How the Black Skimmer Catches Fish Without Diving
A Black Skimmer glides just above quiet coastal water, its long wings carrying its body only centimeters above the surface. The bird appears almost to be tracing a line across …
bird behavior
Why Bowerbirds Build Elaborate Displays Instead of Nests
On the forest floor in eastern Australia, a male satin bowerbird may spend hours maintaining a structure made from carefully positioned sticks. Around it, he places selected objects—blue feathers, flowers, …
The Bearded Vulture Drops Bones From the Sky — Here’s Why
High above a rocky mountain slope, a bearded vulture circles with something unusual clutched beneath it: a large bone. The bird releases its cargo, the bone crashes against exposed rock, …
How Weaver Birds Engineer Complex Nests — And Why Females Reject So Many
Across Africa and Asia, small birds transform flexible strips of grass into some of the most sophisticated structures built by any animal. Weaver bird nest building involves far more than …
How Shoebills Hunt With Extraordinary Patience
The shoebill hunting behavior is unlike that of almost any other bird. While many predators actively chase prey or constantly search for movement, the shoebill often does the opposite. It …
How Greater Sage-Grouse Perform Their Booming Courtship Displays
The greater sage-grouse courtship display is one of North America’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Before sunrise each spring, male greater sage-grouse gather on open patches of ground known as leks, …