Bird flu is deadly for backyard chickens—and even cats. A vet expert explains
The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in seabirds in two Australian states.
Veterinary medicine
Jun 28, 2026
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Page 4: Research news on Birds (class)
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.
Tiny raptor, tiny range: GPS tracking reveals pygmy falcons use less than 1 km² to raise nestlings
A new study, published in the Journal of Raptor Research, reveals that Africa's smallest diurnal bird of prey, the pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus), operates within one of the smallest breeding home ranges ever recorded ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 26, 2026
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Why these birds meet again in Africa: Flycatcher study reveals how genes and environment guide 13,000‑km migrations
Migratory birds such as the pied flycatcher typically have wintering locations in Africa close to others from the same breeding population. That means that birds breeding in the Netherlands run into each other again in Africa, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 25, 2026
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Seal pups and seabird chicks are suffering in extreme weather. How can we protect them?
Extreme weather is becoming the new normal, disrupting human communities across the globe.
Plants & Animals
Jun 22, 2026
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Bird-derived gene tool inserts plant DNA 30 times more efficiently than CRISPR
In a rapidly changing climate landscape, the plants we rely on for food, textiles and more face a multitude of challenges, including rising temperatures, drought and disease. Caltech's Gözde Demirer, the Clare Boothe Luce ...
Biotechnology
Jun 22, 2026
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Crashing insect populations lead to smaller tree swallows that reproduce less
Since the 1970s, the number of insects at Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory has dropped by more than 60%, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan. Because of this, today's birds are smaller and facing ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 22, 2026
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How drone AI could help endangered birds
Drones and artificial intelligence could provide valuable information to guide efforts to slow the alarming extinction rate of birds across the globe, research from The University of Queensland has found.
Plants & Animals
Jun 22, 2026
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Australia confirms first H5N1 cases in wild birds: What happens next for farms and wildlife?
On a remote beach near Esperance, Western Australia, two sick seabirds have brought the bird flu crisis to Australia.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 22, 2026
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Australia detects first case of contagious H5 bird flu
Scientists have detected the H5 strain of bird flu in Australia for the first time, the country's agriculture minister said Saturday, meaning the highly contagious variant has now spread to every continent.
Veterinary medicine
Jun 20, 2026
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From birds to fish, how extreme heat causes wildlife to suffer
Like humans, wildlife is increasingly vulnerable as climate change fuels longer and more intense heat waves, disrupting feeding and breeding and, in extreme cases, proving fatal.
Environment
Jun 19, 2026
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