Bird Brainiacs

You’re SOOO bird-brained! But is that a bad thing? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The BRAIN uses the most energy of mammal organs. And neurons, the brain-body messengers, use LOTS of sugar to communicate. Birds have much SMALLER brains than most mammals, but can

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Babbling Baby Birds

Boo Boo, stop parroting everything I say! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying… Babies seem to know what they’re talking about… but how do we go from “goo-goo-ga-ga” to sophisticated languages?  Rory Eggleston and Karl Berg from the University of Texas looked at birds

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Night Hawk

Going on a LATE NIGHT Taco Bell run? Get me a crunchwrap supreme! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying Maybe your spirit animal is a letter-winged kite hawk? They LOVE a delicious midnight snack! But even their closest relatives don’t work the night shift.

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Beak Performance

Gimme a hand here! A third one. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever wish you had an extra arm? No more multiple trips to the car, easier push ups… Sounds HANDY, right? Is there already an animal that can do things like that? Enter

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Pole Positioning

Help, Siri! I need directions to my house – AGAIN!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. How did we ever navigate without our GPS friends? But birds ALWAYS find their way home! What’s their secret? Enter Joe Wynn and colleagues at Oxford and University of

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Feather Weather

Flying off to a beach vacation? Pack sunscreen, bathing suits, and…feathers?!   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Birds also migrate thousands of miles to warmer climates! But while we humans fly in air-conditioned comfort, how do these birds of a feather stay cool?  Kasper Delhey

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Birdie Breakups

Do seabirds sign prenups? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All aboard for Love Island! For the albatross seabird, that’s The Falklands. Albatrosses are monogamous, generally mating with one partner for life. Or at least, for a while —  like us, they can divorce and

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Agro-forestry

Green Acres … is the place to be! Oh yeah! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Picture verdant farmland spreading out far and wide! But this is no ordinary farm… its green fields are sprinkled with trees and shrubs. It’s an AGRO-FOREST! Traditional farms in

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Shrinking Birds

“Honey, we’ve shrunk… the BIRDS?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Giraffes didn’t grow their long necks overnight — it took MILLIONS of years of adaptation! What if we could see animals adapting to environmental changes – within our own lifetime? Enter Vitek Jirinec and

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Fla-mingling

What do you call a pink bird who loves to socialize? A fla-mingle!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all love to primp for a party – flamingos are no exception! They rub their cheeks on a gland by their tails to keep their

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