Articles tagged with Birds
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Researchers found that mountain chickadees living at harsher high elevations exhibit superior spatial memory and problem-solving abilities. However, these birds tend to avoid novel objects, contradicting the expectation that enhanced problem-solving skills would come with increased innovation.
A study published in PLOS ONE identified wood rats and western gray squirrels as hosts for Lyme disease-causing bacteria in California, but birds were found to be more important than previously recognized. The study also discovered a new subtype of Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia bissettii, in birds for the first time in California.
Scientists have identified the canary genome and deciphered the evolution of hormone-sensitive gene regulation in seasonal singing birds. The study reveals specific evolutionary changes in different parts of the song system that control seasonal singing behaviour.
A study using satellite tracking reveals the home range of bearded vultures in the Pyrenees spans an average 11,700 km2, with notable differences between individuals. The birds' movements are also influenced by supplementary feeding points and predictable food sources.
Researchers studied bar-headed geese's migratory biology during high-altitude flights across the Tibetan Plateau, revealing a unique 'roller coaster' flight strategy. The birds employ this strategy to track underlying terrain and minimize energy expenditure due to decreasing air density and oxygen availability at high altitudes.
A recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society found that human behaviors, such as disturbance, may be driving changes to bird communities in residential areas. Despite contrasting geographies, exurban development appeared to have similar effects on birds in two regions, with some species benefiting and others negatively impacted.
Researchers found that swamp sparrows can perceive sound categories in context, a skill shared with humans. This ability may be crucial for understanding how human language arose.
A new study shows that focusing on biodiversity conservation can make current spending on threatened birds four times more effective. The research identifies the top 20 birds for safeguarding maximum biodiversity with minimum spend, including Botha's Lark, which currently receives no conservation spending.
Researchers observed golden-winged warblers leaving their breeding grounds before a historic tornado-producing storm, traveling 1,500 kilometers to avoid it. The birds likely sensed infrasound associated with the severe weather, a phenomenon known as tornadic storm avoidance behavior.
Researchers found that Dutch barnacle geese invest less energy in their immune systems, particularly resistance to general disease, compared to those breeding in the Netherlands. This allows for more energy available for reproduction and plumage changes.
A recent engineered pulse of water to the lower Colorado River Delta resulted in significant improvements, including a 23% increase in riparian zone vegetation's greenness. The event also led to germinated new willows and cottonwoods, which can grow quickly enough to keep up with receding water tables.
A new study reveals that crows have a minimal impact on bird species abundance, contradicting conservation efforts to control their populations. Corvids are actually being threatened by human activities unrelated to their presence.
A new study reveals that increases in parasite prevalence and diversity are linked to offshore winds, while infected vagrant birds have a limited impact on local bird populations. The findings provide insights into the complex factors driving island biogeography and parasite persistence.
A team of scientists has decoded the avian genome, revealing that bird evolution occurred rapidly 65 million years ago. The study provides new insights into the evolutionary history of birds, including the discovery of ancient viruses and unexpected kinship between waterbirds and landbirds.
A new method called statistical binning has been developed to help researchers construct more accurate species trees detailing the lineage of genes and relationships between species. By combining gene data using statistical optimization techniques, scientists can use all available data without having to throw away any.
A new computational technique developed at UT Austin has enabled the construction of an avian tree of life that sheds light on bird evolution, including a 'big bang' in timing and rearranged evolutionary relationships. The study analyzed entire bird genomes, providing new insights into song pattern recognition and other traits.
A study found that female great tit birds excel in spatial and learning abilities compared to males. This cognitive superiority may be linked to their lower social standing and increased need for food pilfering, allowing them to supplement their limited food supply.
Researchers used electrodes to record single neurons' activity in singing Bengalese finches, finding that precise timing of spikes contains more information than rate. The study's findings could improve prosthetic limb control and provide insights into brain function.
University of British Columbia researchers found that hummingbirds lose positional stability when exposed to moving visual patterns, even with prolonged exposure or combination of moving and stationary stimuli. This discovery highlights the complex relationship between a hummingbird's visual field and its ability to hover in place.
Researchers at UBC found that hummingbirds struggle to control their hovering when faced with visual stimuli like moving images. This phenomenon was observed in virtual reality experiments where birds were unable to adapt to dynamic visual input.
New Caledonian crows exhibit preferences for holding tools on the left or right sides of their beaks due to their unique binocular vision. This adaptation enables each bird to maintain visual control over its tool, with one eye seeing further than the other towards the opposite side of the head.
A new study from the University of Chicago found that female birds' color vision is essential for mate selection and sexual dimorphism. The research, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that the expression of a specific opsin gene is linked to the evolution of colorful plumage in males.
Researchers have confirmed the discovery of a new bird species, the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher, after 15 years. The bird has distinct plumage, body structure, song and genetics compared to other flycatchers, confirming its classification as a new species.
A recent study published in Nature sheds new light on how species diverge, finding that prolonged periods of landscape stability are more important than dramatic geographical changes. The research shows that longer the length of time a species can inhabit an area, the more likely it will disperse and diverge.
Researchers discovered that estrogen-producing glial cells play a crucial role in controlling inflammation within hours of brain injury, potentially leading to new therapies. This rapid response could help preserve vital brain function and hasten recovery from brain injuries such as stroke.
A new study led by Dartmouth researcher Jodi Brandt shows that China's conservation efforts have displaced ancient community-managed protections, accelerating old-growth logging. Total forest cover increased, but biodiversity value decreased as scrub and secondary forests dominated the landscape.
A USGS study predicts that bird species will breed, feed, and live in the conterminous US differently by 2075. Climate change and human activities like land use and deforestation are expected to drive these shifts.
Fidel Santamaria and his team aim to transform traditional approaches to understanding brain networks using a power-law framework. They will build computational tools to analyze and model power-law dynamics at multiple scales, from molecules to behavior.
Common bird species across Europe are experiencing significant declines in population, with many providing essential services for humans such as pest control and seed dispersal. The study's findings highlight the critical importance of birds in maintaining ecosystem balance and human health.
A Virginia Tech graduate student has received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fellowship to study the effects of mercury contamination on red-winged blackbird populations. Her research aims to investigate how stress hormones and disease are connected in birds, with potential implications for understanding avian malaria infections.
Bird populations across Europe have experienced sharp declines, with the majority of losses from the most common species. However, some less common birds have shown increases in recent years due to conservation efforts and legal protection. The study highlights the need for greater efforts to halt these continent-wide declines.
A University of Adelaide-led project has developed a new test that can identify vaccinated birds with live H5N1 virus, preventing the spread of emerging strains. This breakthrough could help track and control the highly contagious avian influenza virus.
Dinosaurs had highly developed color vision, including the ability to see ultraviolet light, which likely contributed to the evolution of feathers. This discovery sheds new light on the origin of feathers and their role in dinosaur communication and mating.
New research reveals that Swainson's warbler populations are increasing in pine plantations, which could support majority of breeding populations by 21st century. The species, one of North America's rarest songbirds, has been found to thrive in a surprising new habitat, boosting conservation hopes.
Researchers found that zebra finch pairs utilize their innate calls for bonding and cohesion, with brain activity correlating to these calls. This suggests an evolution of songbirds' brain regions from simple vocalization systems to specialized networks for learned songs.
Researchers found that birds grouped together are less susceptible to West Nile virus infection, with a significant decrease in exposure compared to solo birds. This phenomenon, known as the 'encounter-dilution effect', suggests that individual risk is minimized when multiple birds roost together.
Researchers from the University of Southampton have discovered that feather shafts exhibit varying layer thickness and orientation according to flight style. This finding challenges previous assumptions about feather morphology and opens doors for innovative engineering applications.
A study found that artificial light in city centres extends the daily activities of blackbirds, allowing them to forage for longer. Males are more active later than females due to their larger eyes and differing sensitivity to light.
A study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that climate change is causing smaller, southerly distributed bird species to move northwards, altering the composition of winter bird communities in eastern North America. This shift is likely driven by warmer temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.
A comprehensive new evolutionary 'tree of life' for the tropical cotinga family has been generated, providing insight into the evolution of over 60 species. The study reveals that sexual selection appears to have played a role in the evolution of non-plumage gender differences in some cotinga species.
Research finds that a vaccine protecting against an old avian flu strain primes the immune system for a rapid response when a new vaccine is given a year later. Combining this with an adjuvant, a lower dose of the new vaccine works better in triggering an immune response than a stronger dose without it.
A new computational method suggests that Darwin's 'jump dispersal' theory is supported by strong evidence, especially for island species. The study found that jump dispersal can explain the biogeography of Hawaiian Islands and other archipelagos with a greater statistical probability than vicariance methods.
UConn scientists have found a way to prevent Monk Parakeet nests from causing power outages and public hazards on utility poles. By blocking the pathway to their nests, researchers can keep these invasive birds from building huge nests that weigh up to 200 pounds and cost electric utility companies millions of dollars annually.
A comprehensive family tree of meat-eating dinosaurs reveals the gradual emergence of bird-like features, such as feathers and wishbones. The study supports a theory that sudden evolutionary changes led to an explosion in avian diversity, resulting in thousands of species today.
Researchers found no significant difference in take-off performance between peacocks with and without their iconic trains. Despite initial expectations, the elaborate plumage does not seem to be a costly sacrifice for male birds. However, it may still affect flight stability and running ability.
A team of researchers challenged traditional views on how birds ended up in the Neotropics, proposing speciation driven by bird movements across physical barriers. The CCNY analysis suggests that geological changes may not have been the primary driver of biodiversity.
Researchers find that geographic isolation is more often due to bird movements across physical barriers, suggesting a generalizable explanation for speciation initiation. The study also highlights the importance of prolonged landscape stability and human alterations in killing the speciation process.
A new study reveals that tropical bird speciation is driven by movements of birds across physical barriers, contradicting the long-held view that it's linked to geological and climate changes. The research found most speciation occurred in the Pleistocene era, long after the origin of mountain ranges.
A new study suggests that conserving the precious Atlantic Forest in Brazil could be achieved by investing US$198 million per year, equivalent to 0.01% of the country's annual GDP. This would require setting aside land for reforestation and preserving at least 30% of native habitat to maintain current levels of biodiversity.
Research reveals that the population structure of feather lice matches that of Galápagos hawks across the archipelago, indicating a co-evolutionary relationship. This study provides evidence for the hypothesis of co-divergence between parasites and hosts as a major driver of biodiversity.
Researchers found that New Caledonian crows can discriminate between different volumes of water and pass a modified test, previously only achieved by 7- to 10-year-old children. The birds' ability to choose options that displace more water suggests they attend to cause-and-effect relationships.
A team of researchers from York University created the first ever migratory connectivity map produced for a songbird, using tracking from both breeding and winter sites. The study reveals that wood thrushes have dual citizenship, with Canadian birds migrating to Nicaragua for the winter.
Research finds hybrid birds take longer, more difficult routes than their parent species, with strong genetic control of migratory behavior. The study suggests that mixed genetic background helps maintain the diversity of songbirds.
Researchers used geolocators to track songbirds' migration patterns, finding that hybrid species exhibited increased variability in their routes. This study supports the hypothesis that differences in migratory behavior can act as postmating reproductive isolating barriers.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London developed an automatic analysis technique to identify characteristics of bird sounds from recordings. The system combines feature-learning and classification algorithms to distinguish between bird species in a large dataset, with promising results in public contests.
A new model analyzing bird responses to climate change suggests that precipitation, not temperature, is the key factor influencing population trends. The study found that changes in precipitation can affect plant growth, soil moisture, and insect abundance, leading to declines in certain species.
A recent study reclassifies Scansoriopteryx as a non-dinosaurian bird, with characteristics like elongated forelimbs and wing feathers. The findings validate predictions from the early 1900s that small, tree-dwelling archosaurs are the ancestors of birds.
Researchers discovered a specialized bird pollination system in Axinaea flowers, where birds consume male reproductive organs to receive pollen and nutrients. This complex mechanism involves the 'bellows' organ, which blasts pollen onto the birds' beaks as they forage.
A new study using geolocators on lark sparrows reveals individual migration routes and differences in pace. The birds took unique routes to Central Mexico, differing in their overall pace.
Scientists have discovered a new pathogen, Trichomonas stableri, linked to recent mass die-offs of Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons. The parasite, along with ancient species Trichomonas gallinae, causes severe lesions that can block the esophagus or trachea, leading to suffocation.