Zebra finches don’t just mimic sounds—they understand them, revealing surprising insights into animal communication and cognition.

The lovable Star Wars droid is helping to shed light on why some bird species are better at mimicking sounds than others ...

They’re ready for Birdland. Humans aren’t the only ones who draw musical inspiration from drugs. According to new research, starlings dosed with small amounts of fentanyl belt out “gregarious” songs ...

Imagine being able to watch musical notes flying through the air as your favorite relaxing song plays gently through the breeze. In a sense, scientists are one step closer to being able to make ...

For decades, scientists have known that only a few groups of birds—songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds—can learn to produce ...

As a newcomer, should you first learn by looking for birds or listening for them? "You can choose which aspects of observing birds brings you the most joy," says Ken Elkins, community conservation ...

Invasive parasites in the Galápagos Islands may leave some Darwin’s tree finches singing the blues. The nonnative Philornis downsi fly infests the birds’ nests and lays its eggs there. Fly larvae ...

The muscles of the syrinx control the details of song production; birds with more elaborate system of vocal muscles produce more complex songs. But unlike our soundbox, which is situated at the top of ...