How Do Birds Know When to Migrate?
Lengthening days set off a cascade of events in migratory birds that culminates in the birth of a clutch of chicks.....»»
Unique voice prints in parrots could help birds be recognized in a flock, no matter what they say
Parrots are exceptional talkers. They can learn new sounds during their entire lives, amassing an almost unlimited vocal repertoire. At the same time, parrots produce calls so they can be individually recognized by members of their flock—raising th.....»»
"Invasion" of tropical birds known as limpkins reported in Illinois—invasive snails may be attractive food source
While on a recent visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden, Ann Harness spotted a creature she'd never seen before. The tall brown bird with a long bill looked like a cross between a rail and a heron......»»
Stars and inner compass guide moths and birds, say researchers
Gray-brown bogong moths may not be much to look at, but every year they perform a nocturnal journey worthy of attention. Billions of them fly as many as 1,000 kilometers from plains in eastern Australia to mountain caves to escape the summer heat......»»
Research: Electrons in a strange metal world
Imagine a flock of birds as they wheel across the sky: surging into a mass, flowing into ribbons that twist and turn again into fantastic shapes. If you follow one bird within the flock, you can describe its actions, the way it flaps its wings or use.....»»
Emperor penguins face a bleak future, but some colonies will do better than others in diverse sea-ice conditions
The long-term future looks bleak for Emperor penguins, but our new research shows some birds may be able to survive in certain conditions, depending on where they live, at least for the next few decades......»»
France to vaccinate millions of ducks against bird flu
France on Monday began Europe's only vaccination campaign against bird flu in ducks, hoping to avoid mass culls of millions of birds that have dearly cost the industry in recent years......»»
Crossing glaciers and fjords: Norwegian reindeer migrate for winter
A herd of reindeer with white, brown or gray coats climb mountains and swim between glaciers on their great migration to their winter pasture in Norway's far north......»»
"New way of looking at nature": These naturalists explore queer ecology with geese, owls and more
As Raquel García-Álvarez guides hikers on a trail surrounding the Sand Ridge Nature Center, her remarks on flora and fauna are interrupted by geese honking. She explains, as curious onlookers admire the birds skirting the water, that there's more t.....»»
Study shows protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times
Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss—including for vertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to a study published in Nature Sept. 27......»»
Study: Honest people tend to migrate toward honest areas, depriving their places of origin of human capital
The newly observed phenomenon of "honesty drain" can subtract human capital and economic resources from areas where the tendency to break rules is higher, according to "Rule Breaking, Honesty and Migration," a paper by Massimo Anelli, (Bocconi Depart.....»»
Vega"s fuel-free CubeSats will use wings to keep in formation
Spain's trio of ANSER CubeSats, due to fly on Europe's next Vega launcher, will fly like a flock of birds in orbit—in more ways than one. Keeping in formation by following their leader, the three shoebox-sized satellite will image Iberian waters as.....»»
Caribbean parrots thought to be endemic are actually relicts of millennial-scale extinction
In a new study published in PNAS, researchers have extracted the first ancient DNA from Caribbean parrots, which they compared with genetic sequences from modern birds. Working with fossils and archaeological specimens, they showed that two species t.....»»
Holidays to the home country could help bilingual children hold on to family"s original language
It's hard to keep a language in the family. Many people who migrate to different countries find that their language of origin has become a heritage language, passed on to future generations with varying degrees of success. These languages come under.....»»
Migratory birds can be taught to adjust to climate change, study shows
One result of climate change is that spring is arriving earlier. However, migratory birds are not keeping up with these developments and arrive too late for the peak in food availability when it is time for breeding. By getting the birds to fly a lit.....»»
Researchers" analysis of perching birds points to new answers in evolutionary diversification
When Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands almost 200 years ago as a gentleman naturalist, he used the power of observation to develop his theory that species evolve over time......»»
AI could make studying birds easier
Artificial intelligence could make studying birds easier, thanks to the work of a University of Alberta student......»»
Urban light pollution linked to smaller eyes in birds: Study
The bright lights of big cities could be causing an evolutionary adaptation for smaller eyes in some birds, a new study indicates......»»
Birds’ problem-solving skills linked to song complexity
But other measures of intelligence, like learning associations, are unconnected. Enlarge / Despite the gaudy clothing, this guy is remarkably crafty. (credit: Arthur Morris) One of the ways we try to understand the origi.....»»
Clever lapwings use cover to hide in plain sight
Ground-nesting birds called lapwings use the shape of their nests and surroundings to hide from predators, new research shows......»»
For the first time, research reveals crows use statistical logic
The birds can associate images with distinct reward probabilities. Enlarge (credit: John Dreyer) Whether playing tricks, mimicking speech, or holding “funerals,” crows and ravens (collectively known as corvids) have.....»»