New Book Looks at the Einsteins of the Bird World

Many of us who keep birds of differing species will know that some of our birds are very bright while others are a little lacking in the brains department.  This can vary in a species in much the same way that it can with cats or dogs – some are just brighter than others.  A…

Common Bird Populations Altered by Climate Change

For many of us who spend time watching the birds in our gardens, the fact that climate change has altered these populations in subtle ways isn’t news.  But a new study has been released in the journal Science that shows not all of the news is doom and gloom. Around the world The study has…

Holiday in Africa – Time to Practise Your Song!

It may seem that many of the song birds of Europe fly off to Africa for the winter to enjoy the sun, relax and generally get away from it all, much as many of would like to.  But it seems that in addition to getting themselves into top condition for the return flight, many species…

Chemicals and GPS Track Swallow Migration Routes

One of the biggest mysterious about many species of birds is why they undertake such long and perilously journeys each year, sometimes from one side of the planet to the other.  Many studies have undertaken to understand why the birds do this and also to see where exactly they go.  The latest study, on North…

Study Shows Zebra Finch Know When Mates Are Stressed

For some people, zebra finches are a bit like flying mice – they breed well, they are simple to keep and they are a little less exciting than some of the brighter, rarer finches.  But when it comes to personality, zebras are up there with the best of them.  And this personality is probably one…

Babblers Could Have Their Own Language say Scientists

The talking ability of parrots is well known and their language skills can often be a reason people take to them as pets.  Now it seems studies of another species have shown that they too may have their own impressive language skills. The chestnut crowned babbler is a social bird and scientists studying the species…

Rat Eradication Sees Return of Rare Birds

A programme on a remote island in the South Atlantic to remove the rat population has seen rare birds returning to their homes in large numbers.  The island of South Georgia saw the biggest ever rat-eradication programme and according to the scientists behind it, has been a great success. Among those to benefit from the…

New Fossils Show Birds are Older than Thought

Scientists in China have discovered a new species of bird from two different fossils that still have their plumage intact and date back to 130 million years ago.  This means that these birds are older than the earlier known member of the bird family and pushes back the branching out that eventually led to the…

Elusive Warbler Finally Identified in China

Scientists have been aware of the harsh call of the Sichuan bush warbler since 1987 but have been unable to gather enough information about the species to formally identify and classify it.  But now, a report in the journal Avian Research confirms that a group of researchers have finally been able to get enough data…

New Proof Confirms Amazing Warbler Migration

For over 50 years, scientists have studied the Blackpoll Warbler and had hints that it regularly performed an amazing migration each autumn where it flew from New England and Canada nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean to South America.  This was based on the fact that the species was almost never seen in the southern US…