Find out how birds fight back against predators of birds in the wild, including alarm calls, swooping, mobbing behaviors, and ...

Val Cunningham regularly answers reader questions about birds and birding. Submit your own questions below. Q:We hear a lot about protecting our pets during heat waves, but I’ve been wondering how ...

Birds don’t sweat in hot weather, but they do keep cool in some ways that we do—afternoon nap, anyone? See more bird tricks ...

How do birds end up with claws on their wings? A Smithsonian bird expert explains this fascinating feature and the surprising ...

Nature lovers will know the scene well. A flurry of birdsong, a shake of a tree and out pops a flock of birds flying away in unison together. But how is it that the quick chatter of song among those ...

The concept of constructing a self-supporting structure made of rods—without the use of nails, ropes, or glue—dates back to Leonardo da Vinci. In the Codex Atlanticus, da Vinci illustrated a design ...

The Futura Team represents the pulse of Futura’s editorial department, bringing together a collective expertise dedicated to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Rather than the work of a single ...

A few weeks ago when I was out cycling with some friends, we saw a few birds who looked like they were sleeping. Someone asked me what they were doing, and I said they were resting or sleeping but I'd ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The sounds of spring are singing across trees and lakes. Some birds are returning to Minnesota as others are just passing through. How do birds know when to migrate? And will our ...

The benefits of sleep are shared across the animal kingdom. Sleep saves energy by slowing down the metabolism and allows animals to avoid high-energy activities. For vertebrates, sleep is an essential ...

Feeding wild birds is a popular hobby globally, but it presents invisible disease risks to the very birds that we are feeding — but there are ways to safeguard their health. Adult male European ...