A Laysan albatross named Wisdom has hatched what could be her 40th chick, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, an impressive feat at her ripe age of at least 65. Baby Kūkini, which is Hawaiian for “messenger,” was spotted cracking out of its shell on February 1 while under the care of its father, known simply as “Gooo,” a name that reflects the number 6,000 on the identification band around his leg. Gooo served on incubation duty for more...

(Photo: Ed Dunens)Witnesses in Australia have seen black kites and brown falcons carrying burning twigs to dry areas, then dropping them, spreading wildfires in the Australian bush.

The cuddly science behind the heat-seeking tendencies of felines.

The secretary bird kicks snakes to death with a strike that packs five times the bird's own weight in a fraction of a second, scientists say.

There’s a lot more going on in that sleepy little pond than you might think.

With the important role they play in ecosystems, the disappearance of vultures has dire consequences.

This is not a philosophical riddle. Despite their highly variable appearance, dogs can recognize each other by sight alone. By Julie Hecht.

These adorable rodents form intense lifelong bonds, but that doesn’t mean they never cheat.

Toothy diving birds might have clustered like penguins along an ancient sea.

Most of the dams mapped 150 years ago are still there, a credit to beavers' craftsmanship.

The ever-shifting huddles are as much about regulating heat as battling the cold.

Grab your binoculars and help scientists study birds populations in the world's longest-running citizen science survey.

While birds and humans sound differently when singing, the exact same mechanisms are at play and evolved separately in their vocal production. They both also learn to speak and sing through vocal imitation learning.

The chiton is a marine mollusk built like a tiny tank can see with eyes made of the same material as its armor.

“There is a thin, semantic line separating weird and beautiful. And that line is covered in jellyfish.” By Rachel Feltman.

Using high-speed cameras, scientists glimpse songbirds doing a rapid-fire dance that is invisible to the naked eye.

Birds exhibit some of the most spectacular courtship rituals in the animal kingdom. Here's a sampling of the odd, the graceful, the awkward and the impressive.

The little Japanese honeybee and the Japanese giant hornet are the David and Goliath of nature.

This huge gray owl species is the largest, but not in the way you might think.

These wild felines max out the adorable scale. Boasting fluffy ears, big eyes and tiny noses, it's easy to mistake the sand cat for a charming kitten.