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Birds

A flock. A gaggle. A murder. A look inside the curious world of our avian friends—from their brains, songs, courtship rituals, and ancient evolutionary history.

Latest in Birds

Peach and Blossom, the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, are seen on the South Lawn of the White House before recieving a Presidential Pardon from US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, on November 25, 2024.
Science

How did Thanksgiving turkeys get so darn big?

By Mack DeGeurin

a tick half embedded in human skin
Environment

How hitchhiking ticks are bringing diseases to new places

By Laura Baisas

a molting penguin with a mixture of feathers
Environment

Famously extra large penguin Pesto is molting

By Laura Baisas

a small bird with black, gray, and white, plumage solves a puzzle in a lab
Environment

Immigrating great tits learn from their new neighbors

By Laura Baisas

two leopards fighting in dirt
Environment

14 dramatic moments from the 2024 Nature’s Best Photo Awards

By Popular Science Team

Male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) in flight
Technology

Feather-inspired wing flaps may prevent planes from stalling

By Andrew Paul

An illustration, drawn and engraved, of an eastern whip-poor-will, by Richard Polydore Nodder.
Environment

What happened to this iconic bird of American horror?

By Jared Del Rosso / The Conversation

Migrating birds introduce forever chemicals into the food chain.
Environment

Migrating seabirds are bringing forever chemicals into the Arctic

By William von Herff / Hakai Magazine

This baby toque macaque was happily suckling milk from it's mother. It was so relaxed it almost fell asleep.
Environment

13 memorable and metal Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners

By Popular Science Team

a finch with a sharp beak and dark plumage holds a round seed in its beak
Environment

Scientists simulate calls of ‘future finches’

By Laura Baisas

an illustration of a large hawk-like bird carrying a long tailed rodent in its claws
Science

With fearsome feet, hawk-sized Cretaceous birds could scoop up baby dinos

By Laura Baisas

a penguin looks at the camera while swimming in icy waters
Environment

14 soaring and stunning images from 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year awards

By Popular Science Team

Young Cuckoo, Canorus cuculus, in Reed Warblers nest in reedbed, Norfolk UK.
Environment

Are you my baby? The clever ways that brood parasites trick other birds

By Sofia Quaglia / Knowable Magazine

a condor, a large bird with black plumage, stands near a creek
Environment

4 endangered California condors will be released into the wild

By Laura Baisas

Group of Snow Geese in elegant flight against blue sky at Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge in New Mexico in winter.
Environment

Why do birds migrate? Scientists have a few major theories.

By Lauren Leffer

three species of crane stand in tall grass. the first has grey, black and white plumage and is the tallest. the second has mostly white plumage. the last one is small with gray plumage.
Environment

Cranes can migrate 4,000 miles, but that’s not the hard part

By Laura Baisas

an illustration of a small bird with light brown, black, and white plummage. it has a long beak with sharp teeth
Environment

‘Weird’ prehistoric bird had a weaponized beak with teeth

By Laura Baisas

birds have culture
Environment

Birds have ‘culture.’ Just look at these nests.

By Lauren Leffer

a green parrot with an open beak and orange and black eye
Environment

These parrots have accents

By Laura Baisas

Anatomically accurate sculpture of a dodo
Science

The dodo was faster and smarter than you think

By Andrew Paul