A new study from the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) details the changes in birds living in urban areas, such as college campuses, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As food scraps and other sources of food became scarce due to the lockdowns, urban birds’ beaks shortened in length from one generation to the next.
“Birds hatched during the pandemic had beaks similar to wild juncos, but as human activity picked up again, their beaks reverted to the short, stout form seen in urban populations. These results indicate that city birds quickly adjusted their behavior when human activity stopped and started again.”
Posted: December 27, 2025