Birds

February 10, 2021

Wildlife Photographer Reveals How Elegant Birds Look a Lot Sillier From the Front

The simple shift of a camera can make a portrait look completely different—especially when it comes to our feathered friends. We're used to seeing birds photographed from a profile or three-quarter view that highlights their glorious beaks. But as photographer Ruurd Jelle van der Leij shows in his series Frontals, capturing birds from a straight-on vantage point significantly alters how they appear—and it just might make you laugh.

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December 29, 2020

This African Gray Parrot Is the First Animal To Ever Ask an Existential Question

Have you ever heard of Alex the African gray parrot? This revolutionary bird was the colleague and test subject of Dr. Irene Pepperberg for 30 years during her research into animal psychology—particularly that of birds. Before she began her studies with Alex, birds weren’t considered to be intelligent animals (on account of their walnut-sized brains). In fact, the term “bird brain” was often used as an insult for stupidity. However, Dr.

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November 4, 2020

This Hi-Tech Bird Feeder Lets Clever Magpies Exchange Bottle Caps for Food

You might not realize it, but birds are very intelligent creatures. Crows, for instance, can recognize human faces. Magpies, a relative of crows, are also known for their smarts as well as their affinity for picking up objects and finagling with things like locks. Artificial intelligence researcher Hans Forsberg noticed these clever creatures around his neighborhood and was able to train them to trade in pieces of litter for food.

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My Modern Met

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