Migratory shorebirds travel thousands of miles between wintering and breeding grounds. For years, scientists, ornithologists, and ordinary birders have been concerned about habitat loss along established flyways. Analysis of shorebird migration data reveals negative population trends for the vast majority of the species studied, with many species having lost significant portions of their populations. The […]
Tag: birds
Cavity-Nesting Birds Use Shed Snake Skin in Nest Construction to Deter Predators
Many species of birds use shed snake skin in nest construction, but this behavior is poorly understood. In new research, ornithologists at Cornell University used comparative and experimental approaches to suggest that the evolution of this behavior is mediated by nest morphology and predator communities. They used a series of experiments and comparisons to test […]
New study reveals why some birds are all about that bass
Birds produce an impressive variety of songs and calls, but the biological and ecological factors that influence the pitch, or frequencies, that birds create hasn’t been well understood — until now. Previous studies haven’t come to a consensus likely because they were small in scope, focusing on an individual species or a specific range. But […]
Asia’s Extraordinary Jumping Bird Now Thriving in Captivity–a Hopeful Halt to Population Slide
An endangered bird famous for its elaborate leaping courtship displays is being reared in a special facility where the animals are able to develop their wild instincts. With less than 600 individuals left in the wilds of Cambodia, conservationists have shown that the Bengal florican can successfully grow up in semi-captivity, raising hope that a […]
Dead Birds Flying High review – intriguing naturalist portrait swerves the Nazi question
Here is a thoughtful, austere documentary by Sönje Storm that largely avoids the irony-potential hinted at in the title. It is about her great-grandfather, Jürgen Mahrt: a remarkable, self-taught naturalist and photographer from Elsdorf in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, who sold off some of the family farm that he inherited to pursue his great passion for the […]
Massive Alaskan Bird Die-Off Shocks Scientists
Scientists have reported the most significant bird mortality event in modern history, with over 4 million common murres perishing in Alaska. This catastrophic loss, revealed in a recent study published in the journal Science, surpasses any previous known wildlife disaster, including the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill. The roots of this calamity are traced back […]
Wildlife and humans face shared health risks from plastic pollution
Humans are surrounded by plastic. So are animals. While numerous studies have shown the wide-ranging health effects in humans linked to plastic, very few have looked at how plastic, especially microplastic, impacts wildlife. That’s beginning to change, contributor Sharon Guynup reports for Mongabay. “Plastic pollution has been found on every continent and in every ocean, […]
Saving ‘old and wise’ animals vital for species’ survival, say scientists
It’s not just humans who get wiser as they age – animals do too, according to a growing body of research. The bigmouth buffalo fish can reach 127 years old, the Greenland shark 392, and some sponges can live for 10,000 years or more. And age is not just a number: as animals get older […]