Birds

Impaling on spikes, water bombing and stabbing – birds are more brutal than you realised. Here's 5 gruesome techniques they use to kill
Discover the brutal techniques used by some British birds to catch their prey - from impaling on spikes through to stabbing

7 astonishing underwater kingfisher photos that show the beautiful bird is just as at home below the surface as above it
These remarkable photographs show how a kingfisher dives and the ingenious way it is adapted for underwater

It's made from 1,500 tiny white feathers, bound together with spider silk and takes up to 3 weeks to construct
When it comes to intricacy, few animal nests can compete with those constructed by long-tailed tits. This is how they make them
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It has a bandit mask and punk-rocker crest – and can eat a whopping 1,000 berries a day
Meet the waxwing – the exotic-looking bird with a penchant for berries.

Forget gender wars! These bizarre birds have had equality sorted for some 44 million years - watch them in action
These ground-loving birds mate for life and work together to protect their young

Power and majesty of bald eagles revealed in 16 staggering photos
Spectacular images of bald eagles – from the snowy mountains of Alaska to the dramatic inlets of the Canadian coast.

“Like being in the middle of a snow globe.” Thousands of noisy white birds are flooding into Pennsylvania, Missouri and Maryland
A whiteout of wings and a riotous racket signal the departure, or arrival, of these beautiful birds

"It appears as one of the ugliest animals in the book The Ugly Five and doesn't look a million miles away from a turkey" – 12 weirdest birds of prey on the planet
They are fast and dangerous but these birds of prey are also supremely weird. Here's 12 of the oddest hunters of the sky

It spans 2.7km, borders two countries and can be seen from space – and is home to one of the most daring animals on Earth
South America's Iguazu Falls is the world's largest waterfall system. Yet, despite its imposing size, a devoted bird flies through its crashing cascades to raise its young.

“Millions have been released.” Hawaii’s beautiful birds are dying. But scientists have a controversial plan to save them
Endemic birds on Hawaii are being wiped out by avian malaria, but is GM technology the answer?

“They’re like giant airships crossing the city.” This monumental gathering may be the world’s most incredible natural spectacle
In Brighton, tens of thousands of starlings gather to form incredible murmurations

A rapidly melting ‘Doomsday Glacier’ and a monstrous deep-sea fish: 6 of nature’s doomsday signals that could warn of the end of the world
Whether these signs are rooted in science (like the Doomsday Glacier) or simply popular myth, they have been associated with the end of the world – or at least life as we know it

It’s the fastest animal on Earth and ruthlessly kills prey in mid-air – and it’s taking over London’s skyscrapers
The fastest animal on Earth is proliferating
among the skyscrapers of central London

From coral reefs to songbirds, the natural world is losing its colour. Here’s why scientists are worried
Colour is far more than beauty – it's a powerful indicator of ecosystem health. And the planet is losing its hues

"The blow was unbelievably powerful, like being hit with a baseball bat. To make it worse, one of her talons pierced my neck, leaving it numb and bleeding."
The harpies were mythological spirits that took the dead to hell, but this harpy eagle was intent on taking James out.

"They attack without hesitation and can rake down the front of a frail human body in seconds, with horrifying consequences" 10 violent birds that attack humans
Watch out folks! There’s an angry bird about!

It existed 800 years ago, was home to 100,000 people – and was powered by poop
New research suggests that seabird guano may have been one of the main driving forces behind the rise of Peru's Chincha Kingdom.

Why is oil so deadly for birds' feathers?
Oil spill incidents always involve birds being rescued and cleaned – but why is oil so damaging, and in many cases fatal, to birds?

Weighing a tonne and packed with hundreds of rooms – each home to a family — it can house a staggering 500 households. Is this the ultimate apartment block?
It’s the heaviest, largest, most densely populated bird nest… that's been built and extended over decades

9 brutal photos of the world’s most powerful bird that can rip monkeys and sloths from branches
These incredible images reveal the power and brutality of this extraordinary eagle

11 ferocious vulture photos that demonstrate the power and brutality of life for these scavenging predators
These striking images highlight the brutal (yet essential) behaviour of vultures

11 deadliest females on the planet: Discover some ferocious female animals that you wouldn't want to mess with
'For the female of the species is more deadly than the male' – here are our top 11 deadliest females that prove just that.

“It can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up”
The call of a whooper swan is one of winter's most atmospheric sounds, says naturalist and author Ben Hoare.

It’s the size of a soccer pitch and is home to 1,000 adorable penguins – and the world’s most southerly post office
Known as the ‘penguin post office’, Port Lockroy is a former British military base-turned-research station
