These two red finches both share a similar attraction to seeds. White-winged Crossbill Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila They also overlap in range, preferring the far north and into Canada, and sometimes telling the difference between them can be challenging. Here are a few tips to make the right ID between these winter favorites — White-winged Crossbills and Pine Grosbeaks: Pine Grosbeak Photo […]
California Scrub Jay Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel That mischievous Scrub or Blue Jay in your yard or neighborhood is not just a very attractive trouble-maker, but he or she is also an ecosystem engineer. Jays of all sorts around the world love to hide or “cache” seedsaround their territory – a behavior known as “scatter-hoarding.” The idea is that when […]
Gray Catbird Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel It’s time to plan your spring gardening. Whether you are just starting a native plant garden or already have native plants in your yard, we have some ideas that can make your garden a bird magnet year round by providing food and shelter regardless of the season. Diversity is critical to providing the […]
Waterfowl are busy pairing off and mating, which means ducks are at their most beautiful this time of year. If you haven’t had the chance to see ducks courting, it is definitely worth your while as some of them look stunning and have some pretty interesting behaviors. Look out for small intimate interactions like allopreening – where one bird preens his/her mate and […]
Wisdom and her mate/Photo Credit: USFWS Wisdom, a Laysan Albatross, banded as an adult over 60 yearsago in 1956, is known to be at least 68 years old, making her the oldest known living bird. But what is even more remarkable is that Wisdom is still successfully laying eggs and hatching chicks – and at a rate that […]
This year, an unusual visitor has come to New York City’s Central Park and he has become an overnight celebrity. This stunning Mandarin Duck in the photo above has made worldwide headlines for his appearance. He is a native species from Asia, and most likely has been captive, causing him to receive resistance from some folks. It’s […]
Snowy Owls – those spectacularly beautiful all white owls – are being seen again this winter in the US. Project Snowstorm is once Snowy Owl/ Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila more tracking dozens of owlsthis year across the US to obtain more data and information on the behavior, movements and lifestyles of these mysterious and beautiful birds. The Project Snowstorm site has lots of info […]
Red-headed Woodpecker Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila We all know Woodpeckers carve out nesting holes in spring, but what’s going on with all that tree chiseling in the fall? What do these woodpeckers know that we don’t? Find out from our friends at BirdNote.
Red-tailed Hawk Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Fall raptor migration is amazing! For the serious hawk watcher, it is the time to get really spectacular flight photos and see raptors en route in often high numbers. If you are new to hawk watching and want to plan a trip or a day outing, keep an eye on […]
How Many Birds Are on Fall Migration? Do you ever wonder how many birds are on the move during fall Tree Swallows Migrating Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel migration? We did and found Cornell Lab of Ornithology answered this question in their first report on numbers of birds migrating over the US from data gleaned from radar […]
Photo Credit: Sarah Sharpe/FLAP Fatal Light Awareness Project We all know the sound of the thud on our window. Then the sinking feeling as we rush to see if the bird is down and needs help or is dead. FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Project) has some good advice about what to do to help the bird […]
Hurricane season is really tough on birds. It happens during migration BirdCast Live Migration Map, 9/14/2018 Cornell Lab of Ornithology when many millions of birds are on the move, and it can be anywhere from disruptive to deadly. Birds do the best they can to avoid the maelstrom and being blown off course or worse, […]
Songbirds are mostly finished nesting, Guillemot Chick Screenshot: explore.org and their chicks are gaining strength to make their first migration south. But there are still some adorable nestlings and juvenile birds waiting to make their first flight. Don’t miss these seabirds and Osprey before they leave the nest! Puffin burrow with a fluffy puffling and a Guillemot chick in […]
Indigo Bunting Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Its important to be gardening with organic fertilizers and pesticides, and to keep chemicals out of your bird-friendly backyard. If you find this difficult to do, be aware that some pesticides contain neonicotinoids – a type of neuro active synthetic insecticide chemically similar to nicotine – which affects much […]
Photo Credit:Meghan Kearney, USFWS This month in the Year of the Bird, we encourage you to get your kids or kids you know out into nature. If you love birds, teaching a child how to bird can create both an understanding of and interest in nature which can translate into a lifelong passion for him […]
Why Do Birds Stand on One Leg? Shorebirds Sleeping on One Leg Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Have you ever seen birds standing on one leg – maybe even hopping on just one? Are they injured? Whether they are sleeping or standing in water, birds sometimes just prefer to remain upright on one leg. Ever wonder why […]
A Safe Backyard for Nesting Birds Northern Cardinal Fledgeling Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Nesting season is upon us, and we are thinking about our backyard and gardens from the birds perspective. Here are few things the birds you are attracting right now will appreciate your doing for them! 1 – With baby […]
The Year of the Bird in June – Take Action and Use Less Plastic! Dead Albatross chick with stomach full of plastic Photo Credit: Chris Jordan Time was when discussions surrounding plastic and birds often revolved around taking bags (often plastic) to the beach and gathering up the myriad detritus of birthday balloons, plastic […]
Cool Video About Nesting Shorebirds Shorebirds are nesting on our beaches, and in many areas we are already sharing the beach with tiny hatchlings. Many towns rope off nesting areas on the beach so shorebirds, who lay their eggs on the sand — in a little depression they create called a “scrape” –can have a […]
Migration Explained Twice each year, more than 5000 species of birds migrate. Peregrine Falcon Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel This represents about half the world’s species of birds (not including subspecies). Migration is something billions of birds undertake worldwide, and their journey takes them through and over all types of habitats, altitudes and terrains including some inhospitable […]
Nestcams! Wow – look who’s hatched! There are lots of chicks to see now – don’t miss the new addition peeking out from under mom in this Bald Eagle nest! Decorah Bald Eagle Cam, Explore.org Barred Owls in Indiana have three chicks! Thirty-three floors over Baltimore Peregrine Falcons have four eggs. Hatching watch starts […]
The Year of the Bird in April – Birds Need Your Help 2018 is the Year of the Bird, and in April, birds really need your help! The Year of the Bird celebrates the 100th anniversary of signing into law the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which has protected billions of birds on migration – from Peregrine Falcons to Magnolia Warblers, […]
doodle Sky Dance Have you ever seen or heard a Timberdoodle? Better known as Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel American Woodcock, this shy football-shaped forest bird cuts quite a figure dancing in the sky. In early spring woodcocks are migrating back north to get to their breeding ground, and April is a good time to see them […]
IN THE NEWS: 67 year old Albatross, Mother-to-be again! Wisdom, a 67 year old Laysan Albatross is about to become a mother again! Wisdom and her mate Photo Credit: USFWS Banded in 1956, she is now the oldest known wild bird. Albatrosses are pelagic birds, flying over water for months at a time, and […]
Complete Your Winter Backyard With a Roost Box Chickadee checking out a roost box Nest boxes and roost boxes are important components of a well-maintained bird-friendly backyard. In winter, birds really need shelter from cold, winds and predators. Leaving nest boxes up may help, but during really cold times, birds can best maintain their body […]
Project Snowstorm – Snowy Owls in Motion Snowy Owl Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila Snowy Owls are true denizens of the far north, and are only occasionally found south of the Canadian border — even in winter. These beautiful pure white owls are widely admired for their beauty, but not well understood. Project Snowstorm is changing […]
Cowbird Mysteries Brown-headed cowbirds are brood parasites – a term which is pretty much as terrible as it sounds. Basically, these cowbirds mate, and then never build a nest. The females quietly figure out which birds are building nests and then deposit eggs in the nests of these unsuspecting birds. Some birds can figure it […]
Why Do Birds Flock in Fall? At the end of the summer, you may start to see large flocks of birds. Swallows, blackbirds, cowbirds, sparrows amass — sometimes in large flocks that seem to come out of nowhere and then just as mysteriously, disappear. But why is this? And why don’t we see it at […]
Making That First Migration Young birds are leaving the nest, and many of them are getting ready for their first trip south. Migration is a hard and risky business for any bird, but the first marathon voyage for many species of birds takes place shortly after they have fledged. How do they do it? Songbirds […]
Who’s Nest Is This? Nests are pretty amazing. Every species of bird builds a different nest which exactly matches her own needs. Some are very elaborate and beautiful, others are burrows in the ground while others don’t look much like nests at all. Ever wonder what nest belongs to which bird? Here are a few […]
Welcome winter — the perfect time to watch ducks! For kids or adults who haven’t done much birding, ducks are a great place to start as they have three very important things going for them: 1 – they are big 2 – they are out on the open water and easy to see 3 […]
Fallout! Migration is a tough time for birds. Some studies have shown that it is the hardest part of the yearly life cycle for migrants, causing the most mortality. Neotropical migrating birds winter in Central and South America, then migrate to North America for the breeding season. Migration continues throughout the spring season, but if you […]
Hey wait a minute! Doesn’t migration take place in spring and fall? Well, yes…and no. Migration actually takes place year round as there are birds on the move to and from their breeding grounds at all times of year. Just like all birds don’t nest at the same time, not all birds migrate at the […]
Think only humans use highways? Not so! Animals also have paths on land, in the ocean and in the air that they follow year after year. Not unlike our daily commutes, during migration birds use known routes. In North America, for example, there are 4 main migratory superhighways generally followed by birds: Atlantic, Mississippi, Central […]
After spending their winters apart in different places – sometimes thousands of miles from where they breed, hawks, falcons and eagles are returning to the areas where they mate and nest. Not all hawks migrate, but the ones that do return to the same spot, and sometimes the exact same nest, often to meet up […]
Owls are visual hunters who take advantage of the different perceptions at night to confuse their prey. While some owls eat insects and birds, the most popular item on the menu is rodents. And to trick the rodents, owls rely on a time tested recipe for success. The first ingredient in the owl’s hunting […]