Animal grouping phrases: A parliament of owls! A murmuration of starlings! A murder of crows?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. University of Washington researchers Kaili Swift and John Marzluff observed, and wondered: Why do crows gather around their dead? To find out, first, the
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Rockin’ Robin. It’s a classic hit… in more ways than one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh, with the Loh Down on Science. Songbirds pass down tunes that can long outlast any one bird’s lifetime. In fact, people have recorded melodies that are exactly the same, but tweeted decades apart! But
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Birds of a feather flock together. Or do they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bird fights happen, especially with nests nearby. At best, birds of different species ignore each other. But is that the only way to achieve avian world peace? Meet Allison Johnson
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Is your margarita. . . endangered? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Insects like bees and butterflies are known for their pollinating prowess. When they feed on the sweet nectar from flowers, pollen rubs off on their legs. This pollen transfers to other flowers so
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Ever wish someone would watch your kids like a hawk? Literally? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine you’re a hummingbird. You’re small. Your eggs are small. Potentially, squirrel lunch. What can you do? Get protection. Hire a hawk! That’s where Harold Greeney comes in.
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Can you think faster than a pigeon? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most of us claim to be amazing multi-taskers. But what about birds? Researchers from Ruhr [ROOR] University Bochum [BOH-kum] in Germany decided to put this challenge to the test. They had about
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How do you like your eggs – over easy? Sunny-side up? Pointy??! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some birds lay eggs shaped like teardrops. Others look like a ball. And there’s everything in between! Why so MANY different shapes? Enter Mary Caswell Stoddard, a
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Ah, the vulture! It’s not just another pretty face. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Let’s face it. Vultures like their meat a little older and rottener than the rest of us do. It’s unorthodox, but it works for them. Still, it seems strange that
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