Birds News

April 12, 2025

Top Headlines

European Bird Declines Linked to Range of Climatic Conditions Experienced

Apr. 9, 2025 — New research suggests conservation efforts could more effectively identify and protect bird species at greatest risk from climate change by better understanding the range of specific conditions they need to thrive. The study examined the ...

Colourful City Birds

Apr. 9, 2025 — Bird species that do well in urban areas are more colorful and less ...

Mapping Mercury Contamination in Penguins of the Southern Ocean

Apr. 9, 2025 — In 1962, when environmentalist and author Rachel Carson penned 'Silent Spring,' alerting the world to the dangers of the pesticide DDT, it was the reproductive threat to birds -- the bald eagle in particular -- that spurred people to action. Six ...

Reduced Movement of Starlings With Parasite Infections Has a Negative Impact on Their Offspring

Apr. 9, 2025 — Infections with parasites often entail no recognizable signs in many wildlife species, but can have still negative effects across generations. Infected animals often have a slightly reduced body size ...

Latest Headlines

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New Research Finds Fluorescence in Feathers of Long-Eared Owls

Apr. 8, 2025 — Researchers report their discovery of fluorescent pigments in the feathers of Long-eared Owls, that can only be seen by humans with the help of ultraviolet ...

An Antiviral Chewing Gum to Reduce Influenza and Herpes Simplex Virus Transmission

Apr. 4, 2025 — Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach to reduce viral transmission. ...

Century-Old Clues Reveal Hidden Threat to Australian Songbird

Apr. 4, 2025 — A hidden threat facing one of Australia's most iconic birds has been uncovered in a new study. The critically endangered regent honeyeater once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but their ...

How a Small Number of Mutations Can Fuel Outbreaks of Western Equine Encephalitis Virus

Apr. 4, 2025 — New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into ...

Migrating Flies Vital for People and Nature

Apr. 2, 2025 — Buzzing insects may be seen as pests -- but globally, hundreds of fly species migrate over long distances, with major benefits for people and nature, new research ...

A Hit of Dopamine Tells Baby Birds When Their Song Practice Is Paying Off

Mar. 25, 2025 — By watching the ebb and flow of the brain's chemical signals, researchers are beginning to disentangle the molecular mechanisms underlying the intrinsic motivation to learn. In a new study of zebra ...

Making Foie Gras Without Force-Feeding

Mar. 25, 2025 — Researchers wondered if there was a more ethical way to enjoy foie gras, so they created a process to replicate the dish without force-feeding ducks and geese beyond their normal diets. They treated ...

Galapagos Birds Exhibit 'Road Rage' Due to Noise

Mar. 20, 2025 — A new study has discovered that birds in the Galapagos Islands are changing their behavior due to traffic noise, with those frequently exposed to vehicles showing heightened levels of aggression. ...

From Dinosaurs to Birds: The Origins of Feather Formation

Mar. 20, 2025 — Feathers, essential for thermoregulation, flight, and communication in birds, originate from simple appendages known as proto-feathers, which were present in certain dinosaurs.By studying embryonic ...

Scientists Map Neural Wiring of Vocal Circuits in Songbirds

Mar. 18, 2025 — Researchers have mapped the long-range synaptic connections involved in vocal learning in zebra finches, uncovering new details about how the brain organises learned vocalisations such as ...

How a Hummingbird Chick Acts Like a Caterpillar to Survive

Mar. 17, 2025 — For the first time, scientists described a hummingbird chick potentially mimicking a poisonous caterpillar to avoid getting ...

Unique Dove Species Is the Dodo of the Caribbean and in Similar Danger of Dying out

Mar. 17, 2025 — Ancient DNA shows an endangered dove species endemic to Cuba is more genetically distinct than the dodo was before it died ...

How Big Brains and Flexible Skulls Led to the Evolution of Modern Birds

Mar. 17, 2025 — New research shows how physical changes in the skull affected the mechanics of the way birds move and use their beaks to eat and explore their habitats -- adaptations that helped them evolve into the ...

US Bird Populations Continue Alarming Decline

Mar. 13, 2025 — The 2025 U. S. State of the Birds Report, produced by a coalition of leading science and conservation organizations, reveals continued widespread declines in American bird populations across all ...

Vocal Changes in Birds May Predict Age-Related Disorders in People, Study Finds

Mar. 12, 2025 — Neuroscientists have found a link between vocal changes and the aging brain in zebra finch songbirds, which could help lead to earlier diagnoses for disorders such as Parkinson's and ...

Acoustic Monitoring Network for Birds Enhances Forest Management

Mar. 11, 2025 — A new study using the largest network of microphones to track birds in the United States is providing crucial insights for managing and restoring fire-prone forests across California's Sierra ...

The Changing Chorus: How Movements and Memories Influence Birdsong Evolution

Mar. 7, 2025 — New research has provided fresh insights into how bird songs evolve over time, revealing a significant role for population dynamics in shaping song diversity and change. The findings are based on an ...

Scientists Develop Advanced Forest Monitoring Systems: Will Forests Monitor Themselves in the Future?

Mar. 7, 2025 — 'Forests are among the most important ecosystems in nature, constantly evolving, yet their monitoring is often delayed,' says an expert. Climate change, pests, and human activity are ...

Iconic Australian Bird Reveals Hidden Farming Talent

Mar. 5, 2025 — The beloved Australian lyrebird best known for its stunning tail and powers of mimicry may have a cunning hidden ...

Birds Breathe in Dangerous Plastics -- And So Do We

Feb. 27, 2025 — Microscopic plastic pollutants drifting through the air are lodging in the lungs of birds, a new study finds. Researchers worldwide are increasingly alarmed by how pervasive these harmful particles ...

When Birds Lose the Ability to Fly, Their Bodies Change Faster Than Their Feathers

Feb. 27, 2025 — Researchers examined dozens of bird species in museum collections looking for differences in the feathers and bodies between birds that can fly and birds that can't. They found that when birds ...

Immunity Against Seasonal H1N1 Flu Reduces Bird Flu Severity in Ferrets, Study Suggests

Feb. 26, 2025 — Pre-existing immunity against seasonal H1N1 flu might help explain why most reported human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. have not resulted in lethal ...

Environment Nudges Birds to Fast, or Slow, Life Lane

Feb. 25, 2025 — A study shows birds worldwide make strategic decisions about how they live based on their environmental conditions. Some live fast, die young, and leave as many chicks as possible. Others live long ...

Backyard Poultry Face Bird Flu Risk When Migrating Mallards Stop to Rest

Feb. 24, 2025 — Knowing where, when and for how long mallard ducks -- natural carriers of avian influenza -- stop and rest as they migrate can help predict the probability that they will spread bird flu to backyard ...

Big Birds Like Emus Are Technical Innovators, Study Shows

Feb. 20, 2025 — Large birds -- our closest relations to dinosaurs -- are capable of technical innovation, by solving a physical task to gain access to ...

Feed Additives Can Reduce Campylobacter in Free-Range Broilers

Feb. 19, 2025 — New research has yielded promising results in the fight against campylobacter in free-range chicken flocks. Trials demonstrate that adding biochar to chicken feed can reduce campylobacter in chickens ...

Repeated Invasions Shape NZ's Bird Life

Feb. 18, 2025 — New esearch shows Aotearoa has been increasingly accepting new bird species from around the world since the start of the Ice Age, offering clues into future migration ...

ChatGPT for Birdsong May Shed Light on How Language Is Wired in the Human Brain

Feb. 12, 2025 — Just like ChatGPT and other generative language models train on human texts to create grammatically correct sentences, a new modeling method trains on recordings of birds to create accurate ...

Masquerading Moth Deploys Unique Optical Tricks to Evade Predators

Feb. 12, 2025 — Scientists have described a nocturnal moth's unique evolutionary trick in replicating the appearance of 3D leaf, with potential applications for the development of advanced camouflage materials ...

Female Hoverflies Beat Males on Long-Distance Migrations

Feb. 11, 2025 — Male hoverflies are outflown by females when it comes to long-distance migration, research ...