ScienceDaily

Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly but their flying abilities may have been different from adult pterosaurs, according to a new study. Researchers found that hatchling humerus bones were stronger than those of many adult pterosaurs, indicating that they would have been strong enough for flight.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/C599QbfLHH0 View the full article

New findings from zoologists working with birds in Southeast Asia are shining fresh light on the connections between animal behaviour, geology, and evolution - underlining that species can diversify surprisingly quickly under certain conditions. Sulawesi Babblers (Pellorneum celebense), shy birds that live in the undergrowth on Indonesian islands, have begun to diverge quite significantly despite being separated geographically for mere tens of thousands of years.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/btuMg5eiPDE View the full article

A new early detection surveillance system for wildlife helps identify unusual patterns of illness and death in near real-time by tapping into data from wildlife rehabilitation organizations across California, explains a new study.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/ZtJtX5a2hZQ View the full article

Breakthrough article reveals multiple mechanisms for wing transparency in butterflies and moths; shows that wing transparency has evolved multiple times in lepidopterans.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/Hb4c8MR8sY8 View the full article

The sharp eyes of an eagle, the extraordinary hearing of an owl - to successfully find food, the eyes and ears of birds have adapted optimally to their living conditions. Until now, the sense of smell has played a rather subordinate role. When meadows are freshly mowed, storks often appear there to search for snails and frogs. Researchers have now studied the birds' behavior and discovered that the storks are attracted by the smell of the mown grass. Only storks that were downwind and could thus perceive the smell reacted to the mowing. The scientists also sprayed a meadow with a spray of gree

Ecologists have applied stable isotope techniques to determine whether birds in the pet trade are captive or wild-caught, a key piece of evidence required in many cases to determine whether a trade is legal or not. They have applied this technique to the yellow-crested cockatoo, a critically endangered species from Indonesia/Timor-Leste with a global population of fewer than 2,500.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/y6gs-blz0jQ View the full article

The Arctic is warming at approximately twice the global rate. A new study finds that cold-adapted Arctic species, like the thick-billed murre, are especially vulnerable to heat stress caused by climate change.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/SlWxnZVhoIo View the full article

Neuroscientists have demonstrated in new research that dopamine plays a key role in how songbirds learn complex new sounds.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/9hhfRA1rbiw View the full article

A stocky marsh bird with a 20-inch wingspan, great snipes are also speedy marathoners that can migrate from Sweden to Central Africa in just three days, without stopping to eat, drink, or sleep. Now, researchers find that snipes also rise nearly 2,500 meters in elevation at dawn and descend again at dusk each day, perhaps to avoid overheating from daytime solar radiation by climbing higher.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/fLJm42KzvqE View the full article

Following habitat-destroying wildfires, researchers found many male red-backed fairywrens failed to molt into their ornamental plumage, making them less attractive to potential mates. They also had lowered circulating testosterone, which has been associated with their showy feathers. The birds' fat stores and stress hormone corticosterone remained at normal levels. While the findings are specific to this songbird, they may have implications for other species that don special coloration for mating.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/s4J3Uc9vLtU View the full arti

Researchers provide a first look at the probability of observing common birds as air pollution worsens during wildfire seasons. They found that smoke affected the ability to detect more than a third of the bird species studied in Washington state over a four-year period. Sometimes smoke made it harder to observe birds, while other species were actually easier to detect when smoke was present.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/JNn36U8RVBc View the full article

An incredibly rare hybrid warbler with mismatched color patterns has allowed researchers to disentangle the genetic drivers of two traits that usually come as a package deal -- the black face mask and the black throat patch in blue-winged and golden-winged warblers.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/3Q9Ryyhs5Xo View the full article

Researchers have some good news for the well-meaning masses who place bird feeders in their yards: The small songbirds who visit the feeders seem unlikely to develop an unhealthy reliance on them.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/T6g9gUTkC7Y View the full article

If you listen to songbirds, you will recognize repeated melodies or phrases. Each phrase is made up of distinct sounds, strung together. A study has found that the song phrases of many songbird species follow patterns that are similar to those used in human speech. At least in some respects.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/XrlHy3pkDGc View the full article

Researchers develop a new avian influenza vaccine using plant-based recombinant protein.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/V_vBUy9gbK8 View the full article