For a small, reddish-beaked bird called the zebra finch, sexiness is color-coded. Males have beaks that range from light orange to dark red. But from a female's point of view, a male's colored bill may simply be hot, or not, ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 1, 2018
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193
Birds create songs by moving muscles in their vocal organs to vibrate air passing through their tissues. While previous research reported that each of the different muscles controls one acoustic feature, new research shows ...
General Physics
Jul 31, 2018
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73
Asst. Prof. Sarah London has long appreciated zebra finches for their unique learning characteristics. The males learn from another male tutor, but their ability to memorize the tutor's song is restricted to a "critical period," ...
Plants & Animals
May 7, 2018
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309
In the zebra finch, an extra chromosome exists in the reproductive, or germline, cells. (Songbirds have 40 chromosomes and 41 with the extra chromosome.) Known as the germline-restricted chromosome, its sequence is largely ...
Biotechnology
May 3, 2018
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13
A team of researchers at Lund University has found evidence that suggests a certain protein plays a prominent role in bird navigation. They have published their findings in Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Toppling a widespread assumption that a "lactation" hormone only cues animals to produce food for their babies, Cornell researchers have shown the hormone also prompts zebra finches to be good parents.
Plants & Animals
Feb 6, 2018
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11
A new study led by Macquarie University and spanning Sydney and Oslo has shown that exposure to extreme temperatures, such as those experienced during heatwave conditions, significantly reduces sperm quality in zebra finches, ...
Ecology
Jan 19, 2018
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139
A feather from one of the most elusive birds in the world has been found in South Australia, the first proof in more than a century that it lives there, wildlife experts said Thursday.
Plants & Animals
Sep 14, 2017
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578
How do gregarious songbirds such as zebra finches, where both males and females live in close proximity and where females may be attracted by the songs of many potential suitors, sustain monogamy? A new study appearing in ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 14, 2017
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157
The size and swimming speed of sperm are controlled by a single supergene in birds, according to a new study by the University of Sheffield.
Evolution
Jul 18, 2017
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70
