Birds
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Perhaps fortunately, animal droppings generally don't stick around in the environment too long. But when they do, like in the case of this special Andean condor poop pile, these unique fossils offer new insights into the history of our planet.
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The belly feathers of the male desert sandgrouse can absorb and carry water. Researchers have, for the first time, closely examined the unique structure of these feathers to see how they do it and whether the process might be adapted for human use.
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Scientists have described a new disease called plasticosis, caused by – you guessed it – plastic waste. So far it's only been identified in the digestive tracts of seabirds, but the scale of the problem suggests it could be widespread in other species.
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Scientists have discovered the fossil remains of what may be the largest penguins that ever lived. The bones, found on a beach in New Zealand, belonged to a giant bird that was more than three times the size of the biggest living penguins today.
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Not content with the woolly mammoth and the thylacine, Colossal Biosciences has now announced the third animal on its de-extinction list – the dodo. The company has received new funding, and provided an update on its scientific progress so far.
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Flapping-wing drones may be more agile and energy-efficient than their fixed-wing counterparts, but most of them still can't loiter in one spot. A new model addresses that limitation by using a claw mechanism to perch in a bird-like fashion.
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It's always upsetting to see images of seabirds covered in crude oil, as the result of an accidental spill. According to a new study, however, even tiny amounts of routinely released waterborne oil may seriously damage such birds' feathers.
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The winners of the world’s largest bird photography contest have been revealed featuring a spectacular array of avian sights, from a hummingbird catching a droplet of water to a gorgeous snap of a rock ptarmigan launching off the top of a mountain.
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For anyone with even a passing interest in ornithology, the annual Audubon Photography Awards is like Christmas in July. Now in its 13th year, the contest consistently delivers a spectacular collection of images highlighting rarely photographed bird behaviors.
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Birds regularly eat large quantities of crops, and often become accustomed to stationary devices designed to scare them away. That's why scientists are now looking at using autonomous drones to do the job.
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Greater mouse-eared bats are preyed upon by owls, but the owls themselves likely avoid hornets, for fear of getting stung. New research suggests that the bats take advantage of this fact, by buzzing like hornets to keep owls at bay.
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BIG has produced a lot of out-of-the-box designs, but the firm's latest project is one of its most unusual. Looking like a large pinecone suspended among the trees, the Biosphere will offer a small treehouse-style hotel room covered in 350 birdhouses.
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