Urban density strongly correlates with house sparrow health

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) have adapted to urban environments, which are changing and growing faster than ever before. A range of both biotic and abiotic factors—including habitat fragmentation, changing food availability, ...

What makes some creatures more afraid of change than others?

Humans are undoubtedly altering the natural environment. But how wild animals respond to these changes is complex and unclear. In a new study published today, scientists have discovered significant differences in how the ...

Wing shape determines how far birds disperse

Bird dispersal movements are thought to depend on complex demographic and genetic factors. Dr. Santiago Claramunt, Associate Curator of Birds at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Assistant Professor in the Department of ...

Study finds even the common house sparrow is declining

The European House Sparrow has a story to tell about survival in the modern world. In parts of its native range in Europe, House Sparrow numbers are down by nearly 60%. Their fate in the U.S. and Canada is less well known. ...

Study examines attitudes toward non-native birds

A new study from scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology examines public attitudes toward non-native bird species and whether people are willing to manage them to protect native cavity-nesting birds, such as Eastern ...

New study shows birds can learn from others to be more daring

House sparrows can be found on nearly every continent including North America, South America, Africa and Australia, where they are not native but an invasive species. New research into these highly social songbirds reveals ...

Inbreeding detrimental for survival

Biologists have long known that inbreeding can be detrimental. Inbreeding results in less genetic variation, making species more vulnerable if changes occur that require them to adapt.

Victorian efforts to export animals to new worlds failed, mostly

In 1890, a New York bird enthusiast released several dozen starlings in Central Park. No one knows for sure why Eugene Schieffelin set the birds aloft, but he may have been motivated by a sentimental desire to make the American ...

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