News Feature Channel: Birds

Bronx Zoo Uses Innovative Technique to Hand-Raise a King Vulture Chick with a Puppet

Wildlife Conservation Society — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:50:49 EST

A king vulture chick at the Bronx Zoo is being hand-raised using a technique developed more than 40 years ago which helps prevent the young bird from imprinting on humans.

Researchers Use SLAC's Synchrotron to Monitor How One Protein's Evolution Could Affect Transmission of Avian Flu to and Between Humans

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:50:32 EST

Since the first recorded case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 - commonly known as avian flu or bird flu - in 1996, Ian Wilson, professor of structural biology at Scripps Research, and his colleagues have been closely tracking the evolution of several key proteins using SSRL. Recently, Wilson's team investigated the evolution of a protein that plays a crucial role in H5N1's ability to transmit between species. Their analysis found that the protein is susceptible to a mutation that could help the virus attach to human cells, potentially increasing the risk of human transmission. The findings - published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - underscore the need for ongoing monitoring of H5N1's evolution.

Probiotics Derived From People Show Promise in Poultry

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:30:52 EST

Beneficial bacteria could enhance chickens' health and reduce infection risk

New Study Finds Research Bias in the World of Fancy Birds

Cornell College — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:00:19 EST

In the newly published study, "Six-decade research bias towards fancy and familiar bird species," a team of researchers studied nearly 300 North American species of passerines and near-passerines.

Pinning Down the Process of West Nile Virus Transmission

Ohio State University — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:45:07 EST

A federally funded project analyzing temperature, light pollution, and bird and mosquito abundance aims to pin down how these and other factors affect West Nile virus transmission. The ultimate goal is to advise health departments of the best time of year to kill mosquitoes that transmit the virus.

How Big Brains and Flexible Skulls Led to the Evolution of Modern Birds

University of Chicago Medical Center — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:15:37 EST

3D modeling shows how larger brains triggered changes in jaw muscles and joint mechanics that powered a flexible feeding system for modern birds.

How Concerned Should We Be About H5N1 Bird Flu?

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 20:50:29 EST

BGSU Researchers Make First-of-Its-Kind Discovery Into Hummingbird Behavior, Lives

Bowling Green State University — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:45:34 EST

Hummingbirds are often highly aggressive and territorial, but in the tough terrains of the Andes Mountains, BGSU researchers found a species is living cohesively with its peers

Virologist: These Steps Can Halt the Spread of Bird Flu and 'Prevent a Human Epidemic'

Tulane University — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:35:33 EST

In a recent commentary published in Nature Medicine, Tulane University virologist Bob Garry outlined the steps he sees as essential to preventing H5N1 from developing human-to-human transmission - and what strategies should be employed if the virus is able to evolve into a greater threat.

Big birds like emus are technical innovators, according to University of Bristol researchers

University of Bristol — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:00:00 EST

Large birds - our closest relations to dinosaurs - are capable of technical innovation, by solving a physical task to gain access to food.

A New Variant, Asymptomatic Infections: Why an Expert Says the Bird Flu May Be 'Difficult to Contain'

Tulane University — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 EST

Mercury Monitoring in Equatorial Guinea

Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 16:35:55 EST

In collaboration with the Biodiversity Initiative, BRI biologists are conducting mercury sampling in the small Central African country of Equatorial Guinea. The team is conducting some of the first dedicated sampling of birds to assess mercury exposure in Central Africa.

Bird Flu Threat Sparks NYC Market Shutdown: Hackensack Meridian Health Researchers Tracking The Virus, With Unique Testing

Hackensack Meridian Health — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:20:58 EST

Bird Flu Basics From a Rutgers Health Infectious Disease Expert

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:45:11 EST

The disease is decimating bird populations and spreading into mammals, but human infections remain rare.

Fossil discovery in the Geiseltal Collection: researchers identify unique bird skull

Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:30:05 EST

An international team of researchers reports on unique bird skull in "Palaeontologia Electronica". The flightless bird called Diatryma roamed the Geiseltal region in southern Saxony-Anhalt in Germany around 45 million years ago. The only other place that a similar skull fossil has been found is the USA.

Virginia Cooperative Extension Offers Guidance to Poultry Owners Following Highly Contagious Avian Flu Outbreak in Virginia

Virginia Tech — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:50:35 EST

Following the recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Accomack County, Virginia, poultry owners are being urged to take action to protect their flocks. Virginia Cooperative Extension is joining the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in offering guidance to help prevent the spread of the virus in Virginia.

Songbirds Socialize on the Wing During Migration, New Study Says

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:00:00 EST

Evidence from over 18,300 hours of recorded flight calls suggests songbirds may "talk" to other species as they migrate, forming social connections and -- just maybe -- exchanging information about the journey.

FSU Experts Available for Comment on Economic and Medical Aspects of H5N1 Bird Flu

Florida State University — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:25:17 EST

The price of eggs is often an inflationary barometer. The H5N1 bird flu has caused those prices to soar.Egg shortages due to H5N1 bird flu have created record-breaking daily price increases. The latest avian influenza has slashed U.S. egg production by 5%, according to Karyn Rispoli, managing editor of Urner Barry's Egg Division.

Why Do Birds Make So Many Different Sounds? A New UW-Madison Study Gets at the Underlying Factors

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:40:10 EST

Birds make sounds to communicate, whether to find a potential mate, ward off predators, or just sing for pleasure. But the conditions that contribute to the immense diversity of the sounds they make are not well understood. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have conducted the first-ever global study of the factors that influence bird sounds, using more than 100,000 audio recordings from around the world.

First U.S. H5N1-Related Human Death: Johns Hopkins Experts Available

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:50:44 EST