The Quantum Compass: Birds May Use Physics to Navigate
A light-sensitive protein in birds’ eyes may help them perceive magnetic fields, suggesting that evolution has crafted a quantum compass for migration.
Engineering Elegance: The Paradise Riflebird As Nature’s Most Theatrical Engineer
With a wave of his wings and the snap of a feather, the Paradise Riflebird transforms the rainforest floor into a stage. Recent research reveals that this avian dancer doesn’t just display beauty – it performs biomechanics at its evolutionary peak.
The Ornithologist
Instinct vs. Experience: Steppe Eagles Learn to Migrate Safely
A new study shows that young Steppe Eagles are drawn to human-altered landscapes during migration, while adults avoid them – revealing how instinct, experience, and learning shape survival strategies in an endangered raptor.
Gyorgy Szimuly
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.
The Ornithologist