Ornithology

No-one has seen the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike for about 20 years. That changed when researchers embarked on a six-week expedition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and captured the dramatic-looking yellow-topped bird in its first-known photo.

Technology has been very kind to bird lovers, with apps such as Merlin Bird ID allowing enthusiasts of all levels to easily identify their local feathered friends. Now, the BirdWeather PUC ups the ante to turn anyone into a global bird citizen scientist.

Casual bird buddies and ornithology obsessives alike can now trek to far corners of the globe and identify any feathered friend they find – as long as they have their phone with them. What's more, the Merlin app can now identify nearly every species.

Thirty years of studying American cliff swallow populations has discovered a subtle but telling evolutionary influence exerted by traffic on these birds.