News Stories relating to "birds"

(No, not that kind!) In 2003, a massive heat wave struck and killed some 30,000 people in Europe in an area where heat was not considered a major threat. Similar mass die-offs occur in wild birds and some mammals during heat waves, but unlike humans, birds may not be able to take shelter or find fresh water in order to survive devastating heat...

Different chat day this week! - It's a bird conspiracy: Those crows you hear cawing every time you go outside may be holding a grudge against you personally. It turns out they recognize individual human faces and hold a grudge for years against anyone who has treated them badly. But if they like you, they may touch you with a...

Some feminists wear feathers - It's the time of year when birds are flying south for the winter. Scientists have learned that female birds in species that breed in groups (such as Purple Martins) not only indulge in sex orgies with many different males, they are the feminists of the bird world and can find themselves under...

Chicago is being invaded by birds and scientists are trying to figure out what's going on. Residents of that city have become familiar with their raucous squawking of monk parakeets (those little green birds you see in pet stores), since whole colonies of them, descended from a few pets that escaped or were freed by their owners are not only...

Some birds speak our language, but what most of us hear is bird song. Can we figure out what they're saying (singing) to each other?

To many people, bird song can herald the coming of spring, reveal what kind of bird is perched nearby or be merely an unwelcome early morning intrusion. But to researcher Sandra Vehrencamp, bird song is a...