What makes a good bird name?

North American ornithologists are seeking to replace all bird species named after people - but what should they be called instead?

Andrew Gosler, Professor of Ethno-ornithology, University of Oxford • conversation
Jan. 3, 2024 • ~7 min

How a Victorian trip to Palestine spurred modern ornithology – and left it with imperial baggage

H.B. Tristram was a Victorian clergyman and ornithologist who categorised a list of birds he’d found in Palestine.

Jasmine Donahaye, Professor in English Literature and Creative Writing, Swansea University • conversation
Dec. 18, 2023 • ~7 min

How a colonial trip to Palestine spurred modern ornithology – and left it with imperial baggage

H.B. Tristram was a Victorian clergyman and ornithologist who categorised a list of birds he’d found in Palestine.

Jasmine Donahaye, Professor in English Literature and Creative Writing, Swansea University • conversation
Dec. 18, 2023 • ~7 min

Artificial light lures migrating birds into cities, where they face a gauntlet of threats

Migrating birds need stopover locations en route where they can rest and feed. A new study shows that artificial light draws them away from sites they would normally use and into risky zones.

Kyle Horton, Assistant Professor of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University • conversation
Dec. 14, 2023 • ~7 min

How bird feeders help small species fight infection

Research shows providing food for birds not only stops them going hungry, it may help them fight off infection too.

Hannah Watson, Researcher in Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University • conversation
Dec. 7, 2023 • ~6 min

Why dozens of North American bird species are getting new names: Every name tells a story

What’s in a name? A lot, if you’re an Audubon’s Oriole or a Townsend’s Solitaire.

Jared Del Rosso, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology, University of Denver • conversation
Dec. 7, 2023 • ~9 min

Lizards, insects and other species are evolving with climate change, but not fast enough

From dark dragonflies becoming paler to plants flowering earlier, some species are slowly evolving with the climate. Evolutionary biologists explain why few will evolve fast enough.

James Stroud, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Nov. 21, 2023 • ~10 min

Lizards, fish and other species are evolving with climate change, but not fast enough

From dark dragonflies becoming paler to plants flowering earlier, some species are slowly evolving with the climate. Evolutionary biologists explain why few will evolve fast enough.

James Stroud, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Nov. 21, 2023 • ~10 min

How animal traits have shaped the journey of species across the globe

New research looks at how different species have managed to cross geographic barriers throughout history and whether their individual traits played a crucial role in these journeys.

Sarah-Sophie Weil, PhD candidate, Swansea University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2023 • ~7 min

How ducks, geese and swans see the world – and why this puts them at risk in a changing environment

Our airspace has only started to become cluttered recently – many birds are struggling to navigate through it.

Jenny Cantlay, PhD Candidate in Avian Sensory Ecology, Royal Holloway University of London • conversation
Sept. 22, 2023 • ~7 min

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