Being friendly, but not too friendly, helps sparrows breed successfully
A new study shows that sparrows with more opposite-sex friends contribute more to the gene pool, but 'average' friendliness wins out in the long term.
A new study shows that sparrows with more opposite-sex friends contribute more to the gene pool, but 'average' friendliness wins out in the long term.
Evolution
Mar 9, 2023
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148
House sparrows (Passer domesticus) have adapted to urban environments, which are changing and growing faster than ever before. A range of both biotic and abiotic factors—including habitat fragmentation, changing food availability, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 27, 2022
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7
Humans are undoubtedly altering the natural environment. But how wild animals respond to these changes is complex and unclear. In a new study published today, scientists have discovered significant differences in how the ...
Plants & Animals
May 10, 2022
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102
Mercury exposure is related to a 10 percent decrease in nest survival in two tidal marsh songbird species surveyed in four states, from Maine to New Jersey, according to a new University of Maine-led study. These species ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 8, 2021
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6
Bird dispersal movements are thought to depend on complex demographic and genetic factors. Dr. Santiago Claramunt, Associate Curator of Birds at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Assistant Professor in the Department of ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 2, 2021
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311
There are roughly 50 billion individual birds in the world, a new big data study by UNSW Sydney suggests—about six birds for every human on the planet.
Ecology
May 17, 2021
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107
The European House Sparrow has a story to tell about survival in the modern world. In parts of its native range in Europe, House Sparrow numbers are down by nearly 60%. Their fate in the U.S. and Canada is less well known. ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 11, 2021
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61
A new study from scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology examines public attitudes toward non-native bird species and whether people are willing to manage them to protect native cavity-nesting birds, such as Eastern ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 21, 2020
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3
House sparrows can be found on nearly every continent including North America, South America, Africa and Australia, where they are not native but an invasive species. New research into these highly social songbirds reveals ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 2, 2020
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121
A new study shows how differentiation of a single gene changes behavior in a wild songbird, determining whether the white-throated sparrow displays more, or less, aggression. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 18, 2020
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158