Scientists at work: Sloshing through marshes to see how birds survive hurricanes

Birds found along the Gulf Coast have evolved to ride out hurricanes and tropical storms. But with development degrading the marshes where they live, it's getting harder for them to bounce back.

Mark Woodrey, Assistant Research Professor, Mississippi State University • conversation
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~9 min

Giant 'toothed' birds flew over Antarctica 40 million to 50 million years ago

Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains belonging to an enormous 'toothed' bird that lived for a period of about 60 million years after dinosaurs.

Peter A. Kloess, Doctoral Candidate, Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
Oct. 27, 2020 • ~7 min

Curious Kids: How did some animals evolve wings to fly?

Today's birds evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

Matthew Wills, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath • conversation
Oct. 22, 2020 • ~5 min

Women have disrupted research on bird song, and their findings show how diversity can improve all fields of science

For decades, scientists believed that only male birds sang. Then women entered the field and showed what their predecessors had missed.

Karan Odom, Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University • conversation
Sept. 11, 2020 • ~8 min

Painting wind turbines black could help protect birds – as long as it doesn't disrupt their migration

Black turbine blades seem to reduce bird collisions, but it's important to know why.

Jethro George Gauld, PhD Candidate in Conservation Science, University of East Anglia • conversation
Sept. 3, 2020 • ~6 min

Painting wind turbines black could help protect birds – so long as it doesn't disrupt their migration

Black turbine blades seem to reduce bird collisions, but it's important to know why.

Jethro George Gauld, PhD Candidate in Conservation Science, University of East Anglia • conversation
Sept. 3, 2020 • ~6 min

Don't blame cats for destroying wildlife – shaky logic is leading to moral panic

Framing cats as responsible for declines in biodiversity is based on faulty scientific logic and fails to account for the real culprit – human activity.

Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
July 30, 2020 • ~7 min

We tagged Andean condors to find out how huge birds fly without flapping

One bird we tagged flew for 172km without a single flap.

Emily Shepard, Senior Lecturer in Biosciences, Swansea University • conversation
July 13, 2020 • ~6 min

How bird life may be affected by roads – and what to do about it

My research into Britain's birds found 77% of species varied in abundance around roads.

Sophia C Cooke, Research Associate, University of Cambridge • conversation
July 7, 2020 • ~6 min

Noisy humans make birds sleep with one eye open – but lockdown offered a reprieve

Noise pollution can cause long-term stress and harm to wildlife.

Graeme Shannon, Lecturer in Zoology, Bangor University • conversation
June 25, 2020 • ~6 min

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