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UrduScientists have unlocked the genetic basis underlying the remarkable variation in body size observed in song sparrows, one of North America’s most familiar and beloved songbirds. This discovery also provides insights into this species’ capacity to adapt to the challenges of climate change.
Tag: Songbirds
Noise from Urban Environments Affects the Color of Songbirds’ Beaks
A study examined the effects of anthropogenic noise on cognition, beak color, and growth in the zebra finch. Researchers first tested adult zebra finches on a battery of cognition assays while they were exposed to playbacks of urban noise versus birds tested without noise. Urban noises caused the birds to take longer to learn a novel foraging task and to learn an association-learning task. Urban noise exposure also resulted in treated males to develop less bright beak coloration, and females developed beaks with brighter orange coloration, respectively, than untreated birds. Findings suggest that urban noise exposure may affect morphological traits, such as beak color, which influence social interactions and mate choice.
Hybrid Songbirds Found More Often in Human-Altered Environments
Hybrids of two common North American songbirds, the black-capped and mountain chickadee, are more likely to be found in places where humans have altered the landscape in some way, finds new University of Colorado Boulder research.
Oregon State survey suggests charismatic songbird’s numbers have dramatically declined
The evening grosbeak, a noisy and charismatic songbird, once arrived at Oregon State University in springtime flocks so vast an OSU statistics professor estimated there were up to a quarter million of the birds on campus daily.
Decoding birds’ brain signals into syllables of song
Researchers can predict what syllables a bird will sing—and when it will sing them—by reading electrical signals in its brain, reports a new study from the University of California San Diego. The work is an early step toward building vocal prostheses for humans who have lost the ability to speak.
How Sweet It Is: Study Finds Songbirds CAN Taste Sugar
A team of international scientists finds that more than 4,000 species of songbirds can taste sugar–contrary to conventional thought.
Impact of Mercury on North American Songbirds
Fifteen papers have recently been published in a special issue of the journal Ecotoxicology. Findings: at least 58 songbird species show demonstrated effects from mercury. The journal’s October 2020 issue presents results of field, laboratory, and museum studies—from Alaska to Maine to Puerto Rico.