These coordinated movements of a flock of starlings follow no plan or leader. Scientists used to think the animals must communicate via ESP to create these fast-moving blobs.
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Articles on Birds
Displaying 121 - 140 of 520 articles
Birds will shriek and dive at each other over food, territory or mates, but only a small number of species sport actual weapons. The reason: Flying matters more for their survival than fighting.
There are no more ivory-billed woodpeckers or Bachman’s Warblers on Earth, but they’ve left an echo behind.
It was the first time a bird has removed a tracking device, and the second time a bird species showed cooperative ‘rescue’ behaviour.
These are poignant cries of a disappearing landscape – the creaking calls of gang-gangs, buzzing bowerbirds and the mournful cry of the far eastern curlew.
New research finds the last 250 years has seen more than 100 million hectares of bird habitat destroyed on mainland Australia – that’s 15% of Australia’s landmass.
It may not be extinct, but our research suggests the buff-breasted button-quail may only be hanging on by a thread, at best.
These wetland birds were eradicated in the 17th century, but breeding pairs returned in 1979.
While species are and will be affected everywhere by climate change, those already living in a warm climate will reach their tolerance threshold faster.
Baby Yingliang is a perfectly preserved oviraptorosaur embryo, a species where findings reveal the connections between dinosaurs and birds.
How did penguins end up with so few bones – and become lightning-fast swimmers?
Homes for bees and birds are going to be built into new houses to help support struggling species.
Forests around the world will need to shift their ranges to adapt to climate change. But many trees and plants rely on animals to spread their seeds widely, and those partners are declining.
After 150 years of selective breeding in captivity, the domestic budgie would now be almost unrecognisable to its wild cousin. So who would win in the unlikely event of a fight?
A unique design-science collaboration turns ecological data into an immersive digital portrait of a precious wetland.
Social media platforms have enabled wildlife traders to connect as never before. Some operate legally, within the boundaries of international laws. Others are less scrupulous.
Informed data donations are different from the usual online data experience. They’re easier to manage because of technological advances.
A staggering 85% of the world’s chalk streams are found in England.
Migrating birds use both their view of the stars and their internal magnetic compasses to find their way over thousands of miles.
The Old English history of bird names can inform our modern-day birdwatching.
Top contributors
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
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Professor of Avian Behavioural Ecology, Macquarie University
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Emeritus Professor in Animal Behaviour, University of New England
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Professor of Conservation Biology, Charles Darwin University
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Australian National University
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Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University
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Researcher, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland
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Adjunct Lecturer/ Ecologist, University of New England
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Associate Professor, Vertebrate Palaeontology Group, Flinders University
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Reader, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Evolutionary and Conservation Biology, Australian National University
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Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Research Director and Curator, Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, CSIRO
