Stealth swimmers: fish hide behind others to hunt
07 Aug 2023An experiment on coral reefs provides the first evidence that predators use other animals for motion camouflage to approach their prey without detection.
News from the Department of Zoology.
Cracking the great cuckoo cover-up
26 Jul 2023African cuckoos may have met their match with the fork-tailed drongo, which scientists predict can detect and reject cuckoo eggs from their nest on almost every occasion, despite them on average looking almost identical to drongo eggs.
Small-winged and lighter coloured butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change
13 Jul 2023The family, wing length and wing colour of tropical butterflies all influence their ability to withstand rising temperatures, say a team led by ecologists at the University of Cambridge. The researchers believe this could help identify species whose survival is under threat from climate change.
World’s most threatened seabirds visit remote plastic pollution hotspots
04 Jul 2023Analysis of global tracking data for 77 species of petrel has revealed that a quarter of all plastics potentially encountered in their search for food are in remote international waters – requiring international collaboration to address.
Birds and honey badgers could be cooperating to steal from bees in parts of Africa
29 Jun 2023The tale of two charismatic species cooperating for mutual benefit has captivated naturalists for centuries – but evidence has been patchy. Researchers have now carried out the first large-scale search for evidence.
Current conservation policies risk damaging global biodiversity, warn researchers
21 Jun 2023Rewilding, organic farming and the so-called ‘nature friendly farming’ measures included in some government conservation policies may accelerate global biodiversity loss, say two leading researchers.
Could bird flu spark the next pandemic - and are we prepared if it does?
13 Jun 2023Should we be worried about frequent news reports of flu being detected in birds and other animals?
Exceptional scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society 2023
10 May 2023Seven outstanding Cambridge researchers have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences and the oldest science academy in continuous existence.
Dogs may be at risk from high levels of lead from shotgun pellets in raw pheasant dog food, study finds
03 May 2023Researchers tested samples of raw pheasant dog food and discovered that the majority contained high levels of lead that could put dogs’ health at risk if they eat it frequently.
Fixing the Fens
14 Apr 2023Reconciling human activities with nature is never going to be easy, but a new Cambridge group is using everything it’s got to try and protect a vital part of the UK.
