Related topics: birds

Sexy sons thanks to mom

It is not the superior genes of the father, but the mother's resource investment in the eggs that makes Zebra Finch males particularly attractive. A Swiss-Australian research team lead by evolutionary ecologists at the University ...

'Baby, it's hot outside': Why birds sing to eggs

Much like parents who talk to a pregnant woman's belly, some birds sing to their eggs before they hatch, and the reason may be to prepare them for a warming world, researchers said Thursday.

Sons or daughters? Female finches use head colour to decide

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers studying the behaviour of the stunningly coloured Gouldian finch have made an exciting discovery - females of the species deliberately overproduce sons when breeding with a male of a different ...

Urban sparrows find new use for cigarette butts

Cigarette butts are widely reviled as an urban nuisance but birds in Mexico City see them as a boon, apparently using them to deter parasites from their nests, scientists say.

Implanted memories teach birds a song

A father holds up his newborn, their faces only inches apart, and slowly repeats the syllables "da" and "dee." After months of hearing these sounds, the baby begins to babble and gradually "da da da" is refined to the word ...

Monogamous birds... peeping on the neighbors!

(PhysOrg.com) -- It is well documented that male birds seduce females using their songs, colourful plumage and courtship dances. These signals reflect male genetic quality and will be graded by the female to determine a male's ...

A bird's song may teach us about human speech disorders

(PhysOrg.com) -- Can the song of a small bird provide valuable insights into human stuttering and speech-related disorders and conditions, including autism and stroke? New research by UCLA life scientists and colleagues provides ...

T. rex bite 'no match for a finch'

Tyrannosaurus rex, renowned for being one of the most fearsome creatures to have ever lived, evolved a bite that was less impressive in relation to its body size than a tiny Galapagos ground finch, scientists say.

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