birds

Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) is a lovely native plant that attracts butterflies, bumble bees, and other insects.

Some types of birds prefer ground level water sources also, so even a plant pot saucer can serve during hot days. You don't need feeders during the summer, but water is crucial in times of drought.

A suitable habitat for birds includes predictable water sources, an open area of lawn, some dense shrubs for cover, some tall trees, plants with berries, and nesting places for ground birds.

Ecologists go in search of birds displaced by hurricanes that make landfall along the coastal wetlands of the southern U.S. The abundant plant life there provides homes to birds that wade through brackish waters and nest in these environments.

Everyone might enjoy waking up to birdsong, but not at 4am. So what is making birds start their singing at this less idyllic time?

Today, we're talking about talking, and parrots, which can learn to talk, and is why studying the way parrots vocalize can help scientists better understand the way humans vocalize. If you think about it, bird song and talking have a lot in common.

There is reason to worry about the future of birds in North America. A large team of researchers published a study showing that the bird population of North America has dropped by 29 percent since 1970. That's about three billion fewer birds

Last time on A Moment Of Science we learned about plants that disperse their seeds via zoochory, meaning they've evolved various ways to hitch rides with animals. A particularly interesting case of this latter form of zoochory is mistletoe, the holiday smooching plant.

Humans voluntarily choose some of our actions, but others are automatic. Scientists want to know whether animal behaviors are automatically triggered by environmental situations, or whether animals sometimes choose their behaviors just like humans do.

Male hummers are extremely aggressive. They even stab each other!