Posted on 24. January, 2012.
The first international conference to focus on the many aspects of nest construction and function in birds will take place in Lincoln in September 2012. Organised by Charles Deeming, Editor in Chief of Avian Biology Research, the conference will form the basis of a future special issue.
Posted on 23. December, 2011.
Modern reptiles invariably have white eggs. But the evolution of birds has led to a spectacular array of coloured and patterned eggshells. Avian Biology Research looks at what role these colours play in the reproductive biology of birds.
Posted on 10. October, 2011.
Dr Anna Wilkinson, editor of Avian Biology Research and our expert in animal behaviour, has been awarded the Physiology Prize at this year’s IG Nobel awards for the study No Evidence of Contagious Yawning in the Red-Footed Tortoise. The awards, which were presented at Harvard University, USA, honour scientific achievements that: ‘first make people laugh, and then make them think’.
Posted on 4. October, 2011.
The 2011 Incubation and Fertility Research Group {WPSA Working Group 6 (Reproduction)} conference saw speakers from all over the world discussing aspects of incubation and fertility in a variety of avian species.
Posted on 13. September, 2011.
In both economic and epidemiological terms, the practice of culling on farms within a radius of 1 to 3 km of infected farms is the best method of combating Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) according to a recent study by the Netherlands-based research group Wageningen UR.
Posted on 13. September, 2011.
When faced with environmental threats like bad weather, predators or oil spills, wild birds secrete a hormone called corticosterone. Traditionally, researchers have analysed blood samples to detect corticosterone levels in wild birds.
Posted on 13. September, 2011.
Adventurous female zebra finches choose mates with similar personalities, regardless of the male's appearance and other assets, according to new research led by the University of Exeter and published in the journal Ethology. This is the first study to show that the non-sexual behaviour or personalities of both mates influences partner choice in non-humans.
Posted on 13. September, 2011.
While bird colouration appears to humans to be so extraordinarily diverse, a new study published online in Behavioral Ecology reports that bird plumages exhibit only a small fraction (less than a third) of the possible colours birds can observe. Early lineages of living birds probably produced an even smaller range of colours, but the evolution of innovative pigments and structural (or optical) colours has allowed many birds to create more diverse and colourful plumages over time.
Posted on 13. September, 2011.
Namibian Poultry Industries, which began construction in April of a multi-million dollar poultry facility, aims to produce 250,000 chickens per week, enough to “serve the whole Namibian market” once it reaches full production in mid-2012, according to the Namibian.
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