Natural History Wanderings

ScienceDaily discusses an article from the American Ornithological Society Publications Office

Influences outside the breeding season matter a lot for the population health of migratory birds, but it’s tough to track what happens once species scatter for the winter. A study now tries a new approach for determining what birds called bobolinks eat after they head south for the winter — analyzing the carbon compounds in their plumage, which are determined by the types of plants the birds consume during their winter molt.

Read full article  Birds’ feathers reveal their winter diet — ScienceDaily