Birds have one unchanging scientific name, but often many common names that are subject to change. Choosing a new name for a bird isn’t necessarily a simple decision.
H.B. Tristram was a Victorian clergyman and ornithologist who categorised a list of birds he’d found in Palestine.
Birders participate in the Christmas Bird Count on Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2017.
Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Researchers used ‘citizen science’ birdwatching data to rank Australian species. Among the most elusive birds were ‘hide and seek’ champions and a few possibly headed for extinction.
Sandhill cranes flying above the Platte River in Nebraska.
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Satellite telemetry, tiny geolocation tags and passive acoustic recording are providing new insights into bird migration and vital data for conservation.
Little bee-eater (Merops pusillus)
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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.
Colorized version of a 1935 photo of a male ivory-billed woodpecker, now believed to be extinct. Photographed by Arthur A. Allen.
Forestry Images/Wikipedia
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?
Corvids and parrots might be the superstars of the bird world - but other species like gulls, geese and even chicken have shown some impressive skills too.
A pair of nesting house martin chicks.
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