UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sophisticated birdsong follows strict grammatical rules, much like human sentences. But what happens when birds can’t hear themselves sing? A new international study of ...

They say that hindsight is 20/20, and though the theory of ecological speciation—which holds that new species emerge in response to ecological changes—seems to hold in retrospect, it has been ...

(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers with Leiden University in The Netherlands has found via experimentation that at least two types of birds are able to learn the rules that define abstract grammatical ...

One rainy morning a week ago, I hear a beautiful bird song that I cannot quite identify. It’s longish, sweet and melodic. From in the bedroom, I glance over at the feeders and there’s the usual ...

Male zebra finches learn their song by imitating conspecifics. To stand out in the crowd, each male develops its own unique song. Because of this individual-specific song, it was long assumed that ...

Invasive parasites in the Galápagos Islands may leave some Darwin’s tree finches singing the blues. The nonnative Philornis downsi fly infests the birds’ nests and lays its eggs there. Fly larvae ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The finches that call Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands home are ...

AMHERST, Mass. – They say that hindsight is 20/20, and though the theory of ecological speciation — which holds that new species emerge in response to ecological changes — seems to hold in retrospect, ...

Parasites are nasty little bastards. The freeloaders survive by siphoning off the vital nutrients our bodies depend on, making us feel tired and sick. But, bizarrely, they can also impact sex. The ...

Scientists have artificially altered the song of young birds by implanting song memories into their brains with light pulses, in a discovery which may lead to developments in the treatment of humans ...