10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2015

That’s the finding of researchers from the University of Sheffield in the UK, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (If By studying Zebra Finches and domestic chickens, the scientists discovered that multiple sperm appear necessary for a fertilized egg to progress to the embryo stage (a process called “polyspermy”.)

Zebras 145

Zebras Pythons Mammals Eggs 145

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

The breeding ecology of the Yellow-bellied Warbler was actually studied exactly here at Nonggang in 2019 by 3 Chinese researchers. And of course, on a rather rare occasion for this blog, an almost perfect link to the next bird (my favorite transition is still the Monty Python one: “And now for something completely different”).

China 221

China Birds Pythons Eagles 221

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Of course, it is hard to resist looking at a paper titled “Host personality predicts cuckoo egg rejection in Daurian redstarts” Basically, the personality of a female redstart (bold or shy) predicts the responses to parasitic eggs – bold hosts are more likely to reject parasitic eggs.

Birds 193

Birds China Eggs Owls 193

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2022

Once the egg has been laid, the female is chased away and the males hatch it.” Other research (cited on the rather straightforwardly named website www.genderinclusivebiology.com) found that 80% of gay swan couples successfully fledge their young, compared with only 30% for straight couples.

Birds 201

Birds China Pythons Breeding 201