Bird Science

April 19, 2022 — The drive for birds to migrate is at least partially genetic. How those genes developed—and how they function in modern birds—isn't fully known.

April 18, 2022 — After closely examining images taken by photographer Mac Stone, experts were able to identify a spoonbill banded as a chick 18 years ago.

April 11, 2022 — Recent research reveals that Black Swifts ascend to remarkable heights when the moon is full. Why they do so is more of a mystery.

March 01, 2022 — Sunnyvale, California recently began using lasers to deter large flocks of roosting crows. The effectiveness of these tools, however, can vary.

February 07, 2022 — A growing body of research suggests a warming world could mean smaller birds with longer wings, but nothing about the findings is settled.

January 27, 2022 — Nearly eight decades of banding data help dissect how songbirds return to the same breeding territory year after year.

January 21, 2022 — Ninety years of Christmas Bird Count data tease apart the effects of habitat loss and warming temperatures on winter bird distributions.

January 14, 2022 — New research confirms that males’ wing-boom sound marks hard-to-find nesting sites—a boon for efforts to save these mysterious, declining birds.

December 17, 2021 — Birds play countless roles in healthy ecosystems—which is why preserving bird diversity helps everyone.

November 24, 2021 — A new study of Black-browed Albatrosses provides a reminder that climate change can affect birds in unexpected ways.