Birds

“It attacks with a short movement, sucking up the prey with an expansion of its tubular snout.” Meet 8 weirdest, bizarrest animals in Hawai'i
From a squid that projects moonlight to hide from predators to a snake that reproduces by cloning itself, Hawai'i's wildlife is stranger than you'd expect

“They simply moved in.” Thousands of tiny falcons are taking over this ancient Italian city
Thousands of lesser kestrels have been living in and around the ancient Italian city of Matera for centuries

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
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“They produce 7 tonnes of guano – nightly”: Romans in biohazard suits are facing a relentless rain of oily poop. Here’s what’s going on
Millions of starlings descend upon Rome every year, creating spectacular murmurations – and a mess

“These parrot apartment blocks can be the size of a small car” – and they’re causing chaos in a city near you
The monk parakeet has been a colourful, not to mention noisy, addition to the cityscapes of Madrid

“They stick out like a sore thumb.” This clown-like bird has really weird feet – and here’s why
There’s a lot more to these quirky seabirds than their eye-catching limbs

Everything you need to know about kingfishers
All you need to know about the common kingfisher

70 nesting adults per square metre of cliff face – this is probably the highest nesting density of any bird in the world
Early summer is a busy time of year for Britain's seabirds, as they crowd on coastal cliffs and islands to rear their young.

Who was 'Mike the Headless Chicken' – and just how long did he live without a head?
Ellen Husain recounts the story of 'Miracle Mike the Headless Chicken'

“They're equipped with 15cm claws, can run at speeds of 50kph, clear 2m when jumping and deliver a mean kick – just how worried should I be?”
Deep in the heart of a rainforest in Queensland, Stuart Portugal's childhood dream of encountering a cassowary in the wild could become a reality. But despite being one of the world’s tallest species of bird, catching a glimpse of this elusive creature is easier said than done.

This iconic New York landmark is becoming a magnet – not just for tourists, but birds
Does anything live on the Statue of Liberty – and Ellis Island?

In an Australian city, birds are collecting handcuffs, medicine jars and banknotes. This is why
A new study in Queensland reveals that city-dwelling male great bowerbirds are using human items to impress females.

"A scale that has never been documented before in Greece." Falcon snatches 8 bats from the air in just 30 minutes
Bat predation by Eurasian hobbies has only been recorded a handful of times, making the sighting particularly significant.

Masturbation in birds is “healthy, natural and widespread”, say scientists
The research challenges the widely-held belief that stress and captivity encourages the behaviour

A blood-sucking fly was driving this Galápagos bird to extinction. Then conservationists stepped in
The Critically Endangered Galápagos mangrove finch has had its most successful breeding season on record, with 25 fledglings recorded.

"It has a lethally large inner toe tipped by a deadly dagger-like claw..." 15 weirdest, strangest birds on the planet, including one that reeks of fresh cow manure
There are plenty of contenders for the weirdest bird list from the 'stinky' hoatzin to the strange-looking secretary bird. Here are our favourite weirdest birds

"While she is doing the needlework, the male brings the threads. Little by little she laces it up to form a cup using dozens of stitches."
The little bird that's a very adept seamstress

This elusive bird can be heard up to 5km away – and the sound it makes is extraordinary
The song of the male bittern – the king of the reedbed – sounds like a foghorn.

White-tailed eagle vs osprey: what's the difference between these two majestic, powerful birds of prey?
Although the osprey and white-tailed eagle look similar and are sometimes both called fish eagles, the two birds of prey are quite different, says Scottish Wildlife Trust ranger Sara Rasmussen

"It sees two summers per year, and more daylight than any other animal on earth..."
Two summers a year? Yes please! Meet the bird that, thanks to its mammoth migration, enjoys two summers a year

Researchers put a big pair of eyeballs on the coast of Denmark and left them there for 46 days. Here's why
Fish-stealing seabirds can cause problems for fisheries and aquaculture companies so scientists tried to find a harmless way of putting them off their seafood feast.

This bizarre bird's entire annual cycle follows the rhythm on the moon, groundbreaking study reveals
Moonlight plays a huge part in how red-necked nightjars feed, migrate and raise their young, reveals new study.

Do any birds hibernate?
Are there any birds that can hibernate? Ben Hoare takes a look

Which species are named after Sir David Attenborough? And how many of them are there?
Sir David Attenborough has over 50 species named after him, ranging from a prehistoric marine reptile to a native British flower only found in the Brecon Beacons of South Wales.
