He's played Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Strange, and even voiced The Grinch but acting opposite a seven-foot (2.1m) crow may be one of the strangest roles Benedict Cumberbatch has taken on.

Here is the standout fiction and nonfiction of the year, selected by the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

Discover why the eastern wild turkey, found in at least 38 states, stands out as a symbol of Thanksgiving and American ...

What’s new? What’s trendy? What haven’t I explored? Such questions often dictate our travel plans, but sometimes, we’d be better off asking the opposite: What’s old? What’s impervious to being in ...

Male fairy-wren use different calls to communicate. Photo courtesy Andrew Katsis (BirdLab) After years studying wild birds in ...

The male Lady Amherst's pheasant knows how to put on a show when it comes to attracting mates. As well as elaborate courtship ...

The adornments on the heads of male Lady Amherst’s and golden pheasants partially block their sight, according to new ...

Discover how the tiny Eurasian Wren impresses with its powerful voice and unique song. Man charged in fatal shooting of cleaning woman who accidentally went to wrong home Scientists Studied ...

It's hard to find a more superb bird than the superb bird of paradise. Males have an elaborate courtship ritual during which they spread out their black cape until only a bright blue breast plate and ...

Saguaro Park in southeastern Arizona, near Tucson, offers a landscape unlike anything you’ll see elsewhere. The park hosts ...

Immigrant drama 'Feather Men,' the debut feature from Vishwendra Singh, has been selected for the WAVES Film Bazaar, ...