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During Elizabeth Gould's brief career as an ornithological illustrator, she made a significant contribution to the natural history of birds, as Katherine Marshall discovers.

Migratory birds are able to navigate over great distances with remarkable accuracy. How birds determine their position during the navigational process is still not fully understood. Professor Richard Holland from the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University tells us more about a new study that tested whether Eurasian reed warblers could determine their position using two magnetic cues - the magnetic inclination and the magnetic declination.

A new Proceedings B paper explores the seasonal variation in cooperative behaviour displayed by superb fairy-wrens. Lead author, Ettore Camerlenghi, tells us more.  

Jon Bushell tells the story of a hoopoe illustration by Henry Hunt, part of the Royal Society Library's new exhibition ‘Clamorous Wings: Birds in Science’.

Hirra Ateeq tells the story of Eleazar Albin, a naturalist and watercolour teacher whose popular books depicted birds, insects and spiders.

Virginia Mills highlights the contrast between the field-observation practices of naturalist Gilbert White and the specimen-based approach of John Gould FRS.

Jon Bushell admires the ornithological work of two early Royal Society Fellows, Francis Willughby and John Ray.

A peek into a colourful ornithological work from the nineteenth century, including the contributions made by John and Elizabeth Gould and Edward Lear.

Keith Moore admires a lavishly-illustrated book of bird eggs and nests by the German engraver Adam Ludwig Wirsing.

Keith Moore admires the work of natural history illustrator George Edwards, and discovers how some of the specimens he depicted were captured en route to the collections of a French courtesan.