[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lu Plauzoles]

Hot off the press! Research from the ornithologists at UCLA.

Female birds have shorter lifespans than male birds, researchers find

UCLA study finds that female birds have 12% lower survival rate past adulthood
by Holly Ober | UCLA Newsroom | July 30, 2026

From the article

Key takeaways

• UCLA ornithologists analyzed over 563,000 records of banded birds in North America over 27 years and found that adult survival was, on average, 12% lower for females than males in 35 species.  
• Greater male survival was strongest in long distance migrant birds. The findings supported the general idea that migration takes a heavier toll on females, but it wasn’t clear why female non-migratory birds also tended to have shorter lifespans.
• Habitat loss and climate change are causing bird populations to decline, and the researchers want to learn whether those factors are also affecting the survival of animal sexes differently.