How Do Seabirds Drink Salt Water?
August 07, 2025 —
Albatrosses, petrels, and other ocean-dwellers can stay hydrated without fresh water. The key? Little glands above their eyes.
Bird Science
‘Feather Detective’ Roxie Laybourne’s Career in Six Objects
July 22, 2025 —
From a gynandromorphic grosbeak to feathers collected at a murder investigation in Florida, biographer Chris Sweeney shares six unusual artifacts he found while researching his new book about the world’s first forensic ornithologist.
This Researcher Wants Your Photos of ‘Gulls Eating Stuff’
July 21, 2025 —
A community science project examines how gull diets are shifting amid population declines.
To Solve the Mallard's Mysterious Decline, Researchers Turn to Hi-Tech Trackers
June 20, 2025 —
Biologists are using the devices to better understand the bird's behavior and, ultimately, what might be driving our most common duck's population drop.
This Hummingbird Rapidly Evolved a Longer Beak to Slurp More Nectar from Feeders, New Study Finds
May 29, 2025 —
The 20th century expansion of nectar feeders drove Anna’s Hummingbirds to spread across California—and transformed the birds along the way.
Do Birds Pee? Hummingbirds Do—a Lot
April 23, 2025 —
Unlike most other avians, hummers urinate in a stream much like mammals, releasing liquid waste often and out of necessity.
Birds-of-Paradise Feathers Are More Than Flashy—They Glow
March 07, 2025 —
Researchers recently discovered that dozens of species in the flamboyant family are biofluorescent, emitting a gleaming light that could enhance their mating displays.
Witness the Inspiring Release of Milagra, the Condor Rescued as an Egg After Bird Flu Killed Her Mother
October 09, 2024 —
Hatched and raised in captivity, the young bird has defied the odds, returning more than a year later to a wild flock still reeling from disease and lead poisoning.
It’s One of the Biggest Events in a Bird’s Life. Scientists Can’t Agree How to Talk About It.
September 12, 2024 —
Every species replaces its feathers by molting, but a passionate debate among ornithologists about what to call the plumage swaps spans oceans and generations.
