Hannah Watson – Kettinki

2023-08-14 @ 19.17.58 ∈ In English

Urban great tits have paler plumage than their forest-living relatives

The distinctive yellow color in the great tit's feathers comes from pigments called carotenoids which are found in food sources. The great tits get these nutrients from the insects they eat, who, in turn get carotenoids from the plants they feed on. This new research suggests that urban great tits are not able to consume as many carotenoids from their food as their countryside counterparts, and possibly fewer than they might need to stay as healthy.

2023-04-19 @ 17.55.05 ∈ In English

Study shows bird feeding helps small birds fight infection

When the birds were exposed to a simulated infection, all the birds had essentially the same temperature during a fever. Instead of conserving energy to survive the winter, the birds without access to extra food were forced to use more energy in order to raise their body temperature high enough to battle infection.