Animal Behavior
Animal Behavior
Articles tagged with "Animal Behavior"
Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species
From bold foxes to gregarious birds, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as crucial to conservation efforts.
Horses can smell fear in humans, researchers say
Horses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
5 unexpected animal behaviors we learned about in 2025
Every year, researchers and people out in nature capture some aspect of animal behavior that’s unusual or unexpected in some way, changing how we understand the natural world. Here are five such examples that Mongabay reported on in 2025...
In a first, orcas and dolphins seen possibly hunting together
New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.
The evolutionary case for a little roughhousing
Wolf pups at play at Zoo Académie, a zoo and training facility in Nicolet, Quebec, in 2017. Scientists are finding that rough play is important for animals and humans alike.
Scientists log rare case of female polar bear adopting cub: ‘They’re really good moms’
Scientists in Canada have documented a rare case of female polar bear adopting a new cub, in an episode of “curious behaviour” that highlights the complex relationships among the apex Arctic predators.
Pumas came back to Patagonia—and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
A natural experiment in a national park in Patagonia shows how the return of a large predator can reshape an ecosystem.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Why alpha females reign supreme in meerkat world
As a corner of Africa heats up, new research shows how the future of the species rests with powerful matriarchs making tough choices for survival.
Watch orcas and dolphins team up to hunt—a possible scientific first
Researchers in Canada mounted cameras on orcas to spy on their behaviors and were amazed by what they saw. A pod of northern resident killer whales travels together. The same population of orcas was recently seen hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes
Chilean flamingos use their beaks and feet to create underwater whirlpools that suck in prey.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
Scientists Say: Kleptotrichy
Based on the Greek words for theft and hair, kleptotrichy is a more common bird behavior than people thought.
Some gifted dogs can learn to sort their toys
Among dogs known to be gifted word learners, some can also sort toys by how they are used during play time. It’s one sign of a complex thought process.
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
Orcas in the Gulf of California paralyze young great white sharks before ripping out their livers
An orca pod that made headlines last year for gutting a whale shark has struck again, this time perfecting a technique that involves paralyzing young great white sharks to eat their livers.
Rare footage reveals survival secrets of Africa's top predators
Four rival carnivore families battle it out for rule over a remarkable river valley in Zambia.
Toy-obsessed dogs give clues to addictive behaviors
Some dogs love playing with toys so intensely they can’t stop—offering scientists a window into behavioral addictions.
Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine | Helen Pilcher
If we really want to grasp what animals are ‘saying’, we need to understand their communication on their terms, not ours, says science writer Helen Pilcher
Australia’s magpie swooping season returns with a vengeance – and cyclists are their main targets
Statistics for the 2025 breeding season show almost two in three attacks are on cyclists. But there are measures to avoid their wrath
Asian golden cat: The 'feline of many costumes' that plucks birds before eating them
The Asian golden cat is an elusive creature endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It is known to take down prey much larger than itself, including buffalo calves, baby deer and small muntjacs.
Just like humans, many animals get more aggressive in the heat
From salamanders to monkeys, many species get more violent at warmer temperatures — a trend that may shape their social structures as the world warms.
Orcas are ramming boats again and scientists now think it’s a game
Experts say the whales seem to learn to play with boats from a young age. "Believe me: if they wanted to sink the boats, they'd be sinking the boat."
Scientists stunned by striking behavior shift across hundreds of animal species: 'That is not always correct'
We like to think we have animals figured out: Owls prowl at night, squirrels scamper by day, and bears sleep through winter. But it turns out wildlife isn't following our rule book, and a new global study reveals just how much their schedules are shifting in ways we never expected.
Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species
From bold foxes to gregarious birds, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as crucial to conservation efforts.
Horses can smell fear in humans, researchers say
Horses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
5 unexpected animal behaviors we learned about in 2025
Every year, researchers and people out in nature capture some aspect of animal behavior that’s unusual or unexpected in some way, changing how we understand the natural world. Here are five such examples that Mongabay reported on in 2025...
In a first, orcas and dolphins seen possibly hunting together
New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.
The evolutionary case for a little roughhousing
Wolf pups at play at Zoo Académie, a zoo and training facility in Nicolet, Quebec, in 2017. Scientists are finding that rough play is important for animals and humans alike.
Scientists log rare case of female polar bear adopting cub: ‘They’re really good moms’
Scientists in Canada have documented a rare case of female polar bear adopting a new cub, in an episode of “curious behaviour” that highlights the complex relationships among the apex Arctic predators.
Pumas came back to Patagonia—and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
A natural experiment in a national park in Patagonia shows how the return of a large predator can reshape an ecosystem.
These Bald Eagles fly the wrong way every year and stun scientists
Birds of a feather do not always flock together, despite the adage. A new study in the Journal of Raptor Research describes how Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Arizona are making unusual journeys by flying north instead of south, unlike most migratory birds in temperate regions.
Why alpha females reign supreme in meerkat world
As a corner of Africa heats up, new research shows how the future of the species rests with powerful matriarchs making tough choices for survival.
Watch orcas and dolphins team up to hunt—a possible scientific first
Researchers in Canada mounted cameras on orcas to spy on their behaviors and were amazed by what they saw. A pod of northern resident killer whales travels together. The same population of orcas was recently seen hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes
Chilean flamingos use their beaks and feet to create underwater whirlpools that suck in prey.
Why do vultures circle?
Vultures are often portrayed as an ominous sign of imminent death, circling high above as they wait for an injured individual below to die. But in reality, that's not the case, experts say. "I've never heard of an actual instance of them circling a dying human.
Scientists Say: Kleptotrichy
Based on the Greek words for theft and hair, kleptotrichy is a more common bird behavior than people thought.
Some gifted dogs can learn to sort their toys
Among dogs known to be gifted word learners, some can also sort toys by how they are used during play time. It’s one sign of a complex thought process.
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
Orcas in the Gulf of California paralyze young great white sharks before ripping out their livers
An orca pod that made headlines last year for gutting a whale shark has struck again, this time perfecting a technique that involves paralyzing young great white sharks to eat their livers.
Rare footage reveals survival secrets of Africa's top predators
Four rival carnivore families battle it out for rule over a remarkable river valley in Zambia.
Toy-obsessed dogs give clues to addictive behaviors
Some dogs love playing with toys so intensely they can’t stop—offering scientists a window into behavioral addictions.
Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine | Helen Pilcher
If we really want to grasp what animals are ‘saying’, we need to understand their communication on their terms, not ours, says science writer Helen Pilcher
Australia’s magpie swooping season returns with a vengeance – and cyclists are their main targets
Statistics for the 2025 breeding season show almost two in three attacks are on cyclists. But there are measures to avoid their wrath
Asian golden cat: The 'feline of many costumes' that plucks birds before eating them
The Asian golden cat is an elusive creature endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It is known to take down prey much larger than itself, including buffalo calves, baby deer and small muntjacs.
Just like humans, many animals get more aggressive in the heat
From salamanders to monkeys, many species get more violent at warmer temperatures — a trend that may shape their social structures as the world warms.
Orcas are ramming boats again and scientists now think it’s a game
Experts say the whales seem to learn to play with boats from a young age. "Believe me: if they wanted to sink the boats, they'd be sinking the boat."
Scientists stunned by striking behavior shift across hundreds of animal species: 'That is not always correct'
We like to think we have animals figured out: Owls prowl at night, squirrels scamper by day, and bears sleep through winter. But it turns out wildlife isn't following our rule book, and a new global study reveals just how much their schedules are shifting in ways we never expected.
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