Birds

A remarkable partnership has formed over centuries between honeyguide birds and humans — and both species benefit when the honey is found and the comb is cracked.

By Jesslyn Shields

This exotic bird could seriously injure or kill a person or a dog in an instant with its deadly claws.

By Wendy Bowman

Bird mobs are not roving gangs of thug birds. But they are bands of birds coming together to harass bigger predators. And the behavior is loud and raucous.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

When a half-full plate of dinner sits before you and your overstuffed tummy, have you ever been told your eyes are too big for your stomach? The pelican's got a similar problem.

By Shanna Freeman

There are up to 26 species of penguins in the world, most of whom mate for life, and while none of them can fly, they swim like Olympic champs.

By Patty Rasmussen

The national bird of the United States has taken on iconic status as the avian avatar of freedom, but its wingspan and steely gaze guarantee its status in the pecking order of prey birds as a symbol of strength.

By Patty Rasmussen

The largest eagle in the world has a claw the size of a grizzly bear's, a leg the size of a human's and a very disapproving gaze.

By Jesslyn Shields

From ancient times until today, people have been captivated by these iconic, mysterious birds. What is it about owls that makes them the enduring subject of myth and superstition?

By Jesslyn Shields, Nicole Antonio & Sascha Bos

Starlings are short and thick, with dark feathers and long, pointy bills. Collectively, however, they transform into something else entirely.

By John Donovan

The parrots of the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco are legendary, but how did they get there?

By Jesslyn Shields

There's a lot of conversation around what we should be feeding our backyard hummingbird visitors, so we threw the question, along with others, to an expert.

By Jamie Allen

The smallest owls in the world have mad survival skills, like killing poisonous scorpions and playing dead.

By Loraine Fick

Berries are a great food source for birds, but this diet can backfire when the fruit starts to ferment.

By Jesslyn Shields

Only birds have a special voice box — the syrinx — and it's what they use to sing. But what's so unique about the syrinx is that it's actually an evolutionary anomaly.

By Jesslyn Shields

With the fall migration season for birds just around the corner, we took another look at how to prevent birds from colliding with windows.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

A French theme park has trained a crew of six rooks to pick up after its messy guests.

By Jesslyn Shields

What benefit does one bird get from copying another bird's calls?

By Mark Mancini

It's easy to mistake a crow for a raven or vice versa. But the two birds are actually pretty different.

By Mark Mancini

Spontaneous sex reversal in chickens is pretty rare, but it does happen. Find out how Miss Lucille became Mr. Lucille.

By Alia Hoyt

Most of the scientific attention to birdsong has been paid to the male of the species. But many female birds sing too — and scientists are starting to understand how important it is to study them as well.

By Alia Hoyt

Does your parakeet understand the cardinal chirping outside its window? Can a pigeon's noises mean anything to a crow? Yes, it can.

By Mark Mancini

Certain urban-dwelling bird species use cigarette butts in building their nests.

By Carrie Tatro

Aside from humans, these birds are the only ones who make drumsticks for musical purposes.

By Alia Hoyt

A recent study has identified why some seabirds mistake the plastic dumped in the ocean for food. The nose knows why.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Thanks to new technology, researchers have discovered that the common swift flies 10 months a year without landing, setting a world record for uninterrupted time aloft.

By Jesslyn Shields