The Rise and Fall of the Pet Bird
Pet birds were considered ideal role models for middle-class life.
Richard Prum: How Does Beauty Evolve?
Prum speaks on Darwin’s idea of sexual selection, the importance of arbitrary traits, and why he could never choose a favorite species of bird.
The Sky’s Creepiest Parasites
Are you a bird? Is your chick acting weird? You might be victim of a brood parasite.
Green Birds Aren’t Really Green
Some of the most dazzling coloration you see in birds doesn’t actually exist.
How Non-Mammals “Nurse” Their Young
Some birds feed their young with "crop milk," while discus fish feed their fry with a special mucus. It may not seem as cute as nursing, but it works.
This Island Is Closed for Maintenance
The Faroe Islands owe their untouched nature to their remote location and stormy climate. And to a weekend closure.
Is Illinois the Next Bald Eagle Watching Spot?
Once seasonal migrants, the iconic birds of prey are settling in the state.
The First True Ornithologist
Though he was once dismissed as a dilettante, naturalist Francis Willughby was in fact part of the vanguard of observation-based modern science.
The Incredible Phasmid Egg
Stick insects have eggs that look exactly like seeds. Scientists can't figure out why these masters of camouflage would lay eggs that resemble bird snacks.
Russian Cuckoos are Invading Alaska. Songbirds, Beware!
Songbirds may loose their entire broods to cuckoos’ parasitic tricks.