Birds Content

Black Phoebe Project Aims to Protect Bird Species from Urban Sprawl

Amy M Quinton — August 19, 2024 - 12:26am

A tiny songbird called the black phoebe is trying to adapt to city life – and it’s not an easy job. They didn’t naturally evolve in the city, and they face different threats than they might in their natural habitat. Black phoebes may encounter tougher predators, more chemical pollution and hotter temperatures in the city.

Heat Waves Harm Bird Reproduction on Agricultural Lands

Tiffany Dobbyn — October 19, 2023 - 11:00am

Extreme heat diminishes bird reproductive success in agricultural landscapes more so than in forests, a ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis study found.

Efforts Intensify To Assist Avian Botulism-Affected Birds At Tulare Lake

Katherine E Kerlin — September 09, 2023 - 9:27am

The ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis-managed Oiled Wildlife Care Network responds with CDFW and partners to birds affected by avian botulism at Tulare Lake in California.

Deforestation Limits Nesting Habitat for Cavity-Nesting Birds

Katherine E Kerlin — August 23, 2023 - 1:18pm

A ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis study of cavity-nesting birds in Ecuador shows the influence of deforestation on their habitat and reproductive success. Nest boxes could help.

Owl or Nothing: Learning 300 Birds in 10 Weeks

Katherine E Kerlin — February 08, 2023 - 2:08pm

A self-described "plant girl" takes a birding class at ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis, learns 300 birds in 10 weeks, and gains a deeper appreciation of the natural world.

Climate Change Presents a Mismatch for Songbirds’ Breeding Season

Katherine E Kerlin — January 17, 2023 - 6:59am

Climate change presents a mismatch for some breeding songbirds, finds ��ϲ��Ͽ� Davis study drawing from a decade of data from our Nestbox Highway project.

Engineers Study Bird Flight

Andy Fell — September 06, 2022 - 2:02pm

With a combination of wind tunnel studies and modeling of inertial forces, aerospace engineer Christina Harvey shows how gulls maintain stable, controllable flight with wrist movements.

Bringing Out the Best in Wild Birds on Farms

Katherine E Kerlin — February 23, 2022 - 11:38am

A supportive environment can bring out the best in an individual — even for a bird.

After an E.coli outbreak in 2006 devastated the spinach industry, farmers were pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry — from visiting crops. A study published today from the University of California, Davis, shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.

Researchers Pinpoint Which Bird Species Pose Food Safety Risk to Crops

Katherine E Kerlin — January 05, 2022 - 9:00am

Concerns over foodborne risk from birds may not be as severe as once thought by produce farmers, according to research from the University of California, Davis, that found low instances of E. coli and Salmonella prevalence.

Deforestation and Climate Change Threaten the Most Beloved Wild Birds

Katherine E Kerlin — October 07, 2020 - 9:00am

Deforestation and a drying climate threaten the bird species that people value most, according to a recent study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of British Columbia.