Bird

Laboratory zebra finch breeding pair management

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), our finch colony includes more than 200 birds, with up to 45 breeding pairs maintained at a time. We also rear song-isolated clutches by separating offspring from the male parent at ~11 to...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Plump, L. N., Backx, A. G., Fabian, N. J. 2026. Laboratory zebra finch breeding pair management. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 14(2) (March/April), 15-20.

Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice

Appropriate classification of a novel stimulus as threatening or benign depends on a repertoire of prior environmental experiences involving challenge, risk, and opportunity1,2. Without this library, individuals may classify harmless stimuli as dangerous — a hallmark of generalized anxiety1,2. In...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken, Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Zipple, M. N., Loflin, B., Kuo, D. C. et al. 2025. Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice. Current Biology 35(24), R1175–R1176.

The effects of human presence, restraint, and stressed neighbors on corticosterone levels in domesticated budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Limiting stress during interactions between captive animals and humans is important for effective husbandry. One physiological change during the vertebrate stress response is the release of glucocorticoid hormones. Here, we measured plasma corticosterone in female domesticated budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) to...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Handling, Human-Animal Interaction, RestraintAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Reichard, D. G., Summers, K. V. 2026. The effects of human presence, restraint, and stressed neighbors on corticosterone levels in domesticated budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). Zoo Biology 45(1), 37–45.

Pecking up optimism: Learning opportunities improve mood for sanctuary-living Cornish Cross chickens

Understanding what influences mood (optimism/pessimism) is crucial in determining whether environments are conducive to positive welfare. This study explores the impact of learning opportunities on mood in Cornish Cross chickens (also known as “broiler chickens”), of which over nine billion...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Animal Training, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Prasad-Shreckengast, S., Holakovsky, J., Torgerson-White, L. 2026. Pecking up optimism: Learning opportunities improve mood for sanctuary-living cornish cross chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(1), 25–33.

Distress calls as social stressors affecting chicken welfare

Social signals about current environmental risks can shape development in young animals. Distress calls made by young chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) may also encode affective state, with high arousal, potentially ‘anxiety-like’ state characterized by continuous calling, and learned helplessness or...

Year Published: 2026Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Herborn, K. A., Wilson, B., Collins, S. A. et al. 2026. Distress calls as social stressors affecting chicken welfare. Biology Letters 22(1), 20250534.

Environmental enrichment increases foraging duration in Chilean flamingos under human care

Animal welfare is a priority for modern zoos, with environmental enrichment playing a key role in promoting natural behaviors. We studied a captive flock of Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) at the Chilean National Zoo, which was normally fed in a...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Contardo, J., Labra, A., Cubillos, G. 2026. Environmental enrichment increases foraging duration in Chilean flamingos under human care. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(1), 144–159.

Environmental downgrading to battery cages induces depression-like states in hens

Depression is one of the most common and impairing mental health disorders in humans. Captive animals may also experience depression-like states, particularly under restrictive housing conditions and in individuals with higher vulnerability to stressors (e.g. more fearful). This study investigated...

Year Published: 2026Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Calderón-Amor, J., Lecorps, B., Luna, D. et al. 2026. Environmental downgrading to battery cages induces depression-like states in hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 297, 106908.

Environmental enrichment improves behavior and welfare in captive cockatiels

Environmental enrichment is widely used to enhance the welfare of captive animals, particularly in cognitively complex species such as parrots. This study experimentally evaluated the behavioral effects of two enrichment categories: object-based items and food-based enrichment on captive cockatiels (Nymphicus...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Aguiar, R. M., Châline, N., de Azevedo, C. S. 2026. Environmental enrichment improves behavior and welfare in captive cockatiels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 295, 106888.

Pardon my finch … have you seen my juicy garland?

We have a responsibility to promote a Culture of Care to ensure that all species have an appropriate positive environment. Enrichment provides holistic welfare opportunities for captive animals enabling them to demonstrate their natural behaviour. Commercially available enrichment is usually...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Wightman, J., Fordyce, L. 2025. Pardon my finch … have you seen my juicy garland? Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 259–263.

Dimensions of corvid consciousness

Corvids have long been a target of public fascination and of scientific attention, particularly in the study of animal minds. Using Birch et al.’s (2020) 5-dimensional framework for animal consciousness we ask what it is like to be a corvid...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Veit, W., Browning, H., Garcia-Pelegrin, E. et al. 2025. Dimensions of corvid consciousness. Animal Cognition 28(1), 35.