when they reach their breeding grounds means scientists may need to expand the range of future studies.

High-Tech Tracking Reveals 'Whole New Secret World of Birds'

A study of Kirtland’s warblers found that some continue exploring long distances even after they reach their breeding grounds

A pink adult flamingo stands, surrounded by gray babies, in southern France. Flamingos are born gray and slowly turn pink as they age, due to their diet.

Record-Breaking 60,000 Flamingos Flock to Southern France

More than 50,000 adults and 12,000 babies were counted in aerial photos, suggesting a record-breaking year for the pink birds

Two sociable weaver birds being recognized by a new artificial intelligence-powered software.

This A.I. Can Recognize Individual Birds of the Same Species

Humans can’t reliably tell birds of the same species apart, limiting our ability to study their behavior, but the new A.I. is 90 percent accurate

Like statues, animals named after controversial historic figures are sparking a conversation about "relics of systemic oppression" in science.

A Bird Named for a Confederate General Sparks Calls for Change

McCown’s longspur has launched a renewed reckoning over the troubling histories reflected in taxonomy

At 33 pounds, Andean condors are the heaviest soaring birds on Earth, but a new study finds they can stay airborne for up to five hours at a time without flapping at all.

The Andean Condor Can Soar 100 Miles Without Flapping

The impressively efficient flight was recorded during a new study of the giant scavenger’s aerial prowess

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