Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology received a total of $3.45 million from two separate sources to fund research in migratory patterns of birds, elephants and whales, according to a University press release on Oct. 13.

The Louisville Cardinals may have lost early to the Montana State University Eagles in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, but that is no indicator of the Northern Cardinal’s performance in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “March Migration Madness.” The #2 seeded Northern Cardinal flew all the way into the Feathered Four.

As part of an outreach project, the Lab set up its own March Madness by seeding the top 12 most-visited bird species on their All About Birds online guide, rounding out the Tweet Sixteen with four staff-chosen wild cards. The tournament had its fair share of upsets with the wild card Cedar Waxwing knocking out the #1 seeded favorite Red-Tailed Hawk in the very first round. 

Thousands of bird enthusiasts from around the country participated this past weekend in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count - largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

Although extinct for 65 million years, dinosaurs find themselves deeply imbedded in popular culture. Dinosaurs project strong imagery, along the lines of a Jurassic Park chase scene. Audiences rarely think of dinosaurs with bright feathers.

It’s almost impossible to think of evolution without thinking about birds. Since Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands, where he studied the diversity of island finches, birds have fascinated scientists with their ability to adapt to surroundings.