Press
Our lab's research has been featured in renowned news channels like Science, National Geographic, Audubon, and more.
How giant-faced owls snag voles hidden in snow
November 30, 2022Hovering over a target helps giant-faced Great Gray owls pinpoint prey hidden beneath as much as two feet of snow. Several of the owls’ physical features, especially parts of their wings and face, help them correct for sonic distortions caused by the snow, enabling them to find their moving food with astonishing accuracy, according to a new UC Riverside study.
https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2022/11/30/how-giant-faced-owls-snag-voles-hidden-snowHummingbirds Shake Their Tail Feathers to Generate High-Pitched Sounds
February 15, 2019To win over a lady love, some male hummingbirds perform an elaborate aerial dance. The show typically starts when he zips from side to side in front of the female, sometimes showing off his brightly colored throat feathers, called a gorget, and singing.
https://www.audubon.org/news/hummingbirds-shake-their-tail-feathers-generate-high-pitched-soundsFor hummingbirds looking for mates, it's all about the right approach
April 19, 2018In the world of Costa’s hummingbirds, it’s not size that matters — it’s sound. During breeding season, male Costa’s perform a high-speed dive during which they “sing” to potential mates using their tail feathers.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/hummingbirds-looking-mates-its-all-about-right-approachThese hummingbirds make songs with their tail feathers to flirt
April 12, 2018Researchers have learned of a creative mating ritual that is unique to Costa’s hummingbirds. According to the study, male Costa’s perform a strategic dive during which they “sing” to females using their tail feathers.
https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-songs-tail-feathers/These birds can sing using only their feathers
April 8, 2016Imagine if you could make music with your ponytail or sing using just your beard. It sounds absurd, but some birds perform a feat not all that different. They make songs appear out of feathers and thin air.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-birds-can-sing-using-only-their-feathers-180958678/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmediaResearchers document how broadbills make loud wing song
April 5, 2016Broadbills -- birds found in some parts of Africa -- produce a startlingly loud sound that they make with their wings to mark off territory. Males fly abruptly in a tight circle, landing where they began, and produce a klaxon-like sound -- brreeeeet! -- that they could also be using to attract females. Researchers have hypothesized that it is the outermost wing feathers that make the sound, but no studies have been conducted to verify this hypothesis.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160405105813.htm
Watch: This little bird can sing with its wings
March 30, 2016In African and Rufous-sided Broadbills, circular flight displays (see the video below) are accompanied by a pulsing song that can be heard from more than 300 feet away. The brreeeeet sound, which resembles a klaxon horn, doesn’t come from vocalizations, but rather from the fluttering of wing feathers, as explained in a study published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
https://www.audubon.org/news/watch-little-bird-can-sing-its-wingsA mezmerizing look at hummingbirds flight
March 30, 2016https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/graphics/hummingbirds-slow-motion-flight-videos Dive-Bombing Hummingbirds Let Their Feathers Do the Talking
September 8, 2011When it comes to wooing females, male hummingbirds have something in common with World War I fighter pilot the Red Baron. During the mating season, these bright-throated males climb high into the air and then nose-dive, belting out sharp squeaks or trills to impress watching females. A new study shows how the tiny birds emit their high-pitched calls. As they fall, stiff breezes vibrate their tail feathers, giving each species a unique whistle.
https://www.science.org/content/article/dive-bombing-hummingbirds-let-their-feathers-do-talkingAnna's hummingbird chirps with its tail during display dives
January 30, 2008The beeps, chirps and whistles made by some hummingbirds and thought to be vocal are actually created by the birds' tail feathers, according to a study by two students at the University of California, Berkeley.
https://phys.org/news/2008-01-anna-hummingbird-chirps-tail.html