The night parrot rangers
We interview the Martu rangers who recently caught a glimpse of the night parrot.
A few weeks ago, a group of Martu rangers working with Indigenous organisation Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa caught sight of t...
Birds
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Video
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Bruce the beakless kea uses tools to spruce himself up
Scientists have observed a disabled kea using tools to help look after himself.
In a world-first, researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand have observed a disabled kea use tools f...
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After 10,000 years of inbreeding, the kākāpō is hanging on
Genetic study of the critically endangered kākāpō shows some hope for survival.
The kākāpō (Strigops habroptila), the world’s heaviest and arguably dumbest parrot, doesn’t seem to suffer from a his...
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Animals are 'shapeshifting' because of climate change
Animals around the planet are adapting to climate change in ways that are measurable, remarkable ...
Some warm-blooded animals are “shapeshifting” in response to a warming climate, growing larger legs, beaks and ears a...
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Video
Wired for sound: The observatory that’s always listening
The Australian Acoustic Observatory (A2O) proves you don’t have to be there to get the data.
The Australian Acoustic Observatory (A2O) is a continental-scale acoustic sensor network, designed to collect data ov...
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How young do baby birds recognise family?
Straight from the heart … inside the egg.
The small ground finch on Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Credit: D. Colombelli-Négrel, Flinders University When...
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“You bloody fool!” The musk duck that learnt to swear
Listen to recordings of a duck that picked up some choice phrases from its keepers.
A small number of animals, particularly birds, can learn to mimic other animals – including humans. The Australian mu...
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A glimpse of the night parrot in the Great Sandy Desert
Rangers in Martu country snap a rare picture of the rare bird.
This century, fewer than 30 people have seen the night parrot alive. The bird is notoriously difficult to spot, but a...
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Giant centipedes devour thousands of seabird chicks every year
Foot-long centipedes are the apex predators on a South Pacific Island.
Hot on the heels of revelations about murderous tortoises comes a new study about equally deadly centipedes that hunt...
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More to learn about evolution from Galápagos finches
An invasive parasite is demonstrating natural selection in action.
Finches on the Galápagos Islands have become famous because of the subtle variations in species between islands. Thes...
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Some birds use illusion to escape
Research reveals our birds’ burst of colour bamboozles predators
A good magician knows the secret of a quick getaway – create an illusion! And it seems like some Australian birds are...
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What you may have missed…
Baby pterosaurs soaring, Venusian weather, crafty crows and more – here’s what went on in last we...
Baby pterosaurs fly the nest Infant pterosaurs may have taken to the air as soon as they cracked out of the egg, a...