Most of the birds you’ve ever seen — sparrows, finches, robins, crows — have one crucial thing in common: they’re all what scientists refer to … Read More “Earliest known perching bird discovered in Wyoming”
Science
Discoveries about birds, behaviors, migration, and more. Plus, Eldon Greij’s popular column, “Amazing Birds.”
How birds keep warm in the winter
Here in the Midwest, we are in the midst of the polar vortex — with sub-sub-zero temps and even worse wind chills. Birds, of course, … Read More “How birds keep warm in the winter”
Scientists track behaviors of young Emperor Penguins
Emperor Penguin chicks hatch into one of Earth’s most inhospitable places — the frozen world of Antarctica. A young penguin’s time in the harsh environment … Read More “Scientists track behaviors of young Emperor Penguins”
Rare fossil bird deepens mystery of avian extinctions
Most complete North American enantiornithine fossil was aerodynamic equal of modern birds. Read More “Rare fossil bird deepens mystery of avian extinctions”
Researchers unravel origins of world’s smallest flightless bird
The South Atlantic’s Inaccessible Island Rail split from a relative that lives on mainland South America 1.5 million years ago. Read More “Researchers unravel origins of world’s smallest flightless bird”
Study: New Caledonian Crows can create compound tools
Scientists have known for some time that the New Caledonian Crow, a species found only on two islands in the South Pacific, is able to … Read More “Study: New Caledonian Crows can create compound tools”
New leaf-warbler discovered in Indonesia
Researchers from Singapore and Indonesia have described an unusual new songbird species. They named it the Rote Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus rotiensis) after the island of Rote, … Read More “New leaf-warbler discovered in Indonesia”
How the many sizes and shapes of beaks came to be
Eldon Greij explains how beaks evolved to fit the functionality of each bird species. Read More “How the many sizes and shapes of beaks came to be”