Posts Tagged ‘birds’
Rigid feathers suggest dinosaur could fly
BROWN (US) — Researchers say the winged dinosaurs Archaeopteryx had rigid black feathers, a finding that suggests that they could fly. Continue…
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 14:15 - 1 Comment
Earth & Environment - Dec 19, 2011 12:52 - 1 Comment
Bad (and good) news for Costa Rican farmers
STANFORD (US) — Knocking down forests to make way for farms and pastures in Costa Rica can drive away the birds that play a crucial role in distributing seeds, controlling insects, and pollinating plants. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 13, 2011 11:55 - 1 Comment
Warm-up drives tropical birds to new heights
DUKE (US) — Tropical birds are moving to higher elevations because of climate change, but they may not be moving fast enough. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 10, 2011 11:59 - 0 Comments
Bird (and human) brains wired for duet
JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — The brain is built to collaborate, whether it’s humans working together to build a bridge or birds singing a lively duet on a South American mountainside, a new study suggests. (more…)
Top Stories - Sep 23, 2011 10:15 - 0 Comments
Birds may identify their kin by smell
U. CHICAGO (US) — Penguins appear to use smell to determine if they are related to a potential mate, which suggests birds may have a more highly developed sense of smell than researchers previously thought. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 1, 2011 11:48 - 0 Comments
More grandkids if mama bird plays the field
INDIANA U. (US) — It’s all about the kids and the grandkids. That’s what biologist have learned about promiscuous female birds and why they mate outside their social pair. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 14, 2011 13:46 - 2 Comments
Birds can do it. (So can brainy lizards)
DUKE (US) —Tropical lizards may be slow. But they aren’t dumb. They can do problem-solving tasks just as well as birds and mammals, a new study shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 5, 2011 13:25 - 0 Comments
120 million-year-old bird gets an X-ray
U. PENNSYLVANIA (US) — Trace metals in fossils are offering clues about the pigmentations of creatures dead for more than a hundred million years. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jun 23, 2011 10:53 - 4 Comments
Birds see colors invisible to humans
YALE (US) — Birds’ plumage has changed from dull to brilliant over millions of years, but the bright hues humans see are only a fraction of what birds see. (more…)
Top Stories - May 10, 2011 10:31 - 7 Comments
Cats No. 1 threat to city mockingbirds
U. FLORIDA (US) — Cats are the dominant predator to mockingbird eggs and nestlings in urban areas, prompting conservationists to urge pet owners to keep felines indoors at night. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Apr 11, 2011 11:12 - 0 Comments
Getting the lead out of scavenger birds
UC DAVIS (US) — In a somewhat skewed version of the circle of life, scavenger birds are getting lead poisoning from eating the remains of animals that are killed by hunters using ammunition pellets or bullet fragments. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 25, 2011 11:17 - 0 Comments
Tweet to tweet: A century of birding
U. ILLINOIS (US) — A new book is a compendium of how much has changed in the world of birding in the state of Illinois. For example, more than 100 years ago, if a bird couldn’t be identified in the wild, it was most likely shot. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 6, 2011 16:56 - 0 Comments
Grasses feather nests of at-risk birds
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Threatened bird populations will be better protected if efforts are made to develop biofuel from native perennials like grass, instead of ethanol staple corn. (more…)
Top Stories - Jan 5, 2011 17:36 - 0 Comments
Prehistoric bird with nunchuck skills
YALE (US) — A flightless prehistoric bird used its own wings like nunchucks in combat with foes, researchers have discovered. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 8, 2010 13:11 - 0 Comments
These online tweets are the real deal
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — A growing online library of bird sounds, photos, and information offers a new resource for backyard birders and seasoned ornithologists alike. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 2, 2010 16:24 - 2 Comments
Mercury causes ibis sexual switch-up
U. FLORIDA (US) — Male white ibises that have been exposed to mercury alter their courtship behavior and begin mating with other males. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 26, 2010 12:25 - 0 Comments
Pollinators: Evolutionary flower power
CORNELL (US) — Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, are agents of natural selection in flowers, enabling them to produce seeds for the next generation. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 25, 2010 11:36 - 1 Comment
Frog prince sensor fights bacteria
PRINCETON (US) — A newly developed sensor may revolutionize how drugs and medical devices are tested for contamination. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 23, 2010 12:19 - 1 Comment
Why cuckoos crack early
U. SHEFFIELD (UK)—How is a cuckoo chick able to hatch in advance of its nest mates—an advantage that allows them to brutally evict the others? (more…)
