Welcome to the Atlantic Forest! Join our Brassy-breasted Tanager (our coverbird) and 190 other endemic birds who call this biodiversity icon home. A dense, stunning South American forest habitat that used to span nearly 350 million acres in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, now just 12% of this unique climate-mitigating South American forest remains. Despite […]
Don’t clean up your yard or garden in the fall! Raking up and throwing out dried leaves, dead-heading flowers and cutting everything back makes your yard very tidy, but is a wasteland for wildlife. You will be removing the food and shelter you worked so hard to provide for birds and other wildlife in the […]
It’s late winter, and cranes are calling loudly to one another. Fifteen species of cranes are spread across the world — everywhere but Antarctica and South America. Soon, they’ll start their spring migration. But for now, they gather in large groups, foraging and resting together by the thousands. Hear this story and the evocative calls […]
There is a torrent of headlines about the terrible toll on civilians, and the vast destruction of cities and villages in Ukraine from the war. The environmental impact of war can also be huge – already ⅓ of Ukraine’s protected areas including The Black Sea Biosphere Reserve which hosts over 100,000 birds plus a variety of […]
When we see birds like grackles or blackbirds, we say they’re black. Indeed, their feathers do appear to be black but if you take a look at them in a different light, they may be a brownish-black or the case of grackles for example, maybe an iridescent purple or blue. But recently, scientists discovered […]
Fast-moving warblers in spring can often look similar. You see a flash of bright yellow underneath and a necklace…..which is it – Magnolia or Canada Warbler? Here are a few tips to help you decide. Necklace: the streaky necklace on Magnolia Warblers extends under the wings; Canada Warblers have a very short, thinner necklace Eye-ring: Canada […]
Join BirdNote and The World According to Sound in a 70 minute, total sound immersion about birds. Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 6:00 PM 7:30 PM Pacific Time. Birds. Quiet birds. Loud birds. Birds that never existed. Birds heard by Tiresias, Greek bird-interpreter par excellence. Birds that mimic people. People that mimic birds. From the […]
Lots to watch during the winter! From teeny baby Allen’s Hummingbird chicks in California to Northern Royal Albatross in New Zealand. Plus there are several links to watch migrating birds and our favorite neo-tropical feeder in Panama to get your fix of birds in a warmer climate. There’s always something fun to watch! NEW! Allen’s Hummingbird […]
Words can’t adequately describe the life and experience of Hudsonian Godwits. Until recently, the lives of this large, graceful shorebird were a mystery. But what scientists are now discovering about these birds and their future is both awe-inspiring and alarming. Hudsonian Godwits are one of 70 species of birds that twice-yearly fly a dangerous, harrowing, […]
This holiday season a special and unusual album topped the charts in Australia. Surprisingly, it had no musical tracks – just bird calls. But not just any bird calls. BirdLife Australia put together recordings of 53 of the rarest birds in Australia offering a unique immersion into the highly unusual and often surprising sounds […]
Nestcams may be closed for the season, but you can still get some great views of birds in these cool cams : Mississippi Flyway Get your fill of avian migration on the Mississippi at this great cam that has a whole lot of different birds visiting in Wisconsin – from the Raptor Resource Project […]
Plastics are everywhere – on our beaches, in the water, large pieces, microplastics — you name it. There is so much plastic waste that it is having a serious negative effect on wildlife both in the ocean and on its shores. Birds are very susceptible to plastic problems through entanglement or ingestion. In this 30 minute fascinating […]
Some warblers can look so different from spring to fall, it’s hard to believe they are the same species! In spring, the songbirds we see coming through North America are stunning. Males are all bright and crisp – some with outrageously bright colors designed to attract females. But after a grueling spring migration and breeding season, a lot […]
Seriously cute chicks are here and eaglets are growing up! Don’t miss staying in touch with these families and watching them grow! Barred Owls: Two really fluffy chicks to go gaga over! Peregrine Falcon – Barb and Boh have 2 eyasses! Decorah Eagles – DNR and Mr. North have 2 chicks who are growing up […]
Some deep forest birds sing duets together that sound like just a single bird singing. This duetting where the bird songs are so closely related is called antiphonal song, and it’s possible to hear the different songs when the sound is slowed down. Check out this beautiful duetting and hear how its done from BirdNote. […]
Have a birthday looming? Perhaps you just celebrated one and started feeling a little out of it? Not to make comparisons, but the world’s oldest known bird just turned 70 (well, at least 70)….and she has laid an egg and is about to become a mom yet again. To us, albatross are extreme – they spend a couple […]
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You don’t need to go outside to get to know birds: Try drawing them instead. David Sibley, the ornithologist who wrote and illustrated The Sibley Guide to Birds, created a video for Audubon that shows how to sketch a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Get out a piece of paper and a pencil or crayon and try it yourself! Check out […]
We may not be able to travel right now, but Birdlife International is making it possible to be whisked away to the far ends of the globe with updates on birds from all seven continents from Helmeted Hornbills to Sage Grouse to Grey-breasted Parakeets. Learn more about making a healthy planet a human right and […]
Mature Native Plant Meadows in a Small Yard Having safe and undisturbed habitat is critical to keeping our birds and planet healthy. Research published last year by Cornell Lab of Ornithology showing 3 Billion Birds have been lost and the enormous impact this has had on bird populations over the past few decades cited habitat loss as the […]
Common Yellow-throat Illustration by David Sibley When cities are quiet, we can easily hear the birds around us. This illuminating article from the New York Times helps us learn about 13 birds we live in close proximity with but may never have seen. With stunning images by David Sibley and informational sonograms of bird calls from Donald Kroodsma, this article […]
The spider’s web is an intricate piece of precision engineering. Made from large proteins, it’s sticky, stretchy, and tough. So it’s no surprise that many small birds – including this Anna’s Hummingbird – make a point of collecting strands of spider silk to use in nest construction. Spider silk not only acts as a glue, holding […]
Film: A Melodic Journey Through Northern Colombia Emerald Toucanet, Colombia Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Colombia is one of a handful of countries with an extraordinarily large and diverse group of bird species. In the film The Birders: A Melodic Journey Through Northern Colombia, you can spend an hour chasing some of these birds with biologist and bird […]
Every year, Sandhill Cranes renew their lifelong partnership bond with an elegant and graceful dance. Both partners engage and it starts the beginning of their annual migration north, mating ritual and rearing of their chicks. Listen to this piece from BirdNote to hear and learn more about these beautiful birds. Sandhill Cranes Mating Dance; Photo Credit: Dan Kaiser
Year round, its nesting season somewhere! Right now our focus is on Northern Royal Albatross Cornell/NZ Dept. of Conservation Nestcam birds “down under”, and we have the privilege to see the intimate but brief land-life of the largest seabird in the world — a Northern Royal Albatross pair in Taiaroa Head, New Zealand — with a most spectacular view via […]
Migrating Tree Swallows Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel The mass migration of tens of thousands of Tree Swallows on the East Coast is a migration event I look forward to every year. It happens towards the end of September right along the coast. Sometimes the flocks are flying south low along the beach near the dunes – […]