It takes a big painting to do justice to the phenomenal history and diversity of birds. It also takes an artistic process that is as much about the science as it is about the aesthetics. Get a behind-the-scenes view of how artist Jane Kim brought all 270 species to life on this ambitious natural history mural in this short film narrated by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Director John Fitzpatrick.
Crows and ravens can be tricky to tell apart by sight, but their voices are much more distinctive. Watch this video for some expert tips on the sounds these two common birds make and what those sounds mean.
American Crows and Common Ravens have a repertoire of sounds beyond their signature “caw” and “kraa” calls. The crow often makes a rattle sound along with its territorial caw and also communicates through other click and bell-like notes. Ravens broadcast their presence through deep, throaty kraa calls. Narrator Kevin J. McGowan, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, uses harmless wing tags to study crows around the Cornell Lab. In this video, he compares the calls of American Crows with those made by Common Ravens.
Why has Hurricane Harvey exacted such devastating flooding on the city of Houston? The city’s mistreatment of its wetlands may be part of the reason, as Watching the Hawks’ Tabetha Wallace explains.
Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals of the land—and it’s no wonder, their bodies are built for speed. While cheetahs can run up to 70 mph on land, peregrine falcons can dive at speed of over 200 mph. That’s faster than a 100 mph sneeze and around the same speed as a Formula One racing car. Peregrines are light in weight, aerodynamically shaped, and have robust respiritary systems; all of which allows them to be the fastest birds of prey, and animals in general. Peregrine falcon numbers took a massive hit during much of the 20th century in North America. They became nearly extinct because of pesticides, specifically DDT. The chemical made the falcon’s—and many other birds — eggshells thinner, preventing the embryos from developing, in addition to poisoning adult falcons. In 1972, DDT was banned and recovery efforts for peregrine falcons began soon after. By 1999, with concerted effort peregrine falcons saw their numbers increase dramatically and were removed the Endangered Species list.
Humans aren’t the only creatures that get frustrated. Squirrels do too. One researcher wants to know, could there be an evolutionary benefit to losing your cool?
Desert Seas narrated by David Attenborough tells the story of how the peninsula of Arabia transformed from an ocean millions of years ago to the desert it is today. The Gulf is now home to a myriad of sea creatures but, just as Arabia was once ocean, a mere 10,000 years ago this expanse of water was a swampy flood plain.
Since it drowned as sea levels rose, the Gulf is now the world’s hottest and saltiest open sea. The Red Sea, on the other hand, is a far older coral-fringed chasm formed as plate tectonics pulled Africa and Arabia apart; its reefs are prowled by huge moray eels and their shrimp entourages.
Splash into the waves that line this desert land and join us as we explore these waters in stunning HD and see what other treasures hide within these mysterious and little-studied seas.
Conceived in the open sea, tiny spaceship-shaped sea urchin larvae search the vast ocean to find a home. After this incredible odyssey, they undergo one of the most remarkable transformations in nature.
“A forest is much more than what you see,” says ecologist Suzanne Simard. Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery — trees talk, often and over vast distances. Learn more about the harmonious yet complicated social lives of trees and prepare to see the natural world with new eyes.
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