Nonstop Flight: How The Frigatebird Can Soar For Weeks Without Stopping
Scientists have been attaching transmitters on the huge seagoing birds and are astonished by their ability to stay aloft.
birds
Curious Orange: Gull Gets Dyed After Diving Into Vat Of Tikka Masala
A seagull got the day-glo treatment after it fell into a vat of spicy chicken at a factory in Wales.
As Colombia Grows Safer, Tourists — Especially Bird Lovers — Flock Back
A half-century of guerrilla conflict is coming to an end in Colombia. In its wake, tourists are returning — especially birders. Colombia is home to 1,900 bird species, more than any other country.
Destructive Jackdaws Leave U.K. Preservationists Grasping At Straws
A recently thatched roof on a historic barn is being stripped bare by small birds from the crow family; they're tugging out the straws and "idly discarding them," as the U.K.'s National Trust puts it.
To Make A Wild Comeback, Cranes Need More Than Flying Lessons
The 15-year project wasn't a flight of fancy. Biologists used a plane to successfully teach many young, captive-bred whooping cranes to migrate cross-country. But the birds aren't reproducing well.
Dodging Droppings, Romans Cope With Massive Influx Of Starlings
Every year, the Eternal City plays host to millions of migrating starlings. That creates problems — slippery, splattery problems. Falcons have been enlisted to drive them away, but have failed.
Squirrels Mimic Bird Alarms To Foil The Enemy
It can take more than just a keen ear to figure out what animals are saying. Sometimes, scientists are learning, you have to talk back to map the rich networks of conversation in a forest.
Small Shocks Help Enormous Birds Learn To Avoid Power Lines
With wingspans over 9 feet long, California condors are so big that they're at risk for electrocution when they fly into or land on power poles. One San Diego program seeks to change this behavior.
How The Turtle Got Its Shell
The ribs of a 240 million-year-old fossil hold clues to how the first turtle shell evolved. And its skull shape seems closer to that of lizards and snakes than to an ancestor of dinosaurs and birds.
In Britain, Who's Tormenting The Queen's Swans?
Wild swans — which all belong by law to the queen — are among Britain's most cherished birds. But there's been an uptick in incidents of neglect and cruelty. Some swans are even being eaten.