BIRDS

In Mozambique, People and Wild Birds Share a Sweet Business Arrangement

Honey hunters use special calls to enlist wax-eating birds, who lead the people to beehives in exchange for leftovers.

City Birds May Be More Aggressive Than Rural Birds, Study Finds

Urban birds may also be more territorial and aggressive than their more laid back rural counterparts.

Photo by Stephanie Ware, The Field Museum.

Given the Opportunity to Cheat on Their Mates, City Falcons Stay True

Experts wondered if living so close to humans and other falcons would change the raptors’ naturally monogamous mating habits.

Ancient Ostrich Relative Discovered in North America

Researchers believe the discovery could be the key to identifying other ancient bird species.

The Sunscreen Campaign Featuring a Controversial Pooping Robotic Seagull

The funny commercial has been called "idiotic" by figures in the advertising community.

7 Pets Who Rescued Their Humans

When her owner had a heart attack, LuLu the pig played dead in the road until help arrived.

This Blind Bird Expert Can Identify 3000 Distinct Calls

Juan Pablo Culasso has turned his perfect pitch into a career in nature recording.

Flickr User Soroush Javadi // CC BY-SA 2.0

Why Do Birds Line Up On Telephone and Power Wires?

The avian high-wire act, explained.

The furlinator via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

6 Honking Facts About Canada Geese

3. They form gangs.

5 Pets Who Helped Solve Their Owners' Murders

Here are five animals that made sure justice was served.

Cuckolded Sparrow Fathers Stop Feeding Their Kids

"Predictably Philandering Females Prompt Poor Paternal Provisioning"

Daniel D. Baleckaitis via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

Birds Use ‘Baby Talk’ to Teach Songs to Their Young

A study found that adult zebra finches speak differently to baby birds than they do to one another, and that their repetitive language seemed to help the young birds learn to sing.

Over a Third of North American Bird Species Are in Danger, Study Finds

A whopping 432 of the 1154 total native species are considered at a risk for extinction.

The Vulturepocalpyse Is Coming, and It’s Bad News

Ecosystems and humans alike rely on vultures, and not only because otherwise we'd be knee-deep in carcasses.

Baby Barn Owls Give Their Hungrier Siblings First Preference at Mealtime

Barn owl nestlings communicate about who's hungriest, a new study finds.

5 Backyard and Balcony Habitats You Can Build to Attract Wildlife

It requires surprisingly little effort.

Peacocks Use Vibrating Feathers to Attract the Ladies

Their iridescent eyespots stay still while other parts of the feather oscillate, creating a captivating display for peahens.

Walter Siegmund via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

Crows Form, Nurse, and Share Grudges Against People

The birds never forget a face, or how it has wronged them.

Wisconsin Teacher 3D-Prints Prosthetic Feet for an Injured Duck

Thanks to frostbite, Philip the duck was missing his webbed appendages. Now, he's able to live on his own.

Conservationists Plan to Sneak Electronic Eggs Into Vulture Nests

The fake eggs contain sensors to monitor the vultures’ behavior and environment.

U.S. Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Antarctic Birds Recognize and Attack Humans They Don’t Like

In the study, Brown skuas developed a grudge against any researcher who repeatedly poked at their nests.

Urban Birds Are Sharper Than Country Birds, Study Suggests

City finches had higher intelligence and stronger immune systems than country birds.

Tom Benson via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Woodpeckers May Use Wood-Rotting Fungi to Help Them Drill Holes

One woodpecker species may have found a smart way to build their homes faster.

Scientists Recreate How Neanderthals May Have Butchered Birds for Jewelry

Neanderthals may have accessorized with raptor feathers and talons—and, according to new research, they went through great pains to do so.

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