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Urdu. In a paper published today in Royal Society Biology Letters, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) demonstrate a clear connection between personality in wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) and the likelihood of divorce. Though the link between personality and relationship outcomes in humans is well-established, this is the first study to do so with animals.
Tag: Birds
Ecological tipping point: 5+ El Niño events per century controls coastal biotic communities
Along with implications for the future, the findings illuminate important moments in our past, including human migration into the Americas, the variable human use of coastal and interior habitats and the extinction of the flightless duck Chendytes.
Birds On Island Time
A new study examines how the geographic characteristics of the world’s islands influence seasonal variation in the number of bird species. The study determines how seasonal species richness of birds is affected by the size of the island, how isolated it is from the mainland and other islands, and the latitude in which it lies.
New Course Helps Awaken Curiosity About Nature
Adults who want to connect kids with nature now have some expert guidance, thanks to a new online course from Bird Academy, the e-learning arm of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Let’s Go Outside: How to Connect Kids with Birds and Nature,” contains six lessons with dozens of field-tested activities to reduce screen time for kids and boost their curiosity about the natural world.
Birds warned of food shortages by neighbor birds change physiology and behavior to prepare
Songbirds learning from nearby birds that food supplies might be growing short respond by changing their physiology as well as their behavior, research by the Oregon State University College of Science shows.
The hawk has landed: Braking mid-air to prioritize safety over energy or speed
New research from the Oxford Flight Group using computer simulations and Hollywood-style motion capture shows how birds optimise their landing manoeuvres for an accurate descent.
Designed to identify wildlife by sound, the BirdNET app opens new avenues for citizen science
The BirdNET app, a free machine-learning powered tool that can identify more than 3,000 birds by sound alone, generates reliable scientific data and makes it easier for people to contribute citizen-science data on birds by simply recording sounds. Results of tests to measure the app’s accuracy are published in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
Has a Beautiful Songbird Become an Invasive Species in Britain?
New research published in Ibis has identified the Red-billed Leiothrix, a small brightly colored bird native to subtropical Asia, as an emerging example of an invasive non-native species (INNS) in Britain.
Global Bird Populations Steadily Declining
Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions, published today in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines.
Now for the First Time, See How Many Migratory Birds Are Passing Over Your County
The BirdCast program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is exploring these unseen movements of bird migration with its new Migration Dashboard. The Dashboard reveals bird migration in localized detail previously unavailable to the general public.
Nationwide maps of bird species can help protect biodiversity
New, highly detailed and rigorous maps of bird biodiversity could help protect rare or threatened species. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison developed the maps at a fine-enough resolution to help conservation managers focus their efforts where they are most likely to help birds — in individual counties or forests, rather than across whole states or regions.
Birds are laying their eggs earlier, and climate change is to blame
Spring is in the air. Birds are singing and beginning to build their nests.
Introduced birds are not replacing roles of human-caused extinct species
Human-caused bird extinctions are driving losses of functional diversity on islands worldwide, and the gaps they leave behind are not being filled by introduced (alien) species, finds a new study led by UCL and University of Gothenburg researchers.
Can’t Find Your Keys? You Need a Chickadee Brain
For the first time, researchers have shown that there is a genetic component underlying the amazing spatial memories of Mountain Chickadees. Although the genetic basis for spatial memory has been shown for humans and other mammals, direct evidence of that connection has never before been identified in birds.
Help Birds From the Comfort of Home With FeederWatch
Many people have turned to Project FeederWatch as an antidote to troubling times and long winter months. FeederWatch data are used to detect shifts in the numbers and distributions of winter birds in the United States and Canada. The 35th season of FeederWatch begins Saturday, November 13.
African grey parrots may have better self-control than macaws
African grey parrots may be better able than macaws to delay gratification – rejecting an immediate reward in favour of a better one in the future – according to a study published in the journal Animal Cognition.
New research links tree health to how birds respond to climate change
New Research from Oxford University has revealed that shifts in the timing of egg laying by great tits in response to climate change vary markedly between breeding sites within the same woodland and that this variation is linked to the health of nearby oak trees.
How land birds cross the open ocean
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and University of Konstanz in Germany have identified how large land birds fly nonstop for hundreds of kilometers over the open ocean—without taking a break for food or rest.
Bird communities threatened by urbanization
Urbanization is one of the most drastic forms of land-use change, and its negative consequences on biodiversity have been studied extensively in temperate countries such as Germany.
BRI’s Research Published in the Journal Evolutionary Applications
BRI’s research is included in a published collaborative study to understand how risk factors affect migratory bird populations across their annual cycle. For example, disease outbreaks may happen on the breeding grounds, the wintering grounds, or during migration and are…
Toxin sponges may protect poisonous frogs and birds from their own poisons, study suggests
A team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Stanford University, and the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) has uncovered new clues as to how poisonous frogs and birds avoid intoxicating themselves.
Harmful Algal Blooms Jeopardize Health of Reptiles, Songbirds
Toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes region cause mixed reactions in wildlife, from higher stress levels to weaker immune systems.
Rapidly Diversifying Birds in Southeast Asia Offer New Insights Into Evolution
New findings from zoologists working with birds in Southeast Asia are shining fresh light on the connections between animal behaviour, geology, and evolution – underlining that species can diversify surprisingly quickly under certain conditions.
Step Inside the Danforth Center Prairie: Plants, Pollinators, and Birds
Whether you are driving by or visiting the Danforth Center, one of the first things you’ll notice is the six acres of reconstructed Missouri tallgrass prairie in front of our building.
Air pollution from wildfires impacts ability to observe birds
Researchers from the University of Washington provide a first look at the probability of observing common birds as air pollution worsens during wildfire seasons. They found that smoke affected the ability to detect more than a third of the bird species studied in Washington state over a four-year period. Sometimes smoke made it harder to observe birds, while other species were actually easier to detect when smoke was present.
What Bird is Singing? Ask the Merlin Bird ID App for an Instant Answer
With a new feature in the free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, you can now ID a bird by its sound.
What factors put Philippine birds at risk of extinction?
A new study from University of Utah researchers suggests that, due to deforestation and habitat degradation, more bird species may be endangered that previously thought – including species that may not have been discovered yet.
More than a bumpy ride: turbulence offers boost to birds
By combining wind speed data with the measured accelerations of a golden eagle outfitted with GPS tracking instruments, researchers suggest that, rather than hindering flight, turbulence is a source of energy that birds may use to their advantage.
Los Alamos teams with international group to examine spread of infectious disease by migratory birds
A multinational effort is underway to understand and control the spread of disease among migratory birds.
Polar vortex, winter heat may change bird populations
Researchers set out to learn how extreme winter cold and heat affected 41 common bird species in eastern North America. They found that individual bird species respond differently to these weather events, and extreme winter heat may lead to longer-term changes in bird populations.
UNC Biological Education Doctoral Candidate Awarded $20,000 Award
Karina Sanchez, a Biological Education Ph.D. candidate at the University of Northern Colorado, has been awarded a $20,000 American Dissertation Fellowship award from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), an organization that promotes education and equity for women and girls. Her dissertation involves researching how noise and light pollution and landscape composition in urban settings affects American robins, specifically their bird song.
Bird data from Ethiopia fills in baseline data gaps
The study establishes baseline observations for tropical birds in East Africa, filling in an important data gap for monitoring biodiversity and tropical ecosystem health in a warming world.
Iconic bird makes its home on campus
With its tree-laden campus and adjacent protected natural reserves, UCI enjoys being home to a great variety of bird species. One particular raptor continues to capture the attention of the many avid birders in Orange County: the white-tailed kite. This iconic bird of Orange County – named for its ability to hover in the air while hunting –nearly went extinct throughout California in the early 1900s due to human-related threats.
The Wave Beneath Their Wings
It’s a common sight: pelicans gliding along the waves, right by the shore. These birds make this kind of surfing look effortless, but actually the physics involved that give them a big boost are not simple. Researchers at the University of California San Diego have recently developed a theoretical model that describes how the ocean, the wind and the birds in flight interact in a recent paper in Movement Ecology.
Buffalo State Biology Professor Publishes Research on Avian Hybridization
Several biological factors and behavioral traits—like migrating habits and social bonds—play into whether certain species of birds are more likely to produce hybrid offspring than others
Why lists of worldwide bird species disagree
Biologists set out to compare four main lists of bird species worldwide to find out how the lists differ—and why. They found that although the lists agree on most birds, disagreements in Southeast Asia and the Southern Ocean could mean that some species are missed by conservation ecologists.
Warming climate slows tropical birds’ population growth rates
Monte Neate-Clegg and colleagues tracked the demographics of 21 bird species over 30 years of observations from a mountain forest in Tanzania. For at least six of the species, their population declined over 30 years could be most attributable to rising temperatures – an effect of a warming world. Smaller birds, as well as those that live at the lower part of their elevation range, were at higher risk for slowed population growth.
Shade-Grown Coffee Could Help Save Birds, If Only People Knew About It
The message about the bird-conservation benefits of shade-grown coffee may not be getting through to the people most likely to respond—birdwatchers. A team of researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Virginia Tech surveyed birdwatchers to learn if they…
Male Lyrebirds Create an “Acoustic Illusion” to Snare Potential Mates
Famous for their uncanny ability to imitate other birds and even mechanical devices, researchers find that Australia’s Superb Lyrebird also uses that skill in a totally unexpected way. Lyrebirds imitate the panicked alarm calls of a mixed-species flock of birds while males are courting and even while mating with a female.
Birds and Rural Sprawl
A new study in the journal Diversity by researchers from Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) finds that bird communities in two rapidly developing rural landscapes react differently to increased “rural sprawl.”
Study Finds Even the Common House Sparrow is Declining
A new study by Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientists aims to clarify the status of the non-native European House Sparrow, using 21 years of citizen science data from the Cornell Lab’s Project FeederWatch.
Starling Success Traced to Rapid Adaptation
Love them or hate them, there’s no doubt the European Starling is a wildly successful bird. A new study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology examines this non-native species from the inside out to learn what exactly happened at the genetic level as the starling population exploded and spread all across North America?
As climate change cranks up the heat in the Mojave Desert, not all species are equally affected
A new study shows how climate change is having a much greater impact on birds than small mammals in the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. The study could inform conservation practices and shed new light on how climate change affects various species differently. The research drew on cutting-edge computer modeling as well as survey data from more than 100 years ago.
How Many Birds Will You Find?
The 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a great opportunity for all budding birdwatchers and bird-count veterans to use their skills. People from around the world count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, and then enter their checklists online. The GBBC takes place February 12 through 15.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Record Year for Bald Eagles in N.J.
New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 13, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick ecologist Michael C. Allen is available for interviews on the record year for bald eagles in New Jersey. “The resounding return of bald eagles in North America has been especially strong…
Study Examines Attitudes Toward Non-Native Birds
A new study from scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology examines public attitudes toward non-native bird species and whether people are willing to manage them to protect native cavity-nesting birds, such as Eastern Bluebirds and the American Kestrel. The findings are published in the Journal of Environmental Management.
Holiday Gifts That Give Back to Birds and Nature
There’s been a huge bump in the number of people connecting with birds and nature as people stuck close to home during this past year, and the trend is continuing. The perfect gift for new—and veteran—birdwatchers is the gift of knowledge. There’s so much to learn about birds! Below are holiday gift ideas that are meaningful and environmentally friendly—and your purchase supports the nonprofit conservation work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Study: Clean Air Act Saved 1.5 Billion Birds
U.S. pollution regulations meant to protect humans from dirty air are also saving birds. So concludes a new continentwide study published today in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Study authors found that improved air quality under a federal program to reduce ozone pollution may have averted the loss of 1.5 billion birds during the past 40 years.
Migration and Molt Affect How Birds Change Their Colors
Before the journey, many birds molt their bright feathers, replacing them with a more subdued palette. Watching this molt led scientists to wonder how feather color changes relate to the migrations many birds undertake twice each year.
Lily the barn owl reveals how birds fly in gusty winds
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions – findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft.