Same Species, Different Clocks: Migration That Shapes Reproductive Timing in Birds
A Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus) in the fresh light of spring. While this species isn’t featured in the study, it serves as a reminder of how migration and seasonal timing weave together in the lives of birds across latitudes. © Ilya Povalyaev

Same Species, Different Clocks: Migration That Shapes Reproductive Timing in Birds

Why do some birds get ready to breed while others are still preparing to migrate—despite living in the same place? The answer lies in how they sense time.
Breeding and Life-cycles
The Ornithologist

The Ornithologist
The Winter Legacy of Tata: An Interview with Dr László Musicz
A massive goose flock flies over Old Lake of Tata with the castle in the background – where centuries of history meet the rhythms of wild nature. © Péter Csonka

The Winter Legacy of Tata: An Interview with Dr László Musicz

Over four decades of monitoring have revealed a quiet revolution in the skies above the Old Lake of Hungary. As the Tundra Bean Goose retreats, the Greater White-fronted Goose has taken its place – and the implications ripple across Europe.
Editorial
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
The Extreme Breeding Ecology of Cliff-nesting Swifts
A Common Swift glides through golden evening light – briefly grounded in its breeding season before returning to a life spent almost entirely in the air. © Marcin Sidelnik

The Extreme Breeding Ecology of Cliff-nesting Swifts

Cliff-nesting swifts defy gravity – and ecological convention. This article explores how these aerial specialists adapted to breed in some of the planet’s most inhospitable vertical landscapes.
Breeding and Life-cycles
The Ornithologist

The Ornithologist
Born in Isolation: The Australian Origin of Songbirds
The Superb Lyrebird—an ancient Australian songbird and living symbol of oscine origins – blends mimicry with evolutionary legacy in one of Earth’s oldest avian lineages. © Grigory J. Heaton

Born in Isolation: The Australian Origin of Songbirds

Oscines – true songbirds – make up nearly half of all bird species alive today. A new study confirms that their evolutionary roots trace back to Australia, offering powerful new insight into one of the greatest radiations in avian history.
Evolution and Taxonomy
The Ornithologist

The Ornithologist
From Movement to Meaning: A New Era in Bird Tracking
Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) are among Europe’s most intensively tracked migratory shorebirds. Long-term monitoring has provided critical insights into their migration strategies, site fidelity, and survival – making them emblematic of longitudinal studies in avian ecology. © Attila Szilágyi

From Movement to Meaning: A New Era in Bird Tracking

For decades, tracking devices have told us where birds go. Now, researchers are asking an even more intriguing question: what happens to the birds we track along the way?
Ecology and Behaviour
The Ornithologist

The Ornithologist