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A dead northern gannet (Morus bassanus) on a beach
Unprecedented Avian Flu Epidemic Could Presage Year-Round Outbreaks
Nearly 50 million birds have been culled amid efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which continues to ravage the Northern Hemisphere.
Unprecedented Avian Flu Epidemic Could Presage Year-Round Outbreaks
Unprecedented Avian Flu Epidemic Could Presage Year-Round Outbreaks

Nearly 50 million birds have been culled amid efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which continues to ravage the Northern Hemisphere.

Nearly 50 million birds have been culled amid efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which continues to ravage the Northern Hemisphere.

bird populations

Chickens in front of brown mesh coops
Bird Flu Hits US Hard
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 8, 2022 | 3 min read
So far this season, tens of millions of birds have died of disease or been culled, driving up prices of eggs, chicken, and turkey meat.
indoor chicken farm
Avian Flu Case Numbers Soar in Europe
Chloe Tenn | Jan 7, 2022 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke with the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, about this winter’s high bird flu prevalence, the effects of the disease, and efforts to combat it.
two quails
Chromosomal Rearrangement Linked to Less Mobile Quail
Chloe Tenn | Dec 7, 2021 | 5 min read
The Scientist interviews evolutionary biologist Carles Vilà about how a large genomic inversion detected in common quail affects the birds’ physical characteristics and migratory behaviors.
Cranes in flight
Why Migratory Birds Often Have Paler Wings Than Other Birds
Amanda Heidt | Dec 7, 2021 | 2 min read
A new study suggests that lighter colors may help these species stay cool on their long journeys, when birds are pushing themselves to their physiological limits.
animal learning, zebra finch, model organism, communication, fast mapping, individual recognition, cognition, evolution
Zebra Finches Recognize the Calls of Over 40 Fellow Finches
Amanda Heidt | Nov 13, 2020 | 5 min read
Their ability to distinguish between individuals is strong evidence for fast mapping, a learning tool generally thought to belong only to humans.
Emperor Penguin, Antarctica, British Antarctic Survey, guano, climate change, ecology, conservation, sea ice, satellite, remote sensing, Sentinel-2
New Study Bumps Global Emperor Penguin Numbers by 10 Percent
Amanda Heidt | Aug 5, 2020 | 2 min read
Satellite images of penguin poop reveal eight entirely new colonies and confirm the existence of another three first reported in the 1960s.
Image of the Day: No Longer Endangered
Emily Makowski | Oct 11, 2019 | 1 min read
Back from the brink of near-extinction, the Kirtland’s warbler population has grown and expanded its range.
puffins die mass mortality die off event Alaska bering sea conservation
Image of the Day: Beached Birds
Chia-Yi Hou | May 30, 2019 | 1 min read
Biologists recover the bodies of puffins from a mass mortality event.
sandhill crane and chick
Culling Wildlife for the Sake of Research
Anna Azvolinsky | Aug 27, 2018 | 3 min read
A case in which the University of Florida killed birds to protect crop research raises questions on the ethics of field studies’ potential side effects.
Drones Are Changing the Face of Ecology
Catherine Offord | Aug 1, 2018 | 6 min read
Unmanned aerial vehicles allow researchers to collect huge volumes of biological data cheaply, easily, and at higher resolution than ever before.
Bird Bullies
Jef Akst | Jun 1, 2013 | 2 min read
Regular supplies of food for scavenger birds in Spain may not be the most effective conservation strategy, as smaller birds are bullied away.
Backyard Bird Count Goes Global
Bob Grant | Feb 22, 2013 | 1 min read
Amateur birders record an astounding number of species and individuals in the first ever worldwide avian stock taking.
Polly Wanna Genome?
Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2012 | 4 min read
Puerto Rican businesses and residents come together to support the genomic sequencing of the island’s only native parrot species, hoping to help protect the endangered bird.
Ornithologists Want Windmill Research
Edyta Zielinska | Jun 21, 2012 | 1 min read
Researchers call for access to more data from energy companies to find strategies that will limit bird and bat deaths from wind turbines.
One Year On
Nick Beresford and Jordi Vives i Batlle | Mar 1, 2012 | 3 min read
Some thoughts about the ecological fallout from Fukushima
Fukushima Birds Affected
Sabrina Richards | Feb 9, 2012 | 1 min read
Radiation in Fukushima Prefecture is reducing bird populations less than 1 year since the nuclear disaster.
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