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How The Bird Got Its Beak

10,000 Birds

If only you could make fine adjustments to the expression of existing DNA you could hatch a dinosaur, starting with, for example, a turkey. So this new research is very interesting, and we applaud the scientists for their work. See: Four Wings Good Two Wings Better? So how did beaks evolve? See: Are Birds Really Dinosaurs?

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The Incredulous New Caledonian Crows

10,000 Birds

For example, humans have “Theory of Mind” which is not a theory in the scientific sense, but rather, a capacity whereby we have an internal theory of what is going on in other people’s minds. A number of research projects have sought to determine if some of these human brain abilities are found in other animals. Here’s the idea.

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Tiny Asian bird discovered as sole member of ancient family. Who’s next?

10,000 Birds

Big news about a small bird broke earlier this month when bird researchers from several nations announced that the species formerly known as Spotted Wren-Babbler ( Spelaeornis formosus ) — a tiny, secretive bird of montane forests from the eastern Himalayas to southeast China — is not a Spelaeornis wren-babbler at all.

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eBird Weather: RainCrow Q&A

10,000 Birds

I have always assumed that scientific researchers can overlay weather information on checklists for their research, but absent manual entry, that such information would not be available to me. An example of the same RainCrow result in an eBird checklis t is below. Q: Should we expect any additional eBird projects from you?

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A Birder’s Guide to The Wilderness Act

10,000 Birds

For example, hunting is not permitted in most NPS wilderness areas, but it is often allowed in wilderness areas managed by the other agencies. There is also a research institute dedicated to wilderness: the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute is an interagency facility located at the University of Montana.

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The Bird Way: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

A logical and outstanding successor to The Genius of Birds (2016), Ackerman’s award-winning book about bird cognition, The Bird Way explores the diversity of bird behavior, the norm and the extremes, with an emphasis on cutting-edge research and findings that explode assumptions. Yet, the research projects are never the whole story.

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Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean: A Book Review by a Lover of Parliaments

10,000 Birds

I could go on and on, it’s that kind of a book—a comprehensive treatment of a species we respect and adore, based on the most current research, written in a style that, while factual, is from the author’s viewpoint, flavoring facts with a witty, observant personal quality. Mitochondrial DNA analysis strikes again.