Birds

The passenger pigeon was once the most numerous bird in the world, but in just half a century, it had gone extinct.

Delve in to the wonderful world of birds and discover their incredible behaviour through photos from our Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. 

Millions of years before modern birds evolved, their dinosaur ancestors were soaring through the air.

New research has revealed how birds changed from rigid raptors to flexible fowl.

This is the first mainland European bird declared extinct in 500 years.

A remarkable fossil could transform our understanding of how the intelligence of modern birds evolved.

An evolutionary ‘air race’ may have been taking place in forests during the age of dinosaurs.

Every species extinction is bad, but the impacts are worse when we consider the ecosystem functions that are also lost.

It took a controversial conservation tactic to prevent these giant vultures from going extinct. 

Some seabirds might have a ‘sixth sense’ at the end of their beak, new research reveals.

Researchers have proposed changing the common name of the flesh-footed shearwater.

The earliest ancestors of birds looked noticeably different from the creatures familiar to us today, reflecting their dinosaur origins.

We’ve been using guano for more than 1,500 years, but our demand for it has had a devastating impact on the birds that produce it.

Despite their fame, astonishingly little is known about these large, flightless birds.

An unlikely alliance between a nature charity and a railway has created a haven for birdlife in Essex.

Discover the extraordinary diversity of sex and sexual behaviour in nature.

A vast colony of breeding seabirds experienced “unprecedented” mortality.

Increasing urbanisation is putting pressure on many birds. Here are 11 top tips for helping your local feathered friends.

After more than a century of searching, the head of one of the largest ever birds has been found.

From the tallest and the heaviest to giant nests and extra-long toes, discover the world’s record-breaking birds. 

Some of the UK’s most recognisable birds are vanishing before our eyes.

The lesser flamingo is in danger of losing its feeding and breeding grounds.

The positivity and radical power of Flock Together – the UK’s first birdwatching collective for and by people of colour – as told by its members.

What are those milky white splatters – are they pee or poo?

Since 2020, millions of birds have been struck down by avian influenza, but Oceania remains virus free.

It proposes an entirely new group of birds that connects the smallest flying birds to the largest.

The spectacled cormorant went extinct almost 200 years ago – but almost nothing is known about its life.

We now know more about the threats affecting birds than ever before.

The fishing of sandeels in the UK’s portion of the North Sea will be banned from April.

Take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum and explore the astonishing diversity of the natural world.

Seabirds in the Pacific Ocean are eating plastic and feeding it to their chicks.

Variations in the skull shape of vultures have been found to coincide with the preferred method each species uses to feed on a carcass.

The Natural History Museum’s collections are helping scientists to get a handle on how evolution works.

The breeding failure of four emperor penguin colonies is a sign of things to come, researchers have warned.

Cuckoos are being forced into riskier migrations to get ahead of the competition. 

Most of the declining species are farmland birds.

The bird flu pandemic has reached West Africa after being detected in Senegal and The Gambia.

The insects were frozen in time after being caught in amber, revealing rare evidence of how dinosaurs and insects interacted.

Named after a Hindu god, it is hoped that resurrecting the species will focus conservation attention on at-risk habitats.

Bird populations in the UK continue to freefall as the government moves further away from achieving its own targets to protect nature.

Spring is an important time of year for birds to get cracking laying eggs and raising chicks. But first things first they need to build their nests.

Microplastics aren't just affecting large animals, they're also affecting microscopic species too.

The body mass of young shearwaters has deteriorated in just over a decade, with plastic consumption believed to be the most likely cause.

Climate change is thought to be responsible for bringing more extreme weather to the continent, which is exacerbating a long term decline in nest numbers.

An outbreak of bird flu has swept the world over the past year, raising fears that humans could become more vulnerable.

The simple act of watching birds opens a window onto a whole other world right on your doorstep. 

A new disease has been described in seabirds, but it might just be the tip of the iceberg.

The underside of their tails have feathers that are whiter than any others ever measured.

Kumimanu fordycei weighed an estimated 150 kilogrammes, demonstrating that penguins became large early in their evolution.

While some argue de-extinction could help to restore damaged ecosystems, others believe it is an expensive distraction from the threats facing living species.

More than 250 titanosaur eggs have been uncovered in India, revealing more about the lives of some of the largest animals which ever lived.

Winter is a time where many animals conserve their energy, fly south or grow a thicker coat.  

Flocks of starlings form ever-changing, mesmerising aerial displays in autumn and winter. 

Left alone over time, many graveyards have become secluded sanctuaries where plant and animal life can thrive.

The days of the most distinctive bird species could be numbered as the most unusual forms bear the brunt of global extinctions.  

The evolution of penguins has been laid out in unparalleled detail, revealing how they came into being.

Measuring almost two metres tall, Leptoptilos robustus would have lived in a unique ecosystem which included the mysterious miniature human relative Homo floresiensis. 

Thousands of seabirds are dropping dead from bird flu at some of the UK's most important seabird colonies.  

A Critically Endangered species of albatross may be in more danger than previously thought. 

Genyornis newtoni may have become extinct after humans stole and ate its eggs.

Another bird from the island of the dodo is in danger of becoming extinct, scientists have warned.

Can you match these songs and calls to nine common British garden birds?

Over half of all seabirds have been lost in the past 50 years, seeing less of the nutrients vital to life moved from sea to land.

The world's first flying vertebrates may also have been some of the biggest show-offs.

The tropics have long been perceived as being a riot of colour.

The bittern, whose call is as loud as a jet taking off, is returning to areas of the country it hasn't been seen in for centuries. 

Populations of raptors are over 50,000 birds smaller than they would otherwise be.

Almost half of all American bald and golden eagles are being poisoned by lead.

The neck of a diplodocid shows evidence of a disease that still affects birds today.

Walter Rothschild acquired animals from all over the world to study and display at his museum.

The 'biggest ever outbreak of bird flu in Great Britain' has been blamed for killing thousands of birds across the UK.

A century ago, the era of 'heroic' Antarctic endeavours came to an end as the Quest expedition made its way home.

Scientists have discovered how a bird of prey dubbed 'the flying tiger' could take down one of the heaviest birds that ever lived.

Ring-necked parakeets are a spectacle to see and hear, but are they causing problems for native UK wildlife?

Climate change could leave birds and their eggs unprepared for the extreme weather being thrown at them. 

In nature, species will sometimes form unexpectedly close bonds and work to their mutual benefit. 

Because sometimes more is more.

Birds need access to water year-round. Help them out by building a simple garden bird bath. 

Uncovering details about how the Carolina parakeet became extinct.

As you're taxiing to the runway, spare a thought for what the impact of your flight might be.

In recent years there has a growing shift to change the common English names of birds that are offensive or inaccurate.

Name that tune! Learn how to recognise the songs and calls of the UK's most common park and garden birds.

Peregrine falcons have adapted to urban living, but what's the best way to see the fastest bird in town?

Billions of plastic particles accumulate on remote islands mostly via sea.

They bring on average 688,000 pieces of plastic back onto land every single year.

Meet some of the animals that bust out their best moves to attract a mate.

Specialised conservation work saves kākāpō from the brink of extinction. 

Help your local wild birds to survive winter by putting out these nutritious fat balls. 

The decline in native birds is threatening the existence of island biodiversity.

John Edmonstone was a former enslaved man who taught the young Charles Darwin the skill of taxidermy.

Listening to some bird song can help improve our mental health.

It's not just foxes, rats and pigeons in the concrete jungle.

They cover an enormous area of the UK and are home to many rare and declining wild plants, insects, amphibians and more.

The skull shape of birds is just a tiny fraction of the diversity that would have been seen in their dinosaur ancestors.

Find out about this ghostly silent, night-time hunter.

Gilbert White's talent and passion for observing and recording nature inspired many future naturalists, including Charles Darwin.

Invasive species are a much bigger threat to nature than many people realise.

Find out facts about this sociable bird.

Putting up a nesting box could be a big help to your local birds. Our simple design is ideal for small songbirds and sparrows.

Meet some of the birds you're likely to spot in your garden during the colder months of the year.

Find out how to help urban nature and attract more wildlife to your garden.

Explore facts about this red-breasted festive icon.

Get tips on urban birdwatching and discover what you could see - including birds of prey and parakeets.

Female specimens are under represented in collections.

For around 175 years, no one knew the story of the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) specimen, on display in Gallery One at the Natural History Museum in Tring.

Ongoing research into plastic pollution is essential.

An ancient swamp full of fossils from extinct animals was discovered in Mauritius.

How does the common tailorbird sew its nest together?

Weeping trees, teeth stronger than Kevlar and one of Earth's most spectacular natural events are all shaped by the Moon.

It has the highest density of plastic in the world.

Find out about some of the birds you're likely to see and hear in parks and gardens. 

Follow our simple guide to building a bird feeder for your garden from a reused plastic bottle.

Take our quiz to find out how familiar you are with the UK's plants and animals and their strategies for surviving winter.

When resources run short, the sharp-beaked finches of Wolf Island turn into vampires to survive.

A new study is helping to explain how evolution works.

Would a pigeon in London sound the same as a pigeon in Birmingham?

What's the next best thing to studying prehistoric dinosaurs in the flesh?

Researchers uncovered how the genome of a dinosaur might have looked by studying turtles and birds.

Watch our animation to find out.

There are more than a million eggs in the Museum's collection.

The demise of the great auk is a lesson in what can happen when human greed runs rampant.

Secrets of how the extinct dodo lived have finally been uncovered.

The art of taxidermy has become fashionable again in recent years. But it has always been scientifically useful. Bird curator Hein van Grouw demonstrates how it's done.

The humble pigeon is a distant relative of the mighty T. rex.

Solving the puzzle of penguins’ waterproof coats could help researchers develop advanced fabrics in the future.

Avian palaeontologist Dr Julian Hume explains why we still have much to learn about the lifestyle of the dodo.