A disabled parrot becomes the alpha male of his group

Bruce the disabled parrot has risen to alpha status among his peers. Bruce does not have an upper beak, yet he excels with a unique beak-jousting tactic.

Join the worldwide 2026 City Nature Challenge this weekend!

This weekend, April 24-27, 2026, join the global City Nature Challenge and record the biosphere in your neighborhood to help track real-time change.

Waves on other planets vary widely, new MIT study suggests

A new study from MIT suggests that waves on other planets should vary greatly. Scientists are looking at the lakes and seas of Saturn's moon Titan for clues.

Lights out for birds during spring migration!

Turn the lights out for birds during spring migration. And check out the links here to maps that show when birds are passing over the area where you live.

Happy Earth Day! Why do we celebrate it on April 22?

April 22 is the date of Earth Day in part because of Arbor Day, an earlier observance. The focus for 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet."

A pileus cloud means bad weather is on the way

A pileus cloud looks like a curved, white cap on the top of a towering cumulus cloud. Pileus clouds are a sign that bad weather is on the way.

Small ants clean larger ants in a surprising twist of nature

Small ants clean larger ants, a researcher has discovered. It's the first known case of interspecies grooming between ants.

Hidden soil fungi stole bacterial DNA to control the rain

Some soil fungi have a superpower, inherited from bacteria. It means they can reach up into the atmosphere and pull down the rain.

Seattle waterspout! What are waterspouts and how do they form?

See the Seattle waterspout that formed in Puget Sound on Wednesday. Then read more about waterspouts, which are essentially tornadoes over water.

Ancestors of mammals laid eggs, says new fossil evidence

Scientists discovered a 250-million-year-old Lystrosaurus fossil that was still in its egg. It showed ancestors of mammals laid eggs.