Migrating birds chill at stopovers to save energySeptember 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have suggested that migrating birds drop their body temperature at night during stopovers to save energy and build up their reserves faster. Scientists Michal Wojciechowski and Berry Pinshow carried out the research.
CAT scans show extinct eagle in New Zealand may have eaten humans, researchers saySeptember 11th, 2009 Extinct New Zealand eagle may have eaten humansBANGKOK — Sophisticated computer scans of fossils have helped solve a mystery over the nature of a giant, ancient raptor known as the Haast's eagle which became extinct about 500 years ago, researchers said Friday. The researchers say they have determined that the eagle — which lived in the mountains of New Zealand and weighed about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) — was a predator and not a mere scavenger as many thought.
Arctic oil rigs help predators prey on nesting birdsSeptember 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Developing oil rigs in the Arctic is helping predators prey on nesting birds by providing them with subsidised housing. They nest and den around drilling infrastructure and supplement their diets with garbage and nesting birds, says a new study by Wildlife Conservation Society, US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Song birds have to deal with cover artists tooSeptember 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Just like great singers among humans, birds too have to deal with cover artists who copy songs. A new research has revealed that some bird species have evolved to sing the same tune as their rivals, in order to compete effectively.
Bats sing love ballads while matingAugust 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - It's not just humans who sing love ballads to woo their partners, for bats too sing when they indulge in sex, according to a new study. Researchers at Texas A and M University and the University of Texas at Austin are believed to be the first to decode the mysterious love sounds made by the winged creatures.
How humans can help save critically endangered waterbird from extinctionJuly 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Humans can help in saving the world's most threatened bird species, called the white-shouldered ibis or waterbirds, from extinction, according to new findings by the University of East Anglia (UEA). The study by UEA conservation experts explores the exact reasons behind the decline of the critically endangered white-shouldered ibis.
Why do dogs 'love' barkingJuly 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Why do dogs bark so much? Well, the answer to the question dates back to 10,000 years ago, when they used to hang around human food refuse dumps, say researchers. Many animals besides dogs bark, according evolutionary biologist Kathryn Lord from University of Massachusetts Amherst, but domestic dogs vocalize in this way much more than birds, deer, monkeys and other wild animals that use barks.
Birds too can build fireproof homesJuly 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Its not just humans, birds can also build fireproof homes, say Japanese researchers at Kyushu University in Fukuoka. To woo females, male great bowerbirds of northern Australia build bowers that are not only attractive, but also fire resistant.
Homing pigeons' inbuilt 'satnav' that uses Earth's magnetic field helps them return homeJune 24th, 2009 LONDON - Homing pigeons have fascinated humans for many years through their uncanny ability to find their way home from thousands of miles away. Now, researchers claim to have found the reason behind it.
Darwin's belief that animals don't pick their mates by pure chance is correct, says expertJune 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - About 150 years after Charles Darwin wrote defined 'mate selection' among animals as a deliberate process involving numerous factors, a Texas A and M University biologist has lent support to his beliefs that the choice of mates and sexual selection are beyond mere chance. Adam Jones, who has studied Darwin's work for years, says that the English naturalist's work has withstood decades of analysis and scrutiny.
Birds sing well even when exposed to bad tutorsMay 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by German researchers has revealed that male canaries sing well even when they are exposed to tutors lacking basic features of the song of their species. The learning of birdsong is similar to speech learning in humans.
Even bad tutors can's make birds sing badlyMay 28th, 2009 LONDON - Male canaries sing well even when they are exposed to tutors lacking basic features of the song of their species. The learning of birdsong resembles speech learning in humans.
Humans 'ate' Neanderthals to extinction, says fossil expertMay 17th, 2009 LONDON - Modern humans were responsible for butchering Neanderthals in the Stone Age, says a leading fossil expert. The controversial comment follows publication of a study in the Journal of Anthropological Sciences about a Neanderthal jawbone apparently butchered by modern humans.
How 'non-jobs' on public payroll are soaking up Brit taxpayers' moneyApril 19th, 2009 LONDON - A 23,000-pound-a-year composting supervisor, a toothbrush adviser for infants and a ceremonial sword bearer - these are some of the pointless jobs because of which British councils have come under fire. Obtained under freedom of information legislation, an audit of local government positions reveals jobs that are far removed from the core remit of councils and appear to be of questionable value.
Ronnie Wood 'soaks up Hawaii sun' with 41-year junior Russian loverMarch 29th, 2009 LONDON - Rolling Stone's Ronnie Wood was spotted soaking up the Hawaii sun with his 41-year junior Russian girlfriend. The 61-year-old was seen smouldering toy girl Ekaterina Ivanova, who was said to have caught the attention of many others at the beach with her tiny bikini.
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