Q. Do brown-headed cowbirds select the nest of another bird to lay eggs in based on which species raised them as a nestling? In other words, if a cowbird is raised as a chick by a red-winged blackbird ...

Nests are generally thought of as a bird’s home, but it is more appropriate to consider them a nursery for raising baby birds. S.K. Winnicki, a Ph.D. candidate in avian evolutionary ecology at the ...

Brood parasites like the cuckoo lay eggs in other species' nests to avoid parenting duties. Birds like the Asian Koel have evolved eggs that perfectly mimic their host's eggs. Cuckoo and honeyguide ...

One day I saw a collection of eggs from lots of different bird species, and I realized just how many different kind of egg shapes there really are! Here’s what science says about why eggs are ...

Of all the vertebrates on Earth—that is, animals with backbones—birds are the only ones that lay colorful eggs. Scientists are still unsure why, but new research brings us a step closer to finding out ...

Spring is in the air. Birds are singing and beginning to build their nests. It happens every year, like clockwork. But a new study in the Journal of Animal Ecology shows that many species of birds are ...

Egg-collecting enthusiasts in the late 1880s knew the hobby was crucial for understanding the natural world, but likely never imagined that their research would help scientists more than 100 years ...

Spring is in the air. Birds are singing and beginning to build their nests. It happens every year, like clockwork. But a new study in the Journal of Animal Ecology shows that many species of birds are ...