Beaks & Bones on Maja Mielke

Keeping cool helps birds raise bigger chicks

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Blue tits that cope better with heat during parental care raise bigger chicks.

This bird sings with his feathers

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Male Club-winged manakins evolved feathers for sound production—and became worse at flying in the process.

The world's loudest bird

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 02:58:08 -0200

With a sound level comparable to a jackhammer, White bellbird males scream their love songs right into females’ ears.

Why do some female hummingbirds look like males?

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Male-like plumage helps female hummingbirds escape social harassment.

It is a busy day at the nectar feeder of the Canopy Tower in Panama. Buzzing in and out, male and female hummingbirds alike compete for the best spots at one of the artificial flowers.

The song battles of the New Zealand tūī

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:58:08 -0200

High-quality songs from rival males trigger aggressive responses in tūī during the breeding season.

Pigeons can recognize a Picasso

Wed, 27 May 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Pigeons can learn to distinguish between paintings by different artists and from different art movements.

Puffins use sticks to scratch an itch

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Atlantic Puffins are the first seabirds observed using tools.

The first time Annette Fayet observed an Atlantic Puffin scratching itself with a stick was on Skomer Island (Wales) in 2014. She saw the bird holding a wooden stick in its beak and using it to scratch its back for about five seconds.

Puffin bills glow under UV light

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:58:08 -0200

During the breeding season, Atlantic Puffins develop photoluminescent structures on their bills.

Extreme climate events can change how birds sing

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Birds sing differently after extreme climate events—and may no longer recognize members of their own species.

This young hawk uses cars as cover for surprise attacks

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Beaks & Bones on Maja Mielke

Keeping cool helps birds raise bigger chicks

This bird sings with his feathers

The world's loudest bird

Why do some female hummingbirds look like males?

The song battles of the New Zealand tūī

Pigeons can recognize a Picasso

Puffins use sticks to scratch an itch

Puffin bills glow under UV light

Extreme climate events can change how birds sing

This young hawk uses cars as cover for surprise attacks

The upside-down life of hanging parrots

These hummingbirds evolved dagger-like bills for aggressive fights

Fireworks drive birds into panic flights

These birds have a strong opinion about classical music

Chirping with Chopin

The blood-drinking vampire finch

Why fairywrens sing to their eggs

Birds form long-term 'friendships' to help each other raise their young

The Secretary bird’s skull-crushing kick

30 killer dance moves discovered in cockatoos

Only 241 kākāpō are alive today

Field notes from a biology conference

How to win the egg drop challenge

Albatrosses listen to the ocean to find their way

Birds in same-sex pairs successfully rear chicks

Scientists built a kestrel plushie with a pigeon beak—here's why

No cuckoos allowed

Great tits raised by Blue tits fail to pair with conspecifics

Molting penguins overheat

Owls can look to the left by turning their heads to the right

Traffic noise increases aggressive behavior in territorial songbirds

Stare at gulls, if you don't want them to steal your lunch

The secret ingredients of hoopoes' stinky preen oil help keep their feathers safe

Feathers with dual function: the cormorant's secret of success

Why do woodpeckers not get stuck in trees?

Puffin fledglings strand on beaches because of artificial light

Practice makes perfect (and attractive)

Owls fly almost silently (if they don't use hairspray)