Professor Ian Jones, St John’s Memorial University, and Dr Sampath Seneviratne, University of British Columbia, shared their insights and suspicions that certain feathers on a bird’s body could serve to heighten the sense of touch. When looking at birds, such as the auklet, which have intricate feathers on their heads, scientists found that by putting them through a simple navigational test, much was revealed in regard to the role that crests and head feathers play. Using a dark maze, as this breed tends to breed in dark crevices, it was found that when the birds navigated the test, they succeeded in completing the maze with less difficulty than when researchers flattened their head feathers. It was also noted that in general, if birds have ornamental feathering, they tend to be birds that are active at night.

Researchers then looked at bird species that do not feature elaborate feathering, including pheasants, kingfishers, parrots, penguins and owls. They suggest that even if some birds do not have crests and rectal bristles, longer wing feathers may also serve as a means of touch. Many birds use their feathers and coloring to show off their abilities and to either startle or camouflage themselves from their predators, but there is good reason to believe that feathers have various other functions that we have not been aware of until now. The new insight into facial feathers and flamboyant feathering could lead to further studies,to confirm these findings and the preliminary research. This use of their feathers for touch and orientation has revealed a more complex side to birds, and will have us gazing a little more intently whenever we look at these colorful creatures of the skies.

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Anting can take on different forms. Some birds will pick up ants in their beaks and rub the ant over their feathers, after which they eat the ant; while others will open their wings and lie down over an active anthill and allow ants to climb up onto them. But it does seem that one part of anting remains consistent: birds prefer using ants that produce folic acid. Ants use the folic acid their bodies produce as a defense mechanism, which they spray at their attackers, but at the same time provides birds with a certain something that scientists would love to discover.

One theory on anting is that the folic acid could be used as a fungicide, bactericide and as an insect repellent, while others choose to believe that it is the vitamin D content in the acid that birds are after. This leads to another unanswered question: why do birds sometimes use alternative anting tools, such as millipedes and fruit? Some scientists believe that anting is used to preen feathers and helps prevent the drying out of their plumage, but then one again has to ask, that if only some birds include anting in their behavior, could preening really be the answer? Another suggestion that has been made is that anting has an intoxicating effect, as some birds have been known to shake and loose control over their ability to walk. Anting has been documented in a variety of species including crows, babblers, weavers, owls, turkeys, waxbills and pheasants to name but a few. And for all the research done and no lack of theories, it seems the human race will have to be satisfied with the fact that the mystery behind anting might elude us forever, and remain a small secret that nature is not willing to share.

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The feather degrading bacteria seems to target brightly colored birds more than those with dull plumage. To investigate this fact, a group of scientists chose a large colony of Eastern Bluebirds living in Virginia as test subjects, studying the population as a whole and noting the differences of the bacteria found in the male and female birds. Not only does this bacteria influence the coloring of the birds, but their general health as well.

It is now known that most wild birds carry feather degrading bacteria and some birds are even host to more than one bacteria species. The exact impact the bacteria has on their feathered hosts is still unclear, but they are not found to be in the majority. Almost all the birds in the study were found to have the bacteria, which hydrolyses the protein beta-keratin. It had been found that melanin pigmented feathers are resistant to feather degrading bacteria and that the oils used by birds to preen can also halt the growth of the bacteria. These traits confirm that defenses against these bacteria can be built and it is therefore suggested that the bacteria could have an influence on the evolution of birds. It was also found that the bacteria had a greater impact on the female birds than on their male counterparts. The bacteria seems to dull the coloring of the feathers, and scientists believe that the difference in bacteria between male and female birds could be influenced by the routines followed by each sex, and the areas they travel in. It is, however, mere speculation as scientists are still trying to confirm if the daily routine of males and females could play a role in the bacteria occurrences. Alex Gunderson, from Duke University in North Carolina commented, “If bacteria detrimentally influence feather coloration, they may place selective pressure on birds to evolve defenses against them.”

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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology recently published an article documenting the unusual nesting habits of the White-winged Diuca Finch. This was the first research ever published which detailed the diminutive bird’s breeding habits.

Up until now everyone thought that only Emperor Penguins nest directly on ice. Now it seems that they’re not the only ones. A surprising father and son team have unraveled the mystery after deciding to study the habits of the small bird more intently. Why is the team so surprising? The son in the team is only now just fourteen years of age!

Spencer P. Hardy teamed up with his father Douglas R. Hardy to make the discovery before he had even made it to sixth grade. The unusual father-son project came about as a result of Douglas Hardy’s regular scientific expeditions to the wind-blasted Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru. Quite often while doing his research at the torturously high elevation of 18,600 feet, Douglas found that he kept stumbling across strange grass and twig structures – nests. But what were nests doing on the ice? According to Spencer Hardy, “there shouldn’t have been bird nests there. The elevation was too high, the environment too harsh, the habitat too extreme.” Yet directly on the ice is exactly where these nests were found.

Hardy is a glacier specialist working with the UMass Climatic System Research Center. His work in Peru has him studying the dramatic shrinkage of the Quelccaya ice. Despite having worked on glaciers around the globe, he’d never seen birds’ nests on any of them. Since frozen water is more in his line of work, he turned to his then 11-year-old son for help in solving the mystery. According to Douglas, “from the time Spencer was old enough to sit in a high chair, he’s been captivated by birds.” Douglas’ discovery really got his son’s interest and before long, Spencer’s passion for solving this birding mystery got Douglas motivated too. Before long the two forged an informal father-son team and started studying the birds to unlock the mystery.

Douglas’ job was to take digital photographs of whatever birds he encountered as he worked on the Quelccaya between June and August. He also took close-up photos of the nests. His son, who was staying in Vermont, received the images from his father and started researching them intently; using every library book about Andean birds he could get his hands on. From his studies, he narrowed the possible candidates down to the White-fronted Ground-tyrant and the White-winged Diuca Finch. Both birds were of an appropriate size, had the right habits and were seen quite often on the edges of the glaciers. Meanwhile Douglas was keeping a steady eye out for nests, feathers, egg shells and other clues. In 2008 he finally discovered an abandoned, intact nest that still had eggs in it. The question was put to Carla Dove, a scientist who specializes in identifying birds from their removed plumage. She tagged the Diuca Finch as the culprit, and the bird’s proximity to the nests also pointed to this conclusion. The research was printed, with Spencer’s academic affiliation listed as the Marion W. Cross Elementary School.

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It seems to be a glaringly obvious concern – will the installation of additional wind farms in lowland agricultural areas in the UK cause birds to abandon the area? They are, after all, very noisy, large and full of movement. New research suggests that the answer to this all-important question is no.

A new scheme to put up additional wind turbines in agricultural areas to meet renewable energy targets seems to be safe. The Journal of Applied Ecology set about studying the impact that existing turbines had on wind farms in the Fens and discovered that approximately 3 000 birds from as many as 33 different species were living quite comfortably within 750 meters of the turbines at both of the farms under observation. Despite concerns that the 100-meter high turbines might disturb birds due to noise and the possibility of collision, it seems that the birds have adjusted to these turbines without so much as batting an eye-lid. They certainly seemed to have no impact on the distribution of a variety of birds, including skylarks, game birds, crows and seed-eaters. Pretty much the only birds that seemed to have been disturbed by the environmentally-friendly power source were common pheasants, which are not very manoeuvrable. In addition to this discovery, it was found that five red-listed species were living comfortably around the turbines, namely the tree sparrow, the corn bunting, the yellowhammer, the skylark and the common reed bunting.

According to Dr Mark Whittingham of Newcastle University, previous studies of this sort had focused mainly on geese, waders and birds of prey – species which are mainly found in coastal and upland areas. The new research shows that the wind tunnels are unlikely to have a very detrimental effect on farmland birds. This is good news for researchers since it likely means that the UK can not only meet renewable energy targets, but that schemes to boost the wildlife on farmlands in the area will not be at risk. While the research did not consider all the variables, it does seem that for the most part, the turbines just don’t really affect small farmland birds. In fact, they pose much more of a threat to bats, which often haemorrhage when they are exposed to the drop in pressure near the blades. This hopefully wont pose too much of a problem if wind farms are positioned in areas that are not too near to places with high concentrations of bats.

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In a research project which shatters the long held belief that the ability of self-recognition was restricted to select primates, it has been discovered that Magpies also have this ability. This discovery brings another long held belief into question with regard to which part of the brain is used in the function of self-recognition. Strong evidence has indicated that it is the neocortex which comes into play in this function, but magpies do not even possess a neocortex.

The results of hundreds of tests by different research institutions over a number of years led researchers to the conclusion that, apart from humans, only four species of apes, bottlenose dolphins and Asian elephants were able to recognize themselves. As humans, we develop the ability to recognize ourselves in a mirror at around eighteen months of age. This is also the age when humans start displaying and developing social behavioural skills.It has been found that the most reliable method of testing for self-awareness is by means of a “mirror mark test”. A mark of some sort is placed on the animal being tested in such a way that it is only able to see the mark when it looks at its reflection in a mirror. This is the method which was used on the magpies by Helmut Prior and his colleagues at Goethe University in Frankfurt. Using five magpies, the researchers place a red, yellow or black sticker on the necks of the birds in such a way that it would only be seen in a mirror. None of the birds seemed perturbed by the sticker, until they saw themselves in a mirror. The birds with the colored spots scratched at their necks, while the birds which received a black sticker that was not noticeable against their black feathers, did not react upon seeing themselves in the mirror. This is seen as a clear indication that the birds recognized themselves in the mirror.

With regard to whether or not self-recognition is linked to the neocortex, researcher Franz de Waal from the Emory University in Atlanta points out that even if the magpie does not have a neocortex, it does have a large brain. He believes that it is this large brain that allows advanced connectivity and if it had been a different species, such as a sparrow, used in the test, it would not have had the same results. It is well known that Magpies have a penchant for shiny objects, which they steal and hide away. De Waal is of the opinion that it is not far-fetched to believe that this “master thief” has “perspective-taking ability”. This would support the findings which suggest that self-recognition in birds and mammals may be explained by the theory of convergent evolution, where similar evolutionary pressures can result in similar traits or behaviours, but these are reached via different routes.

Certainly, results of ongoing avian research projects continue to prove that there is still plenty to be discovered about the amazing birds that inhabit our beautiful planet.

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Terms such as global warming, carbon footprint and climate change are becoming part of every day vocabulary as people become more aware of the far reaching consequences of mankind’s abuse of the planet. Researchers at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Durham University and Cambridge University have been monitoring the effect of climate change on bird populations in the United Kingdom and have reached some disturbing conclusions.

Researchers have found that birds which favor warmer climates, such as the Cirl Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and Dartford Warbler, are becoming more common across quite a varied range of habitats in Britain as temperatures rise. Although birding enthusiasts in these areas may welcome their new visitors, it is an indication that climate change is affecting birdlife, and not necessarily for the good. In the case of some northern species, this climate change is having a decidedly negative effect which can be seen in the falling numbers of species such as Fieldfare and Redwing, as well as the Slavonian Grebe, a bird whose range traditionally extended its southern margins as far as Scotland.

Researchers examined population trends of 42 bird species in relation to climate changes over a period of twenty-five years and their findings confirmed what they had suspected – the changes in climate over the past twenty years has had a profound effect on birdlife. Professor Brian Huntley from Durham University’s Institute of Ecosystem Science says that, taking into account that the U.K. is in the middle latitudes of Europe, researchers involved in this project expected that the ongoing climatic warming would favor bird species from the south of Europe, while adversely affecting northern bird species and the results of the research confirmed this. Professor Huntley has used the results of the research to assist him in compiling “A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds”, which points to potential changes in distribution of Europe’s regularly occurring nesting birds and confirms that urgent action needs to be taken to minimize climatic change in order to avoid catastrophic impacts on birds.

With a lot of attention being focused on governments to resolve these environment-altering issues, hopefully something will be done before it is too late for many of the little feathered creatures that share our planet.

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A recent study conducted by researchers from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the University of Illinois has resulted in statistical data to prove that during their nocturnal migration birds fly together in loose flocks. This is the first conclusive data that confirms what many ornithologists and bird-watchers have suspected for some time.

Researchers have spent decades attempting to unlock the mysteries of the nocturnal migration of birds. Considering the size of a bird and the altitude at which it flies, together with the fact that it is nighttime, this has proven to be very difficult. Previous studies have indicated that, although migrating birds may have been flying tens of meters apart, they nonetheless stayed together by flying at the same speed and at approximately the same altitude. However, these studies have not provided convincing proof to support this assertion. Even if a study could establish that the birds were in fact traveling together, there was no way of knowing if this flight pattern was intentional.

The new research project, which has been conducted by professor of animal biology, Ronald Larkin together with Robert Szafoni, analyzed bird-flight data which had been collected by Larkin by means of a low-power-density tracking radar during the 70s and 80s. This radar works by pointing a narrow cone, referred to as a “pencil-beam”, at any target within range. The target, in this case a bird, appears as an echo on the radar screen. With a flip of a switch, the radar locks on the target and tracks it while recording data with regard to the target’s distance from the radar, as well as its altitude and direction of flight. Moreover, the radar provides data which can be used to calculate the frequency of the target bird’s wing beats.

Once the radar has locked onto a bird and is tracking its flight, if another bird appeared in the radar’s beam, the radar operator could switch back and forth between the two birds and thereby track the flight details of both birds simultaneously. Upon analyzing dozens of sets of data, researchers came to the conclusion that a significant number of tracked birds were flying at the same speed, same altitude and in the same direction, even though some of the pairs were more than 200 meters apart.

Ongoing research continues to reveal that birds are fascinating creatures with astounding abilities – and no doubt bird-lovers everywhere agree.

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A recent study of bird genetics has researchers startled with surprising new findings. After completing the largest study of bird genetics ever undertaken, U.S. researchers are discovering that a number of birds are not as closely related to similar bird species as was previously thought.

While a lot of the findings are based on the theory of evolution, there is just no disputing the genetic facts. Bird lovers will be shocked to find that despite appearances, falcons are not very closely related to hawks and eagles. Drab and nocturnal nightjars seem to have a very close link to diurnal, colorful hummingbirds while parrots are strikingly similar to songbirds. Previously all assumptions about animal familial groups were made based mainly on appearances but also on activities, breeding habits and diet. Now it would seem that appearances have been truly deceiving and the new findings may even result in a number of field guides being altered in the near future.

The study, which was conducted by Sushma Reddy from the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, involved studying the genetic sequences of approximately 169 bird species in an attempt to better establish the which bird families belong where on the bird family tree. What he and his team of researchers discovered was that birds that often look very different are actually genetically very similar, while birds that may seem to be closely related may have little or no relation at all. It has taken more than five years to gather the information needed for the research – a task undertaken by the Early Bird Assembling the Tree-of-Life Research Project – and DNA from all major living bird groups was taken to create a complete, overall assessment. The research required for such a massive undertaking is the equivalent of a small genome project and the findings were published in Science on June 27 to make them more accessible to other researchers and biologists.

The new findings will finally put to rest disputes regarding the correct classification of avians, but at the same time it has thrown biologists and ornithologists into a whirlpool of confusion and controversy. At any rate, the results of the study will no doubt require that dozens of bird books, biology textbooks and field guides will have to be corrected.

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Ongoing ornithological research continues to confirm what keen bird-watchers have suspected all along – their feathered friends are highly intelligent and adaptive, with an amazing array of communication skills. A new study conducted by researchers at Queen’s University in Washington has revealed that migrating songbirds rely on the behavior of local resident birds to assist them in avoiding predators during migration.

Migrating birds face many potentially dangerous situations during their annual journey and sadly, many don’t make it. Avoiding predators when flying through unfamiliar territory would substantially increase a bird’s chances of arriving at its destination safely. However, to be in a position to avoid predators, a migrating bird needs to be able to establish exactly what its predators are. This is where the behavior of the local bird population proves invaluable.

The Queen’s University research project involved testing whether migratory songbirds note, and respond to, the anti-predator behavior of local birds. A common method of chasing off predators is known as “mobbing”. Once a potential predator has been identified, a number of birds will approach and rapidly change their positions around its location, while at the same time flapping their wings, twitching their tails and emitting load alarmed calls.

Recognizing that migratory birds seldom participate in mobs, researchers wanted to establish if they gain information with regard to the location, identity and degree of threat of a predator by listening to mobbing calls of local bird species. A test was carried out on birds migrating between Canada and Belize, whereby researchers broadcast playbacks of the alarm calls of the black-capped chickadee which is common in North America and therefore familiar, as well as the blue-gray tanager which is common in Central America and therefore unfamiliar to the migrating birds.

The results of this test showed that birds resident in Belize responded only to the tanager calls, whereas migrant birds responded to the tanager and chickadee calls. Queen’s University biology professor Dr. Laurene Ratcliffe, said that the results of the test present the first evidence that migrating birds take note of the anti-predator behavior of local birds during migration, and use this information to their advantage.

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