Topics Explore Birds About Birds

Bird Science

Two people dressed in bright yellow cold-weather gear stand at the edge of a rocky shoreline, holding a large net and watching a crowded colony of penguins gathered along the coast.
Follow Scientists on a Daring Mission to the Danger Islands, a Penguin-Breeding Stronghold
March 27, 2026 — Home to the world鈥檚 largest known Ad茅lie Penguin population, the Antarctic islands recently gained protected-area status. Now researchers say the seas around the archipelago also need protection to safeguard the breeding colony鈥檚 food supply.
Photo Essay
Two featherless baby birds in a nest beg for food with their heads back and mouths open. One of them is bigger and is stretching its neck higher.
Necks Built for Begging Help Cowbird Chicks Outcompete Their Nestmates for Food
March 26, 2026 — Brown-headed Cowbirds have evolved extra-strong neck muscles to steal meals from their host species' chicks, new research finds.
A bird sits on a tree branch looking to the left of the frame
Volunteers are Providing the Data Needed to Manage Florida鈥檚 Endemic Bird
March 23, 2026 — Jay Watch is a model of community science that guides habitat management and fosters advocates for a threatened species.
Community Science at 糖心传媒
What鈥檚 a Northern Cardinal Doing at a Pile of Deer Guts? Chowing Down.
March 02, 2026 — A research project enlisting hunters as partners has revealed that the roll call of birds willing to feast on some organ meat is surprisingly diverse.
Two Pine Siskins perch on a bird feeder eating nyjer seeds.
What Do Pine Siskins Have to Do With Salmonella Outbreaks? A Lot, a New Study Finds
February 20, 2026 — Research linking climate, conifer seed production, and siskin irruptions could provide an early warning system for dangerous salmonella outbreaks at bird feeders and among people.
Close view of a hawk with avocado bits on its open beak.
Red-shouldered Hawks With a Taste for Avocado Join a Growing List of Fruit-Eating Raptors
February 05, 2026 — Until now the behavior had been undocumented in the species, but recent research has revealed that more birds of prey consume plants than we realized.
Bird Behavior
A Mallard walks along the frozen surface of icy water.
How Birds Keep Their Feet From Freezing in Frigid Temperatures
January 26, 2026 — Ever wonder how ducks can stand on ice for hours? The key is this clever physiological adaptation.
Mark Hauber inspects a nest in a tree using a telescopic mirror.
Got Beef With Cowbirds? This Researcher Wants to Change Your Mind
January 15, 2026 — The brood parasites get a bad rap for making other birds raise their young, but study by study, Mark Hauber and his 鈥淐owbird Lab鈥 have revealed a species worthy of respect.
A macaw eating a green chili pepper its holding in its claw.
Hot Take鈥擲eems Like Birds Can Taste Spice After All
December 23, 2025 — Peppers in the wild grow only so spicy, and new research suggests that may be to satisfy avian palates.
Two owl chicks sit in a nest as their much larger mother, with a rodent in her beak, comes in for a landing atop a broken tree snag.
Dead Trees Support a Bounty of Birdlife, but Preserving Them Isn鈥檛 Always Clear Cut
December 18, 2025 — By studying Great Gray Owls, scientists hope to help more people see that snags offer vital habitat.
Conservation News