For decades, scientists have known that only a few groups of birds—songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds—can learn to produce new sounds. But a new article in The Quarterly Review of Biology reveals ...

Not all pet birds have the physical or cognitive ability to learn songs, and understanding the difference can help owners set realistic expectations. For example, vocal learning species—including ...

Waking up to the dawn chorus of birds – one of the natural world’s greatest symphonies – is a joy like no other. It is not surprising that bird-watching has become an increasingly popular hobby. A ...

A recent study reveals what many of us who live with companion parrots have long suspected: at least some parrots don’t ...

Some birds—including blue jays—are strong vocal learners that can mimic other birds and make lots of different sounds. Jocelyn Anderson via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 3.0 Birds can make an array of ...

The BirdNET app, a free machine-learning powered tool that can identify over 3,000 birds by sound alone, generates reliable scientific data and makes it easier for people to contribute citizen-science ...

Last month, I wrote about the common names of birds, and the planned changes to some of those names. In the past, I’ve written about the folk names of birds. But there are also the scientific names of ...

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Matthew Medler of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology about the best bird sounds of 2025 from their vast collection of recordings, and why their selections made the list.