Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology

Dive in to the exciting world of ornithology and the variety of ways you can engage with birds, from observing birds at your feeder or in your local park, to contributing data to citizen-science projects and designing studies of your own.

Get to know the fascinating variety in the avian world and get up-to-date on how scientists use genetics and other methods to organize the roughly 10,000 recognized bird species into a coherent taxonomy.

Explore the evolutionary patterns that have resulted in the bird species on the planet today. What better way to learn about natural selection, sexual selection, and speciation than through fascinating examples from the world of birds?

Dive in to feather structure, evolution, development, and replacement. You’ll also learn how feathers achieve the vivid colors and patterns we enjoy in birds, and how the birds use them for concealment and communication.

Get familiar with the biomechanics of flight and learn the biology and physics behind one of the most thrilling attributes of birds—their ability to defy gravity.

Learn about the remarkable structural adaptations of birds. From a lightweight skeleton to an unusual respiratory system, birds have evolved a variety of anatomical marvels to help them survive and thrive.

Delve into how birds have evolved the ability to live in nearly every habitat on Earth while regulating their internal environments and maintaining homeostasis.

Learn what birds eat, how they eat it, and why they eat certain things at certain times. These details can help you understand their interactions with other individuals, other species, their environment, and even their evolution.

Explore the the diversity of mating systems in birds. You’ll also learn how birds select mates and the evolutionary underpinnings of mate preferences.

Discover we know about the meaning and function of the songs and calls that birds make. Explore the fascinating process of song learning and the basis for large repertoires and regional dialects.

Learn how birds have evolved different reproductive strategies in a variety of environments as well as why some bird species give their young no parental care, while others care for their offspring until they are ready to fly off on their own.

Explore the many ways birds navigate, look at the experiments that have helped scientists to figure out how birds find their way, and get to know why some species migrate thousands of miles, while others only disperse short distances.

Explore how we study birds by measuring nest success and various factors, such as disease, that limit their success. Find out how and why bird populations change over time and space.

Get familiar with the different ways bird species interact with one another, from predation to brood parasitism. You’ll also learn how some species influence where other species forage, nest, and even where they live.

Explore our historical relationship with birds and where we are now in our scientific efforts to understand and protect them. Come away with helpful and empowering ideas about what you can do for conservation.