Birds

At 3.6 metres tall, this prehistoric giant is Earth's tallest bird ever. Now 600 years after its extinction scientists are trying to bring it back... Will they succeed?

Biosciences company Colossal plans to create animals resembling the giant flightless birds using DNA technology.
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How to help your garden wildlife in a heatwave: don't let them suffer in silence

As temperatures soar and we revel in the summer sunshine once again, our local wildlife could be struggling to cope! Find out how you can help them through the heatwave.
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This honking ‘satanic turkey’ has a unicorn-like horn, hollow bones and rustles like bubble wrap

The 'air jousting' avian is famed for its loud calls akin to a rubber foot pump with hiccups
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Built for a life above the waves, this legendary long-distance glider has the world's biggest wingspan and can soar for thousands of kilometres without stopping

Spending most of their lives at sea and covering vast distances, little was known about these elusive seabirds until relatively recently. Find out more about albatrosses in this expert guide from the RSPB, including the threats they face, and their outlook for the future.
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15 weirdest birds on the planet: meet the strangest wonders of the avian world – including one that asks humans for help and another that smells like a cow

There are plenty of contenders for the weirdest bird list from the 'stinky' hoatzin to the strange-looking secretary bird. Here are our favourite weirdest birds
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It's as long as a football goal, has legs as thick as wrists and is able to rip monkeys from branches with deadly talons: Meet the world's most powerful bird

What are harpy eagles? Where do they live and just how big are they? Learn all about this iconic eagle in our expert guide
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Strange bird from New Zealand set for rare breeding event as 'blood' tree fruits

2026 is a mast year for the rimu tree, meaning critically endangered Kākāpo are due to breed. Here's what conservationists – who say it could result in the largest haul of chicks in recent years – are doing to be ready in time.
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Here's how deer meat could save Scotland's elusive capercaillie

In a new study, researchers say that 'diversionary feeding' reduces the chances of these iconic birds' eggs being eaten by predators.
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"Absolutely stunning": astonishing footage shows falcon attacking foxes in Los Angeles

A wildlife photographer has filmed the moment a peregrine falcon fiercely protects her chicks from red foxes.
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10 amazing Antarctic animals – including one with antifreeze blood and another with razor-sharp teeth to bite air holes in the ice

Discover the most remarkable, captivating wildlife that thrives in one of the least hospitable places on Earth – Antarctica
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Rare and sacred animal filmed in remote Saudi Arabian mountains

A breeding Egyptian vulture has been caught on camera in AlUla’s Sharaan National Park – a first for this ancient desert oasis.
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What is a panzootic – and is it the same as a pandemic?

Ever wondered what a panzootic is? Stuart Blackman takes a look
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“My chronic illness keeps me up at night, but listening to tawny owls helps me cope”: How these enchanting birds helped one writer find solace

In the company of owls, poet Polly Atkin finds solace from debilitating illness
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At a metre long, this is the jungle’s flashiest resident and the world's most beautiful bird

All you need to know about the scarlet macaw, one of the world's most beautiful - and intelligent – birds
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It stinks of manure, has claws on its wings and eats tree leaves – meet the strange hoatzin, the 'flying cow' of the Amazonian swamps

This avian marvel is also known as the stink bird, the skunk bird and the reptile bird
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The poisonous hooded pitohui is the world's most toxic bird - able to exude some of the most powerful poisons in nature 

Just how poisonous is the hooded pitohui?
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Faking it: Watch what happens when BBC cameras capture a peacock faking a mating call to try and entrap females

BBC cameras catch peacocks competing for attention from peahens – some turning to desperate measures
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Are there vultures in Europe?

Reviled by some, vultures are an essential part of many ecosystems around the world. There are four native breeding species in Europe, with another regularly visiting. Learn more about these fascinating birds in our expert guide by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF).
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Feared and wildly misunderstood – the dark truth behind nature’s most vilified bird and its chilling reputation as a harbinger of death

Discover fascinating facts about this group of ecologically important birds.
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What's the most common bird in the world?

From agricultural pests to garden favourites, these are the most common and widely seen birds around the world – both wild and domestic
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It sleeps while flying, cannibalises the young and forces other birds to vomit up their food – then eats its sloppy seconds

This bird also has a rather bizarre (and incredibly vocal) mating display that involves an inflating pouch
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15 spectacular images of charismatic yet fierce puffins – offering intimate glimpse at island life

Meet the puffins of Skomer Island, which have been photographed by the award-winning wildlife photographer, Becky Bunce.
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Cute, colourful, tiny – and weird – they can beat their wings 50-80 times a second and are the only birds that can fly backwards.

Often brightly coloured, hummingbirds are fascinating and beautiful birds, learn more about hummingbirds in our expert guide, including how fast they beat their wings and where to see in the wild.
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