Ecology and Behaviour

Discover how birds interact with their environment and each other. This section explores habitat use, feeding strategies, social structures, breeding systems, migration patterns, and vocal communication. From territorial disputes to cooperative parenting, Ecology and Behaviour reveal the intricate ways birds adapt, survive, and thrive in a changing world. Photo by Dave Katz @tenacityinpursuit

The Sanctuary in the Sidewalk: Trees Rescue Birds in Mexico’s Cities
City trees offer shelter and song: House Finches are among the adaptable species thriving in Mexico’s urban nature pockets. © Braxton Landsman

The Sanctuary in the Sidewalk: Trees Rescue Birds in Mexico’s Cities

Even in the heart of a city, a tree can be a sanctuary for birds. A new study from Mexico reveals that urban trees do far more than provide shade – they offer critical nesting and foraging habitats for native species under pressure from habitat loss elsewhere.
Ecology and Behaviour
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
Rethinking Rarity: The Return of Fox’s Weaver in Uganda
A male Fox’s Weaver in full breeding colours – Uganda’s only endemic bird species, once feared lost, now reclaiming its place in the papyrus wetlands. © Emin Yoğurtcuoğlu

Rethinking Rarity: The Return of Fox’s Weaver in Uganda

New field records of Uganda’s only endemic bird challenge long-held assumptions about its rarity. The Fox’s Weaver isn’t extinct – it’s breeding, and it’s been hiding in overlooked wetlands all along.
Ecology and Behaviour
The Ornithologist

The Ornithologist