Bird feeders might be changing bird beaks

Bird beaks might be evolving to better fit bird feeders. A study of great tits in the UK, where feeders are common, found the bird's beaks have grown over the last 26 years, that British birds had longer beaks than those in the Netherlands, and that birds with genes for longer beaks were more likely to visit feeders, per Science News.

Why it means: Scientists have known that environmental changes, like El Niño, can influence the evolution of animals. Now, it appears something as simple as bird feeders can do the same.

What they did: The scientists looked at the beaks of 2,322 great tits from the UK and the Netherlands, and also examined their genes. They tagged birds with gene variants for short and long beaks and tracked their feeding habits.

What they found: The British birds had longer beaks and were more likely to have genes associated with beak length. They also found that bird beak length had increased by about a tenth of a millimeter in 26 years, and that birds with longer beaks were more successful at raising offspring, showing selective pressure towards large beaks.



https://www.axios.com/bird-feeders-might-be-changing-bird-beaks-2500248842.html