New Species Of Lovebird Discovered In The Cradle Of Humankind

"An international team of paleontologists unearthed fossilized bones of a new species of lovebird from three caves in the South African UNESCO World Heritage site known as the Cradle of Humankind"

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

Red parrot feathers resist bacterial degradation

"Why do parrots have such brightly colored feathers? There are lots of evolutionary reasons, but now you can add one more to the list: bright pigments resist bacterial degradation"

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

How To Disease-Proof Your Wild Bird Feeders

"Feeding wild birds is a popular hobby globally, but it presents invisible disease risks to the very birds that we are feeding — but there are ways to safeguard their health."

SciComm by @grrlscientist

How Critically Endangered Kākāpō Survived Centuries Of Inbreeding

"Analysis of entire genomes from New Zealand’s critically endangered, flightless parrots found they carry exceptionally few harmful genetic mutations despite 10,000 years of inbreeding. How did they manage this?"

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

Wild Birds’ Gut Microbiome Influences Ornamentation And Body Condition

"A groundbreaking study that could have important implications for promoting healthier ecosystems and wildlife populations."

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

Super Enzyme Regulates Testosterone Levels In Male Ruffs

"A single gene in the shorebird species known as ruffs controls the blood concentrations of testosterone in males, and this in turn affects their appearances and behavior."

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

Love thy enemy's enemy: why hummingbirds nest near hawks

"Hummingbird eggs and babies are a favourite snack for nest-robbing jays, so what’s a mother to do to protect her family? According to a new study, it’s best to build her nest near or under a hawk nest"

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

500 Bird Species Face Extinction Within The Next Century, study led by University of Reading, published by Nature Ecology & Evolution

SciComm by @Grrlscientist

Drones Deliver Millions Of Mosquitoes to Prevent Bird Extinctions In Hawai‘i, via American Bird Conservancy & Birds Not Mosquitoes

SciComm by @GrrlScientist

Birds in love produce more babies, study shows

“A study finds that birds who freely choose their own mates have 37% more offspring than those which were paired up by researchers in a sort of avian ‘arranged marriage’”

by @GrrlScientist via Substack

American crows: the ultimate angry birds?

"Crows form mobs that scold dangerous people and naïve crows exposed to mobs learn to identify a dangerous person’s face, associate it with danger, and react accordingly"

by @GrrlScientist via Substack

How Do Young Birds Know When To Leave The Nest?

“The age when young birds leave their nest is the evolutionary compromise between parents, who want their chicks to leave as early as possible, and offspring, who want to leave as late as possible.”

by @GrrlScientist via Substack 

Brainier Birds Live On Islands

"Island birds’ larger brains are the result of evolutionary processes that took place on islands rather than before birds colonized them"

by @GrrlScientist via Substack

Genomic Erosion Is Threatening The Genetic Health Of Endangered Species | University of Copenhagen, published by Proceedings of Royal Society B Biological Sciences

by @GrrlScientist

Cloud Forest Reserve Created In Ecuador To Conserve Endangered Parrot | American Bird Conservancy, Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco & Rainforest Trust

by @GrrlScientist

Made For Each Other

“Gray jays hoping to survive and reproduce during Canada's harsh winters must store food in the right kinds of trees”

by @GrrlScientist via Substack

Extinct-In-The-Wild Bird Species Is Breeding On A New Island Home

"The Guam kingfisher was extinct in the wild for almost 40 years but this species was recently released into the wild where it is now breeding."

by @GrrlScientist