Birds

Find out everything there is to know about birds and stay updated on the latest bird research with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and bird pictures at LiveScience.com Learn more about these fascinating creatures as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about birds.
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Latest about Birds

Scientists changed scales on chicken feet to feathers by tweaking a single gene
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
By targeting a single gene, scientists successfully turned chickens’ feet from scaly to feathery.

Scientists discovered a 2,200-year-old condor poop pile in the Andes. Here's what it told them.
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Scientists dug into a 2,200-year-old pile of Andean condor poop to study the species’ diet and changes in habitat.

Taxidermy birds are being turned into drones
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Scientists are turning dead birds into drones to study aerodynamics.

6 incredible egg facts, just in time for Easter
By Laura Geggel published
Bird eggs are so diverse, so which are the largest and smallest, and how do they get their colors?

Do birds pee?
By Hannah Loss published
Birds do produce urine, but it doesn't come out the same way it does in humans. How birds pee may be an evolutionary adaptation that benefits flight.

Cockatoos join humans and chimps as only species that can use a set of tools
By Harry Baker published
In a series of new experiments, Goffin's cockatoos were able to use a set of different tools to complete complex tasks. The brainy birds can decide which gadget works best and carry their varied equipment around with them.

Largest penguin ever discovered weighed a whopping 340 pounds, fossils reveal
By Harry Baker published
Researchers in New Zealand have unearthed fossils from two previously unknown ancient penguin species. One of the new species is the largest penguin ever discovered.

Hidden, never-before-seen penguin colony spotted from space
By Tom Metcalfe published
Satellite photos showing poop stains in the West Antarctic snow and ice have revealed a previously unknown breeding colony of emperor penguins.
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