article thumbnail

Vagrancy in Birds: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Vagrancy in Birds is organized into two major parts: (1) A detailed, 62-page synthesis of research and theory and (2) “Family Accounts,” 259 pages covering bird families from Struthionidae/Ostriches) to Thraupidae/Tanagers and allies (Clements is the taxonomic authority). other compass senses like the stars?–and

Birds 254
article thumbnail

Pigeons have tiny compasses in their heads

10,000 Birds

One researcher tested British school children to see if they could find their way home by driving them blindfolded, in a bus, out into the country and asking them to point their way home. The same researcher then did the same thing but with big magnets strapped to the children’s heads. Le-Qing Wu and J.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

A Question of Migration

10,000 Birds

Way back when I started what turned out to be my thesis research (on humans), it became important for me to learn about bird migration. I was involved in the study of human movement and navigation on land, and there was a lot of research coming out about bird navigation. 2 PIERSMA, T., PÉREZ-TRIS, J., MOURITSEN, H., Bird Migration.

Research 186
article thumbnail

Licking Clay: the Macaws of Tambopata, Peru

10,000 Birds

UNLESS that is you get yourself down to the internationally-renowned Tambopata Research Centre in southern Peru where literally hundreds of macaws (and other parrots) congregate around a 50 meter high clay bank. The clay consumed at the colpa contains chemicals that bind with these ingested alkaloids thus neutralizing their toxicity.

Peru 254
article thumbnail

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

To the Editor: The recent terrorist attacks on scientists (“ Firebombings at Homes of 2 California Researchers ,” news article, Aug. Compassion for animals cannot be achieved by violence. Respect for animals cannot be coerced by threats. And justice for animals will never be achieved through criminal acts.

article thumbnail

A Problem with Gulls

10,000 Birds

It was very touching to read a comment from Mayr to a more non-scientific article by Liebers & Helbig in a German birdwatching magazine about the Herring Gull not being a ring species, where Mayr applauded them and was happy not only over but beyond the moon about the research. Thanks for visiting!

2011 157
article thumbnail

ACTION ALERT! Tomorrow, MARCH 15, 2011, is the deadline for public.

10,000 Birds

For my new book, due out in 2012 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, I’ve been researching sandhill crane hunting. A Great Backyard Bird Count Miracle Best Bird of the Weekend (Last of January 2011) What is the International Bird Rescue Research Center Anyway? Or These Blasts From The Past What’s In A Name? Thanks for visiting!

2011 238