Science

The ‘Big Boom Theory’ That Could Help Conserve Common Nighthawks
January 14, 2022 — New research confirms that males’ wing-boom sound marks hard-to-find nesting sites—a boon for efforts to save these mysterious, declining birds.
News
The ‘Kill Bill Tanager,’ a Species New to Science, Finally Has a Real Name
November 16, 2021 — A bird sighting on Kosñipata road in southeastern Peru led to a 20-year quest to confirm the new species: the gloriously yellow Inti Tanager.
International
Newly Recorded Condor ‘Virgin Birth’ Is Another Way Birds Are Like Reptiles
November 10, 2021 — Zoo researchers discovered that two female California Condors had reproduced without males, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis.
Another Reason to Stop Global Warming: Save Millions from Air Pollution
November 10, 2021 — A new study underscores the scale of disease and death industrialized societies have accepted in exchange for fossil fuel energy.
Climate
A grid displays photos of eight birds—all of the remaining Kaua'i forest birds. They come in shades of yellow, red, and brown.
Mosquitoes to the Rescue! The Last-Ditch Effort to Save Kaua‘i’s Endangered Birds
November 04, 2021 — A modern twist on controversial biocontrol methods aims to make disease-carrying mosquitoes in Hawaii turn on themselves.
News
Water Shortages Are Shrinking Great Salt Lake and Killing Off Its ‘Corals’
October 29, 2021 — Reef-like structures called microbialites, exposed by receding waters, are dying en masse, raising concern for millions of birds that rely on them.
News
Great-Tailed Grackles’ Googly Eyes Offer a New Glimpse Into Bird Vision
October 28, 2021 — They're the first bird species known to look at two objects simultaneously.
News
Five Tule Geese, which are mostly brown with white bellies and wing edges and orange feet, fly in to land on a pond amid tall marsh grasses. The birds appear blurry in the image because they are in motion.
New Study Is First to Explore How Wildfire Smoke Derails Bird Migration
October 22, 2021 — Last September, migrating geese wearing GPS tags encountered one of the worst wildfire seasons in U.S. history. Their movements give scientists their first clues about how growing wildfires alter bird behavior.
Climate
These Mighty Shorebirds Keep Breaking Flight Records—And You Can Follow Along
October 08, 2021 — Bar-tailed Godwits regularly travel more than 7,000 miles non-stop. One enthusiast is spreading the word of their amazing migrations, with the help of a research project tracking 20 tagged birds in real-time.
About a dozen White Ibis are in mid-flight in the air, with wings flapping, as a scientist in the background looks on. Behind them is a kids' playground and green trees.
This Iconic Everglades Bird Is Moving to the ‘Burbs
October 04, 2021 — White Ibis are natural wanderers, traveling far and wide for a meal. But now some birds are scoring steady grub by settling in around people. What does that mean for the species’ future—and what does it say about ours?
Dispatch