Ornithology is the branch of biological sciences devoted to the systematic study of birds, encompassing their taxonomy, morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution. It integrates field-based observational methods (e.g., banding, telemetry, acoustic monitoring) with laboratory approaches such as molecular genetics, stable isotope analysis, and comparative physiology to investigate avian systematics, migration, life histories, and population dynamics. Ornithological research contributes to broader disciplines including evolutionary biology, biogeography, neuroethology, and conservation biology, where birds serve as model organisms for testing ecological and evolutionary theory, assessing environmental change, and informing evidence-based management of species and habitats.
For decades, scientists have known that only a few groups of birds—songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds—can learn to produce new sounds. But a new article in The Quarterly Review of Biology reveals that many more birds can ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 19, 2025
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A 30-year "snapshot study" of birds in the Pacific Northwest is showing their surprising resilience in the face of climate change. The project started when School of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Benjamin Freeman ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 17, 2025
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Climate change is driving drastic environmental shifts and accelerating global biodiversity loss. Hybrid introgression has recently emerged as a key mechanism enabling rapid adaptation to historical climate change. Yet empirical ...
Evolution
Nov 13, 2025
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A new study of nearly 800 barred owls on the West Coast shows the invasive predator feeds on 29 species given special conservation status by federal and state governments.
Plants & Animals
Nov 11, 2025
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When you think of birds imitating sounds, parrots and starlings might come to mind. They're famous for copying human speech, car alarms, and even ringtone melodies. But what happens when you challenge them with something ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 6, 2025
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Massive birds whose loud wingbeats and rollicking cries resound through tropical rainforests, African hornbills were a common sight in my experience working in Gabon, Central Africa, 30 years ago. Highly gregarious, African ...
A high-pitched screech cuts the night air. Then silence. Minutes pass with only the low drone of crickets. Then you hear it, a soft, crescendoing hoot.
Plants & Animals
Oct 28, 2025
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The discovery of a tiny foot bone millions of years old reveals Aotearoa New Zealand was once home to a songbird species with potentially unique courtship behaviors, new research published in the journal Historical Biology ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 23, 2025
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The slender-billed curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) has been officially declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Plants & Animals
Oct 14, 2025
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Siblings are special. Whether a sibling serves as protector or tormentor, friend or foe, the relationship between siblings is like no other. They witness each other's childhoods—sharing parents, history, secrets and advice.
Plants & Animals
Oct 9, 2025
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