The Shape of the Bird Tree: A Global Phylogeny of 11,000 Species
The Tibetan Sandgrouse is a high-altitude specialist from one of branches of the vast evolutionary tree uniting 11,000 bird species. © Rajkumar Das
Evolution and Taxonomy

The Shape of the Bird Tree: A Global Phylogeny of 11,000 Species

A new global bird tree maps the evolutionary relationships of ~11,000 species, offering powerful tools for research and conservation planning.

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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
North America’s Bird Declines Reveal a Global Conservation Blind Spot
Eastern Meadowlark — a defining voice of North American grasslands, now in steep decline. Its disappearance reflects the wider crisis of common birds. © Shelley Rutkin

North America’s Bird Declines Reveal a Global Conservation Blind Spot

Common species are the backbone of ecosystems, yet new research shows they are declining at a scale that reshapes the conservation challenge. If familiar birds disappear, the loss will be both ecological and cultural — and it may already be happening faster than we think.
Conservation
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly