A scrawny, juvenile, red-bellied woodpecker perching on a tree had a dull gray head instead of an adult’s bright red mane from the crown to the back of the neck. The youngster was pecking on a suet ...

Animals possess a variety of well-documented defenses against ectoparasites, including morphological, behavioral, and immune responses. Another possible defense that has received relatively little ...

Explore the colors of songbird migration in a photo essay that displays the ways distance and timing affect plumage. In late summer and autumn, millions of birds fly above our heads, often at night, ...

This time of year is especially challenging for bird identification because we have individuals in various types of unfamiliar plumage. Young birds are out in either their “juvenile” or “immature” ...

Scientists have studied the migratory behavior of thin-billed prions and discovered that the animals spend their molting season in two areas that are at a considerable distance from each other. Thus, ...

Other than covering up their naked bodies, what are a bird’s feathers for? Feathers are responsible for more than just a bird’s ability to fly, they provide weather protection. Feathers make a bird ...

Fossilized feathers of an extinct bird show it molted differently than modern birds. The prehistoric bird lost its feathers all at once, while many modern birds molt in waves. Regrowing feathers uses ...

"Molt," said my friend Ashley, "sounds dull." .We were talking about this column, and my effort to make bird molt interesting. "Molt doesn't sound interesting," she said. "Well, you don't know ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. GrrlScientist writes about evolution, ecology, behavior and health. Summer is a busy time for birds. The adults must help their ...

Two fossils of juvenile feathered dinosaurs found in China suggest that their feathers changed dramatically over their lifetimes, just as those of birds do. This artist's drawing of the two ...

IN a recent publication, Dr. Lowe 1 has described the peculiar moulting of penguins as due to new feathers pushing out their predecessors in rather widespread areas, and regards this as a unique ...

A new study shows that when feather replacement and parental care overlap in time, migratory songbirds make a striking trade-off; they desert their offspring, leaving their mates to provide all ...