News Earth

Rapid evolution may be reshaping forest birds’ wings

Trend for pointier appendages in heavily logged boreal forests, with blunter, rounder ones in reforested parts of New England

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

PHILADELPHIA — When trees fall in the forest, unheard or not, they may change the shape of bird wings. 

WING SHAPE-SHIFTING The boreal chickadee is among the 21 bird species in a study of whether wing shape changed with forest cover during the past century.