Local adaptation may buffer some birds against climate change
North American song sparrows may be more resilient to climate change thanks to a remarkable adaptation: a stunning range of body sizes found throughout the bird's westernmost range.
North American song sparrows may be more resilient to climate change thanks to a remarkable adaptation: a stunning range of body sizes found throughout the bird's westernmost range.
Evolution
Nov 7, 2023
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51
Most bird species are slow to change their tune, preferring to stick with tried-and-true songs to defend territories and attract females. Now, with the help of citizen scientists, researchers have tracked how one rare sparrow ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2020
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606
The invader, puffed out into the shape of a ball, fluttered one wing straight up in the air. He sang constantly and softly, incomplete songs in rapid succession. The defender, silent, hunched his shoulders in a menacing attitude, ...
Ecology
Dec 13, 2019
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16
Like toddlers learning to speak, young birds learn to sing by listening to the voices of adults. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on October 4 have shown for the first time that they could teach young sparrows ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 4, 2018
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49
What makes human cultural traditions unique? One common answer is that we are better copycats than other species, which allows us to pass our habits and ways of life down through the generations without losing or forgetting ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 20, 2018
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165
Understanding the factors that affect a bird species' nesting success can be crucial for planning effective conservation efforts. However, many studies of nesting birds last only a few years—and that means they can miss ...
Ecology
Mar 21, 2018
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4
A new University of Nebraska-Lincoln study has shown that golden-crowned sparrow chicks can name their tune in just one note – even before knowing the song.
Plants & Animals
Oct 25, 2017
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7
Does estrogen affect the way females perceive male sexual signals? That is a question a team of Yale researchers explored in a study, focusing on the female house sparrow.
Plants & Animals
Aug 30, 2017
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1
Java sparrows are more likely to mate after dancing together, according to a study from Hokkaido University, contradictory to the belief that songs are the primary sexual signal.
Plants & Animals
Apr 17, 2017
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17
Birds' beaks come in an incredible range of shapes and sizes, adapted for survival in environments around the world. But as a new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances reveals, there's even more to bird beaks than meets ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 9, 2016
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21