ScienceDaily

For generations, household farmers in the Horn of Africa have selectively chosen chickens with certain traits that make them more appealing. Some choices are driven by the farmers' traditional courtship rituals; others are guided by more mundane concerns, such as taste and disease resistance. The result is the development of a genetically distinct African chicken -- one with longer, meatier legs, according to new research . But that 3,000-year-old local breed type is threatened by the introduction of commercial cluckers. View the full article

Is there something universal about the sounds we make that allows vocal learners -- like songbirds -- to figure out how we're feeling? Sounds like it, according to new research. View the full article

Meet the ancient bird that had toes longer than its lower legs. Researchers have discovered a bird foot from 99 million years ago preserved in amber that had a hyper-elongated third toe. The study suggests that this bird might have used its toes to hook food out of tree trucks. This is the first time such a foot structure has been observed in birds. View the full article

The latest supplement to the American Ornithological Society's checklist of North and Middle American birds includes several major updates to the organization of the continent's bird species. The official authority on the names and classification of the region's birds, the checklist is consulted by birdwatchers and professional scientists alike and has been published since 1886. View the full article

Whether 'alien' bird species thrive in a new habitat depends more on the environmental conditions than the population size or characteristics of the invading bird species, finds a new study. View the full article

We marvel at flying animals because it seems like they can access anywhere, but a first study of its kind has revealed that wind can prevent seabirds from accessing the most important of habitats: their nests. View the full article

Homing pigeons fit in one extra wingbeat per second when flying in pairs compared to flying solo, new research reveals. View the full article

Ecologists have long relied on their senses when it comes to recording animal populations and species diversity. However, modern programmable sound recording devices are now the better option for logging animal vocalizations. Scientists have investigated this using studies of birds as an example. View the full article

Climate and ecosystems are changing, but predation on shorebird nests has changed little across the globe over the past 60 years, finds an international team of 60 researchers. The study published in Science on 14 June 2019 challenges a recent claim that shorebird eggs are more often eaten by predators due to climate change, and more so in the Arctic compared to the tropics. The research shows that these claims are a methodological artefact. View the full article

Vocal control areas in the brain of weaver birds fire in time when they sing together. View the full article

Researchers have found that pterodactyls, extinct flying reptiles also known as pterosaurs, had a remarkable ability -- they could fly from birth. View the full article

A new study finds that some songbird species benefit from the spread of fracking infrastructure while others suffer. View the full article

Researchers have shown how millions of years of climate change affected the range and habitat of modern birds, suggesting that many groups of tropical birds may be relatively recent arrivals in their equatorial homes. View the full article

For birds, differences in personality are a function of both age and experience, according to new research. View the full article

Privately-owned, fragmented forests in Costa Rica can support as many vulnerable bird species as can nearby nature reserves, according to a new study. Working with landowners to conserve or restore forests on working landscapes can help protect wildlife. View the full article