Birds
8 astonishing close-up photos of the world’s most beautiful pheasant
Resplendent in red, gold and blue, the male of this spectacular species sports a crest like a barrister’s wig – even if it leaves him with massive blind spots
What is a chicken wishbone – and why on Earth do people fight over it?
Just how useful is a wishbone to a chicken? Find out with our expert guide
These tiny birds are doubling in size on remote Scottish islands – and are on their way to “becoming a new species”
Isolated on remote Scottish islands, tiny wrens have recently been discovered to be a fascinating case of island gigantism.
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Do any birds have teeth?
Why don't birds have teeth? And did they ever have teeth? Stuart Blackman explains
What's the world's biggest parrot? There are two contenders: one has a massive 1m wingspan and the other weighs a whopping 3kg
Meet two giant birds fighting for the title of world's biggest parrot.
Bat vs bird: what's the difference between these two winged animals?
What are the actual anatomical differences between bats and birds?
Why are young birds sometimes bigger than their parents?
Just why do some young birds bigger than their parents? Mike Toms explains
The weirdest bird nests on the planet – including a 2-tonne giant and one bound together with spider webs
Discover a host of weird nests built by remarkable birds that steal, sew and regurgitate to look after their chicks
A mighty hawk has made a home in New York City's Central Park. This is its story
Red-tailed hawks have taken up residence in the heart of Manhattan.
“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
“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.
