It is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon—murmuration. This is when a huge flock of starlings all fly in a synchronized manner, creating fascinating patterns in the sky. Just watch some of the YouTube videos of murmuration and you’ll be amazed. Just why do starlings do this and how do they know which direction to turn when …
The noise pollution that comes from living in an urban area may be irritating to humans, but what about the animals that live nearby? Does noise have an impact on creatures that don’t have a voice of their own? As it turns out, new research says yes – specifically in the case of birds (“Noise …
Don’t let those hummingbirds fool you. Underneath that tiny, delicate, bejeweled exterior lies the heart of a fierce, angry, territorial bully that is not shy about flashing its wickedly aggressive side. Anyone who has watched humming birds around a backyard feeder can attest to the turf wars, trash talking, pushing and shoving that commonly occurs. …
Some people speculate that most dinosaurs had feathers, while others still believe it’s up for debate. We may not end the discussion anytime soon, but a new study has revealed additional details to help us draw more accurate conclusions. In a report published in Nature Communications, researchers shared what they found when they used high-powered …
Bird counting might seem like a needless, time-consuming hobby, but many people look forward to it annually around the holiday season. Thanks to the National Audubon Society, bird enthusiasts can collectively come together to count birds in their local areas each year. The Christmas Bird Count, as it’s been titled, is an event held every …
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. If you smell something good cooking in the kitchen, you head over to check it out, right? This is exactly what sea birds think when they’re hovering over the ocean. A new study found that this may …
Many people naturally assume that a large catastrophic event, like an asteroid collision, caused the demise of the dinosaurs. However, a new study published in Current Biology by a group of Canadian researchers indicates that their diets and a changing environment might have also contributed to their downfall. Specifically, the research points to the teeth of fossils. …
Cue the “Jurassic Park” theme song. In a study published in Evolution, researchers from the University of Chile detailed a recent experiment involving the mutation of a chicken leg to give it the shape of a dinosaur leg. The scientists inhibited the early maturation of a leg of a chicken embryo to yield the results. Alexander Vargas, one of the researchers, stated …
European storks are known for migrating during the year, but new research shows that Portugal and Spain’s storks are starting to stick around — for the sake of trash. A study published in BioMed Central showed that the birds are learning to feed off of the waste in landfills. In turn, they’re opting out of …
Dinosaur discoveries always give us more to consider when we look back on the evolution of today’s animals. The recent unearthing of 19 skeletons in the Gobi Desert of China is no different. On Dec. 22, scientists published new findings in Current Biology, detailing 19 skeletons they found while searching in the Gobi Desert. The …