If birds are dinosaurs, why aren’t they cold-blooded?

hummingbird by flowers

For over a hundred years, researchers have assumed this dinosaurs were like giant lizards: sluggish reptiles that basked in the sun most of the day. This view changed when we started to realize that dinosaurs were much more similar birds than for modern lizards. Today, researchers agree birds are technically dinosaurs – the only ones … Read more

New research shows that birds of prey use a unique air sac to fly over long distances

Large birds of prey such as falcons, ospreys, eagles and vultures can remain aloft, glide along rising air currents and fly over tens of thousands of kilometers while barely fluttering. Scientists and laypeople alike – fascinated by this feat – have wondered for centuries how they accomplished it. Now an international team of researchers … Read more

The beat frequency of birds, insects, bats and whales predicted using only body mass and wing area

This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! Wingbeat frequency data for a variety of flying animals versus the square root of animal mass divided by wing/fin area. Credit: PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303834 × close to Wingbeat frequency data for a variety of flying animals versus the … Read more

Saturday Quotes: The sound of music, sneaky birds, better training for LLMs. Plus: Diversity improves research

This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked trusted source proofread OK! by Chris Packham, Phys.org A male beautiful fairy wren brings food to a young Horsfield’s bronze cuckoo. Credit: Mark Lethlean × close to A male beautiful fairy wren brings food to a young Horsfield’s bronze cuckoo. Credit: Mark Lethlean In the small … Read more

These luxury smart binoculars from Swarovski Optik use AI to identify up to 9,000 birds and other wildlife, and I’m hooked

Swarovski AX Visio 10x32 binoculars on stone

Because we are fortunate to have a community pond and duck pond at the end of our road, plus a national park within walking distance, migratory birds and all kinds of wildlife are always almost a stone’s throw away. Yes, I know what an urban fox and a wood pigeon look like and can identify … Read more

Researchers reconstruct the genomes of extinct species of flightless birds that once roamed the islands of New Zealand

This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! Design nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of the small bush moa. (A) 3D image of a small bush moa skeleton. (B) De novo assembled mitochondrial genome, with locations of annotated genes and RNAs indicated. The inward-facing graph shows the Depth … Read more

Some birds may use ‘mental time travel’, research shows | CNN

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. CNN — Very quickly: what did you eat yesterday? Were you with someone? Where were you? Can you imagine the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to … Read more