birds

The fact that loud noises like fireworks on the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve affect wildlife should come as no surprise. New research has found that the mass use of New Year’s Eve fireworks can cause birds to use precious energy stores as they flee from the loud sounds, even more than six […]

Animal species that live in cities must be adaptable to survive, including not being too picky about what they eat. Now, a global consortium of scientists has conducted a study and termed the collection of characteristics that go along with learning to have this flexibility “urban trait syndrome.” The study used data from six continents […]

In a new study, researchers have linked light pollution in urban areas to smaller eye sizes found in two common songbird species. Researchers studied the northern cardinal and Carolina wren that live year-round in San Antonio, Texas, a city with an estimated population of about 1,472,900 people, and compared these birds to the same two […]

Originally introduced to North America in the 1800s, the European starling is a magnificent bird, tawny brown with white spots in winter, shining with iridescent purple and green feathers in summer. Not only are they dazzling, since starlings are also some of the most skilled vocal learners, with the ability to mimic the calls of […]

Once a native species of Florida, American flamingos mostly disappeared in the state due to hunting around the turn of the twentieth century. These days they are mostly found in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Recently, the exotic birds — whose pink feathers come from their diet of brine shrimp and algae containing […]

A new study has found that 176 bird species around the world are building their nests with trash from humans, such as cigarette butts, candy wrappers and plastic string. Birds on all continents except Antarctica were found to make nests with this waste, which could harm the birds and the chicks. Researchers analyzed nearly 35,000 […]

Many bird species are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, especially the extreme ones that come with climate change. Global heating is especially difficult for birds, who need shade, cool water and breezes to cool down. A new study by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests some bird species can get relief from climate change […]

Sometimes, beauty can be a death sentence. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the demand for decorative feathers devastated the populations of birds like great egrets and birds of paradise. Today, it is the exotic pet trade that threatens bright birds with extinction.  A new study published in Current Biology September 15 found that […]