Miscellaneous Birds

There are 126 species of birds that don't have the ability to fly, for various evolutionary reasons. Let's meet seven of them.

By Katie Carman

Flamingos use a secretion from a gland near their rear end to touch up their feathers when they've been bleached by the sun.

By Jesslyn Shields

Migrating birds are dying by the billions as they lose their way and smash into lit buildings at night. Big cities like Philadelphia are turning out the lights to try and help save them.

By Stephanie Parker

Magpies are much-maligned as harbingers of doom, thieves of shiny objects and songbird eggs, but they're smart, monogamous for life and actually hold funerals for one another.

By Patty Rasmussen

The cartoon Roadrunner beep-beeped his way through the desert, outfoxing Wile E. Coyote every time, but the real bird can run up to 27 mph and, in some Native American traditions, offers protection from evil spirits.

By Jesslyn Shields

There's more to Australia's kookaburra than the cheery song you learned as a kid, but what is it that makes the kookaburra laugh?

By Patty Rasmussen

Biochemically like a heron and anatomically similar to a pelican, the shoebill stork has been called "Monsterface" and even "Death Pelican." But wait until you hear the staccato rat-a-tat-tat of its booming machine-gun call.

By Carrie Tatro

Generations of cereal eaters grew up sharing the breakfast table with Toucan Sam, famous for following his long, colorful nose — but what's that bill for besides hawking cereal?

By Jesslyn Shields

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

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

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

Wisdom, the Laysan albatross, is 70 years young and STILL birthing babies. What is the secret of her fertility?

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Jesslyn Shields

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

Cockatoos aren't just excellent dancers — they're also excellent toolmakers.

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

Even the frozen continent isn't safe from bird flu.

By Kate Kershner

Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate annually from the U.S. all the way to Central America. How often would one need to stop? A new study reveals amazing abilities.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Have you ever had to shout to make yourself heard at a loud restaurant? Turns out we noisy humans are doing that to birds, and it's making it hard to mate.

By Julie Douglas

As Hitchcock's 1963 horror classic "The Birds" taught us, it's a good idea to respect our avian friends. Before you accidentally let any bad luck take wing, peck away at these bird-related superstitions.

By Bambi Turner

When a friend decides to ignore their problems, you might liken them to an ostrich. But ostriches are much more likely to face a problem head-on than hide it in the sand.

By Bambi Turner