Birds (class Aves) are a clade of endothermic, egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, a lightweight but strong skeleton with pneumatic bones, and forelimbs modified as wings. They possess a highly efficient respiratory system with air sacs and unidirectional airflow, a four-chambered heart, and high metabolic rates supporting sustained activity and, in most species, powered flight. Reproduction is oviparous with hard-shelled, calcium-rich eggs and extensive parental care. Birds exhibit diverse morphologies and ecological strategies, yet share key synapomorphies such as feathers and a furcula, reflecting their origin within theropod dinosaurs.
Bowerbirds in an Australian city use a range of human items—from glass and plastic to banknotes and even a pair of handcuffs—to impress females, shows new research in Royal Society Open Science. Male bowerbirds create an ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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New research reveals that resident forest birds avoid intensive clearcut areas, highlighting the need for more sustainable forestry practices.
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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Falcons are lauded for their speed and agility. The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), skilled at snagging birds and insects out of the air, is no exception. However, during twilight on one day in October, researcher Apostolos ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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New research has found that masturbation among bird species, including parrots, is natural, despite prevailing assumptions that it is a harmful behavior in response to environmental factors.
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) may not be beautiful, but they are certainly adaptable. A new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research, titled "Turkey Vulture Aggregations at a Water Barrier Provide Evidence of ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 2, 2026
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Eight crested ibises were released into the wild in a north-central Japanese town, decades after the birds went extinct in the country.
Ecology
Jun 1, 2026
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Perhaps nothing better illustrates the flamingo's status as a newcomer to the Venetian Lagoon than the fact that the local dialect has no word for them.
Ecology
May 31, 2026
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A recently discovered extinct bird from the early Cretaceous Period (approximately 121 million years ago) may have waggled its long tail feathers to attract mates, according to a study published May 27, 2026 in the open-access ...
Plants & Animals
May 30, 2026
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How pigeons fly hundreds of kilometers and still find their way home has long fascinated people. Now, researchers say a surprising answer may be hidden, not in the brain or eyes of birds, but in the liver.
Plants & Animals
May 28, 2026
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A new study of British wrens has provided new insights into the inner workings of "island syndromes," according to research led by the University of Birmingham. The paper, published in the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean ...
Evolution
May 28, 2026
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