Birds as a research topic encompass the study of Aves across diverse biological and ecological disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, behavior, evolution, and systematics. Research focuses on adaptations for flight (e.g., lightweight skeletal structure, high metabolic rates, specialized respiratory systems), sensory and cognitive capacities, communication via vocalizations, and complex social and mating systems. Ornithological studies also investigate avian roles in ecosystems as pollinators, seed dispersers, predators, and prey, as well as their biogeography and migration strategies. Birds serve as key model systems in evolutionary biology, speciation, bioacoustics, neurobiology, and conservation science, particularly in the context of habitat alteration and climate change.
Like many animals, parrots make sounds that suggest they are talking with each other, maybe even calling out to a specific parrot. But do they truly have names in the same way people do? To find out, Lauryn Benedict, a biology ...
Plants & Animals
19 hours ago
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High in the forests of Hawai'i, songbirds are stealing twigs and moss from one another's nests. UC Riverside researchers found this quiet canopy crime is surprisingly common and could threaten species already struggling to ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 15, 2026
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Whether it is the climate, beaches, or simply being away from the hustle and bustle, island cultures around the world often do things differently to the mainland. It turns out this phenomenon isn't unique to humans.
Plants & Animals
Apr 14, 2026
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Birds have, for centuries, been captured from the wild to be kept in cages—valued for their looks, songs and ability to imitate sounds. Data compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ...
Ecology
Apr 8, 2026
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Communication is central to the survival of most animals, including humans. Yet animals of different species communicate differently, and the complexity of their communication skills varies greatly. One characteristic of ...
Warming temperatures from climate change cause tree swallows to nest up to two weeks earlier than they did in the 1970s, but early spring cold snaps can hinder nestlings' growth and survival, according to a new study that ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 6, 2026
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Kaʻiulani Murphy is quick to spot white terns flapping their wings when she's guiding Polynesian voyaging canoes across the Pacific.
Ecology
Apr 2, 2026
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Superb fairy-wrens are facing "imminent danger," and a well-studied population in Canberra could go extinct in the next 30 years if we don't urgently curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to an international team of scientists ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 1, 2026
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Chicks, just like pets, also benefit from gentle human touch, new research has revealed. Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered that gentle human interactions do not only prevent fear in baby chicks but also ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 30, 2026
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In 2014, Felicity Newell joined the Florida Museum of Natural History as a doctoral student, then promptly left the country in search of a tropical spring. It's a concept she started thinking about while doing biological ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 27, 2026
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