"They are one of the few animal species who gift for reasons that don’t involve sex." Discover 10 animals that like to give gifts
The moral of this story is… fancy wrapping is all well and good, but never skimp on the present!
The 12 birds of Christmas? Discover the birds hiding in the famous carol and their surprising stories
It’s got doves, hens and, of course, a partridge, but Stephen Moss explores how a much-loved carol may be all about birds, plus why the robin rules Christmas.
10 silliest bird names on the planet – including something pronounced 'ee-EE-vee'
Inside the world's most otherworldly wildlife destinations
Sun, sand and a deadly paradise for Kenya’s rarest monkeys: Inside the battle to save them before it's too late
Monkeys are overrunning Kenya’s tourist hotspots in the south of the country. Their apparent abundance in Diani, however, is not a straightforward conservation success story
Watch this adorable baby sea otter learning to float on its own. What happened next is heartbreaking...
Wildlife lover Ayse Genisel was delighted to spot a baby sea otter through her binoculars, but people trying to get too close eventually led to tragedy for the pup
Astonishing secrets behind a reindeer's incredible eyesight - and why they will have no trouble finding their way on the snowiest of Christmas Eves
Do your children wonder how Santa's reindeer see in the dark on Christmas Eve? Turns out reindeer vision is perfectly suited to the dark snowy winter nights, as veterinary eye expert Chris Dixon explains.
I woke up to a bear cub pulling at my sleeping bag – and then its mother arrived...
Wildlife photographer Danny Green talks sinking ships and battles for sleeping bags
Nature’s hidden miracle workers: 7 ecosystem engineers quietly transforming the planet
From beavers to parrotfish, ecosystem engineers have a profound impact on their surrounding ecosystem and the other wildlife within it.
It looks like a Christmas tree: Watch this tiny, secretive creature burst into life like an underwater Cinderella
These colourful worms are always in the Christmas spirit, but they’ll vanish inside a coral if you startle them, says Melissa Hobson
Birds
Do all gulls live by the sea?
Crushing bone, spearing fish, tearing flesh... These are the 6 deadliest bird beaks on the planet and they are highly effective lethal weapons
Discover the strongest, most lethal beaks on Earth.
What's the most common bird of prey in the world?
Have you spotted one of these mesmerising raptors?
Candy-coloured kingfishers, jewel-encrusted hummingbirds and pheasants in regal hues – discover the 11 most colourful birds
These avian wonders with brilliantly coloured plumage are found across the globe
“I know it’s natural but it’s bloody hard to watch.” There’s one rule in wildlife filmmaking – but this BBC team broke it
In a now-viral clip from BBC's Dynasties, the filming crew were faced with a tough decision
They strike with clenched talons at 200mph, crush skulls, shred prey, and can inflict deep head wounds on humans – 10 deadliest birds of prey on the planet
Silent wings, razor-sharp talons, and killer precision—these apex aerial predators rule the skies. Here are the world’s deadliest birds of prey
How to identify wildlife
Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: Think you know how they differ? Think again as the differences between these two squirrels will surprise you
We take a look at how the red squirrel differs to its American grey cousin
Brown rat or water vole: How to tell the difference between these two lookalike-rodents
When all you've seen is a flash of brown fur, it can be hard to know whether it was a water vole or rat. Though the two species tend to live in different habitats, there are areas where they overlap, potentially leading to cases of mistaken identity. So how do you tell rats and water voles apart?
Mink or otter? What's the difference between these two slippery, semiaquatic lookalikes?
How do you tell the difference between otters and mink?
LRPs, PG Tips and Jizz: Cracking the secret language of birders
You’re sitting in a hide and overhear other birders talking. The conversation ranges from ‘LRPs’ and ‘roosting Leos’ and you scratch your chin as you try to decipher their code – welcome to the world of birding jargon.
It's the fastest animal in the world and its deadly claws can catch prey mid-air: Meet one of the world's most incredible birds of prey
Peregrines are the ultimate urban predator. Learn all about them, including how to spot them ‘stooping’ to catch prey
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Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Plants
After nuclear disaster, sunflowers were planted. And they could transform the landscape in a very interesting way
From golden fields to buzzing pollinators, the sunflower is more than just a pretty face – it’s a powerhouse of nature that could help clean nuclear pollution
Is this very ordinary plant a secret, yet deadly, meat eater?
The thistle that has a taste for meat
It has bizarre tentacles, oozes yucky black goo and stinks of death – and could be near you right now
The octopus stinkhorn, also known as devil's fingers, is a type of fungus that grows from egg-like spores
A team of scientists spent 4 years studying savannah grasses that had been set on fire – and discovered something astonishing
Researchers from the University of Fort Hare wanted to discover the long-term effects frequent wildfires have on burnt grasses