With birds, the process works similar to a barcode scanner in a grocery store. Analyzing human stool, meanwhile, reveals hidden identities of microbes that live in our guts. You might not see a rare frog in a pond, for instance, but sampling the water for pieces of DNA the amphibian sheds confirms that it was there. They’re building upon methods that scientists have employed for the past decade to solve other ecological unknowns, such as which animals use a specific environment. But until recently, sussing out birds’ grocery lists was cumbersome, requiring close observation to determine which type of berry a songbird snatched up or what kind of fish dangled from a seabird’s bill.īiologists are increasingly turning to genetic tools to eliminate the guesswork of figuring out avian fare. And knowing exactly what they eat can help conservationists protect critical food sources and track environmental change. Irds, as the saying goes, are what they eat. Click or tap anywhere to launch a poo splat.
