The Museum's avian skin collection is the second largest of its kind in the world, with almost 750,000 specimens representing about 95% of the world's bird species. The majority of specimens in this ...

When a bird drapes its nest with snake skin, it isn't just making an interesting home décor choice. For some birds, it keeps predators at bay. Researchers combined new and historical data to show ...

One defense strategy that birds might employ involves draping their nests with snake skin. This tactic helps keep predators away, preventing them from eating eggs. Researchers analyzed new and ...

The paper, by R.L. Cooper at University of Sheffield in Sheffield, UK, and colleagues was titled, "An ancient Turing-like patterning mechanism regulates skin denticle development in sharks." ...

Birds-of-paradise can emit green, yellow and pale blue light from their bodies. It’s believed this ability – known as biofluorescence – helps the birds to stand out or hide in their tropical forest ...

Biofluorescence occurs when an animal’s skin or fur absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it as visible light. It is common in invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even birds.