Audubon

Science

Whooping Cranes Need to Socially Distance, Too, According to New Report

Whooping Cranes Need to Socially Distance, Too, According to New Report

April 2, 2020 — The endangered birds’ flocks are too big, putting them at risk of disease outbreak. Breaking up the large groups requires wetland restoration.
To Get By in the Big City, Birds Need to Have a Large Brain or Lots of Sex

To Get By in the Big City, Birds Need to Have a Large Brain or Lots of Sex

March 25, 2020 — A new study reveals two traits that help some species meet the challenges of city life in a quickly urbanizing world.
When Female Birds Are Overlooked, Conservation Suffers

When Female Birds Are Overlooked, Conservation Suffers

March 23, 2020 — Ornithologists are trying to correct biases and misguided assumptions that can undermine environmental efforts and scientific knowledge.
20 Days, 7,500 Miles: Desertas Petrels’ Mind-Boggling Foraging Trips

20 Days, 7,500 Miles: Desertas Petrels’ Mind-Boggling Foraging Trips

March 13, 2020 — Using regional winds to their advantage, these rare seabirds fly as far and fast as they can to search out patches of food.
Ancient Bird Fossil Smaller than a Hummingbird Discovered in Amber Trove

Ancient Bird Fossil Smaller than a Hummingbird Discovered in Amber Trove

March 11, 2020 — The teeny skull, from a bed of 99 million-year-old fossils from Myanmar, suggests bird diversity was vast before the dinosaurs went extinct.
An Ode to Nature’s Hotdogs: Moth Caterpillars

An Ode to Nature’s Hotdogs: Moth Caterpillars

March 4, 2020 — Get 'em before they're gone (especially if you're a bird).
Hot, Bothered, and Parasite-free: Why Birds Sun Themselves

Hot, Bothered, and Parasite-free: Why Birds Sun Themselves

February 27, 2020 — Avian sunbathing has mystified ornithologists for decades, but some recent research is confirming an old suspicion that the behavior helps fend off lice.
These Beloved Warblers Migrate North Almost a Week Earlier Than 50 Years Ago

These Beloved Warblers Migrate North Almost a Week Earlier Than 50 Years Ago

February 21, 2020 — Black-throated Blue Warblers now start spring migration 5.5 days sooner than they did in the 1960s, a new study finds. Is climate change to blame?
Antarctica’s Most Numerous Penguin Has Suffered Huge Declines, Expedition Finds

Antarctica’s Most Numerous Penguin Has Suffered Huge Declines, Expedition Finds

February 10, 2020 — Scientists counting Chinstrap Penguins on Elephant Island tally fewer than half as many birds as nested there almost 50 years ago.
Albatross Wearing Data Trackers Are Exposing Illegal Fishing Boats

Albatross Wearing Data Trackers Are Exposing Illegal Fishing Boats

January 27, 2020 — The seabirds' knack for finding fishing vessels could help authorities crack down on crimes on the high seas.