Starling population crashes across Europe

New figures show that 40 million Starlings have disappeared from the European Union, including Britain, since 1980.

The news comes on top of the figures suggesting that 300 million famland birds have been lost from Europe over the same period. The crash is triggering concern about the bird’s future status as a widespread and familiar species, and in Britain, the RSPB has launched a research project to see why this bird’s population is in freefall here, too. In 2002 Starling was added to Britain's ‘red list’ of Birds of Conservation Concern, because its population had halved during the previous three decades.

Lees meer: Birdwatch Magazine

Songbirds Migrate On Strict Schedule

A new study by York University researchers finds that songbirds follow a strict annual schedule when migrating to their breeding grounds -- with some birds departing on precisely the same date each year.

The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, is the first to track the migration routes and timing of individual songbirds over multiple years. Researchers outfitted wood thrushes with tiny geolocator "backpacks," recording data on their movements.

Spring departure dates of birds heading from the tropics to North American breeding grounds were surprisingly consistent, with a mean difference of only three days from year to year, the study reports. Fall migration, however, was far less predictable. Males on average flew faster than females, and first-timers lagged behind those with more than one journey under their wings.

Lees meer: ScienceDaily

Arctic birds: Rock ptarmigans stay fit when fat

Experiments using miniature treadmills have revealed how an Arctic-dwelling bird is superbly adapted for life in extreme conditions.

The rock ptarmigan - a chicken-like bird that lives year-round on the Arctic ice and tundra - is just as fit when it has fattened up for the winter.

The birds, also known as snow chickens, can double in weight.

Scientists presented the results at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual conference in Salzburg, Austria.

Lees meer: BBC Nature