Birds
Birds
Articles tagged with "Birds"
Here’s how honeyeaters and other birds thrive on sugary diets
To eat a sugar-filled diet, birds had to evolve some sweet genetic tricks. Birds that feed on nectar and fruits have important variants in genes that control metabolism , fat processing and even blood pressure.
Lost species to be released as Labour seeks to stave off Greens’ election threat
White-tailed eagles, pine martens and beavers will be released across England before the May elections as the Labour government attempts to staunch the flow of nature-loving voters to the Green party .
We don’t need to control pigeons – just the people who feed them
Dr Dave Dawson and Paul Roberts advise on how to combat pigeon invasions – but Nicholas Milton says we should celebrate these remarkable birds and David Jobbins suggests letting nature takes its course.
A mouth built for efficiency may have helped the earliest bird fly
About 150 million years ago, in a coastal lagoon in what is now southern Germany, the oldest known bird gobbled up food with a beak built for efficient eating.
How tracking golden eagles in Nevada revealed a desert ‘death vortex’
Golden eagles in Nevada are dying at an alarming rate, and no one can pinpoint the cause. Their carcasses litter the landscape in Dry Lake Valley, a bone-white stretch of parched earth north of Las Vegas that was a breeding ground for golden eagles, the largest bird of prey in North America.
How AI trained on birds is surfacing underwater mysteries
We describe how Perch 2.0, Google DeepMind's bioacoustics foundation model, trained on birds and other terrestrial animal vocalizations, transfers ‘whale’ to underwater acoustics challenges with ‘killer’ performance.
Extraordinary photo captures first appearance of Siberian peregrine falcon in Australia's arid center
The Siberian peregrine falcon captured on camera by ecologist Tim Henderson over Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs in central Australia.
Race to contain suspected bird flu outbreak among Thames Valley swans
Members of the public and charity volunteers are working to contain a suspected outbreak of bird flu among swans in the Thames Valley, amid signs that confirmed cases are continuing to rise.
Mysterious Structure in Bird Eyes May Explain a Curious Lack of Blood
Here's some science trivia for you: unlike the inner retina in most animals (including us), birds' inner retinas function without oxygen. And now, researchers led by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark have figured out how.
From bad omen to national treasure: The rare bone-swallower stork saved by a female army
Once known as a bird of ill omen, India's endangered hargila has gained an army of protectors. Now it's beginning to bounce back.
Swift bricks to be installed on all new buildings in Scotland as MSPs back law
Swift bricks will be installed in all new buildings in Scotland after the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a law to help endangered cavity-nesting birds.
Sunken Thames barges create new Essex island for birds
The National Trust describes the Northey Island project as "a bold marine engineering feat".
Honeyguide birds learn local human dialects
In northern Mozambique, local honey-hunters use vocal signals to communicate with wild honeyguide birds to locate and harvest honey. New research finds that human calls used across the region vary,
How to set up a bird feeder to attract your favorite species
From chickadees to catbirds, these expert tips will help you turn your backyard into a wild bird haven. An Eurasian blue tit landing on a garden feeder with sunflower seeds; Somerset, UK, January 2018. Warwick Sloss, Nature Picture Library Bird watching is something of a national pastime.
‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave
Many people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet’s largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too.
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Birdwatch: Cold snap brings fieldfares and redwings to the fore
Just as swallows and swifts are the constant sight and sound of spring and summer, so our two winter thrushes – fieldfares and redwings – are usually ever-present during the autumn and winter months.
Berry nice to meet you: bumper fruit crop could lead to huge mating season for NZ’s endangered kākāpō
It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
Is this really the world’s most dangerous bird?
Towering at five and a half feet tall, sprinting up to 31 miles per hour, and leaping up to seven feet off the ground, cassowaries are the stuff of legends. They are the third largest bird in the world , weighing up to 175 pounds with sharp talons that grow up to five inches long.
Saving South Africa's threatened albatross from lethal fishing lines
A task force is trying to save seabirds from getting caught and killed in fishing boat nets.
How are California's birds faring amid ever more frequent wildfires?
In the forests of the Sierra Nevada, the black-backed woodpecker is without parallel. The bird appears almost born of fire, thriving on the flames that flicker through California’s coniferous forests every few years.
UK’s warmest spring on record led to rise in songbirds breeding, data shows
The warmest and sunniest spring on record this year led to an increase in the breeding of some of Britain’s best-loved songbirds, data has shown. Scientists said the dry and warm spring had provided a glimmer of hope for threatened wild birds.
The hill I will die on: Pigeons are working-class heroes and deserve some respect
Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is – and as it happens, I’m sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons.
'After 200 years, we're seeing this species again': The lost birds making a comeback in the Galapagos Islands
Freed from the threat of invasive predators, Galapagos birds are performing astonishing feats of return and innovation – 200 years after Charles Darwin visited the archipelago.
Here’s how honeyeaters and other birds thrive on sugary diets
To eat a sugar-filled diet, birds had to evolve some sweet genetic tricks. Birds that feed on nectar and fruits have important variants in genes that control metabolism , fat processing and even blood pressure.
Lost species to be released as Labour seeks to stave off Greens’ election threat
White-tailed eagles, pine martens and beavers will be released across England before the May elections as the Labour government attempts to staunch the flow of nature-loving voters to the Green party .
We don’t need to control pigeons – just the people who feed them
Dr Dave Dawson and Paul Roberts advise on how to combat pigeon invasions – but Nicholas Milton says we should celebrate these remarkable birds and David Jobbins suggests letting nature takes its course.
A mouth built for efficiency may have helped the earliest bird fly
About 150 million years ago, in a coastal lagoon in what is now southern Germany, the oldest known bird gobbled up food with a beak built for efficient eating.
How tracking golden eagles in Nevada revealed a desert ‘death vortex’
Golden eagles in Nevada are dying at an alarming rate, and no one can pinpoint the cause. Their carcasses litter the landscape in Dry Lake Valley, a bone-white stretch of parched earth north of Las Vegas that was a breeding ground for golden eagles, the largest bird of prey in North America.
How AI trained on birds is surfacing underwater mysteries
We describe how Perch 2.0, Google DeepMind's bioacoustics foundation model, trained on birds and other terrestrial animal vocalizations, transfers ‘whale’ to underwater acoustics challenges with ‘killer’ performance.
Extraordinary photo captures first appearance of Siberian peregrine falcon in Australia's arid center
The Siberian peregrine falcon captured on camera by ecologist Tim Henderson over Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs in central Australia.
Race to contain suspected bird flu outbreak among Thames Valley swans
Members of the public and charity volunteers are working to contain a suspected outbreak of bird flu among swans in the Thames Valley, amid signs that confirmed cases are continuing to rise.
Mysterious Structure in Bird Eyes May Explain a Curious Lack of Blood
Here's some science trivia for you: unlike the inner retina in most animals (including us), birds' inner retinas function without oxygen. And now, researchers led by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark have figured out how.
From bad omen to national treasure: The rare bone-swallower stork saved by a female army
Once known as a bird of ill omen, India's endangered hargila has gained an army of protectors. Now it's beginning to bounce back.
Swift bricks to be installed on all new buildings in Scotland as MSPs back law
Swift bricks will be installed in all new buildings in Scotland after the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a law to help endangered cavity-nesting birds.
Sunken Thames barges create new Essex island for birds
The National Trust describes the Northey Island project as "a bold marine engineering feat".
Honeyguide birds learn local human dialects
In northern Mozambique, local honey-hunters use vocal signals to communicate with wild honeyguide birds to locate and harvest honey. New research finds that human calls used across the region vary,
How to set up a bird feeder to attract your favorite species
From chickadees to catbirds, these expert tips will help you turn your backyard into a wild bird haven. An Eurasian blue tit landing on a garden feeder with sunflower seeds; Somerset, UK, January 2018. Warwick Sloss, Nature Picture Library Bird watching is something of a national pastime.
‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave
Many people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet’s largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too.
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Birdwatch: Cold snap brings fieldfares and redwings to the fore
Just as swallows and swifts are the constant sight and sound of spring and summer, so our two winter thrushes – fieldfares and redwings – are usually ever-present during the autumn and winter months.
Berry nice to meet you: bumper fruit crop could lead to huge mating season for NZ’s endangered kākāpō
It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again.
Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players when they peck
Muscle movements and breathing team up to give these birds their iconic hammering motion
Is this really the world’s most dangerous bird?
Towering at five and a half feet tall, sprinting up to 31 miles per hour, and leaping up to seven feet off the ground, cassowaries are the stuff of legends. They are the third largest bird in the world , weighing up to 175 pounds with sharp talons that grow up to five inches long.
Saving South Africa's threatened albatross from lethal fishing lines
A task force is trying to save seabirds from getting caught and killed in fishing boat nets.
How are California's birds faring amid ever more frequent wildfires?
In the forests of the Sierra Nevada, the black-backed woodpecker is without parallel. The bird appears almost born of fire, thriving on the flames that flicker through California’s coniferous forests every few years.
UK’s warmest spring on record led to rise in songbirds breeding, data shows
The warmest and sunniest spring on record this year led to an increase in the breeding of some of Britain’s best-loved songbirds, data has shown. Scientists said the dry and warm spring had provided a glimmer of hope for threatened wild birds.
The hill I will die on: Pigeons are working-class heroes and deserve some respect
Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is – and as it happens, I’m sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons.
'After 200 years, we're seeing this species again': The lost birds making a comeback in the Galapagos Islands
Freed from the threat of invasive predators, Galapagos birds are performing astonishing feats of return and innovation – 200 years after Charles Darwin visited the archipelago.
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