Owl

When it comes to avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, all birds are not created equal.

They found no trace of a mythical sea monster, no sign of mobsters in concrete shoes or long-lost treasure chests.

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless species imitates a more dangerous one in an evolutionary "ruse" that affords the mimic protection from would-be predators. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on May 9, 2022, have discovered the first case of acoustic Batesian mimicry in mammals and one of very few documented in any species: greater mouse-eared bats imitate the buzzing sound of a stinging insect to discourage predatory owls from eating them.

Birds call forth a myriad of meanings in the Gilgameš Epic. Winged creatures convey abundance and revelry, enhance the narrative's soundscape, and foretell events in the story. In the article "Soundscapes, Portentous Calls, and Bird Symbolism in the Gilgameš Epic" published in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Adam E. Miglio employs an intertextual analysis to examine the epic poem's avian literary motif.

Bird flu is killing an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds, with many sick birds arriving at rehabilitation centers unsteady on their talons and unable to fly.