You may recall last year we wrote an article on the dramatic story of Redwood Queen, her long-time mate Kingpin and her chick Iniko whose lives were devastated by the Dolan Fires last August. Iniko’s nest tree was surrounded by flames, but he survived. His father, Kingpin did not. His mother, Redwood Queen, came back […]
Eastern Phoebes are welcome guests in any location. These dark brown and white flycatchers are great to have around for insect control and their “phee-bee” call is often an early harbinger of spring. From Maine through Kentucky, this active bird is in decline, so providing a nesting box would be a helpful addition to your backyard. Their nesting […]
Birds are nesting somewhere every day. During North American winters, nesting is taking place in the Austral summer and for some unusual birds in North American, right now. Here are a couple of active nestcams to enjoy – and if you live in North America, both nestcams are best watched at night! Laysan Albatross: […]
Enlarge your understanding of birds with BirdNote’s new series – Threatened. Enjoy longer, in-depth stories about birds and explore what happens when humans dramatically alter the landscape — and why some birds can hack it in the new norm, while others struggle. In this episode, we’re traveling to Idaho, where native grasslands were once a diverse […]
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Even now, some birds are thinking about nesting. This affectionate Bermuda Petrel pair who has been using this same burrow since 2009 has returned again this year to start a family! But this is not your typical breeding pair of birds. These birds are critically endangered – in fact although once numerous, they were thought to […]
Iniko is the name of a 6 month old condor chick in Big Sur, California. His name means “Born in Troubled Times”, and his story has been a dramatic one. Born April 25, 2020 to Condors “Kingpin” #167 and “Redwood Queen” #190, he was lovingly cared for by both parents who shared the duties of feeding […]
Say Haere rā to Atawhai! The Royal Albatross we have been following for many months now has finally fledged! After 230 days on land, Atawhai tested her wings and made a final, if not entirely steady lift off which will launch her on a non-stop journey of many tens of thousands of miles over the course of the […]
For many shorebirds, nesting season is highly stressful and often unsuccessful – often due to human interaction. But in one spot in NJ, there is a protected beach area where Piping Plovers can raise their brood relatively undisturbed – due to human intervention. Because here, a protected spot was built especially to protect the nesting habitat […]
For months now, early every morning the songs and calls would Molting Northern Cardinal Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel start – sometimes before dawn – and the raucous, beautiful and energetic bird sounds from birds like Carolina Wrens and this Northern Cardinal continued filling the soundscape until sundown. Then one day….suddenly the yard was oddly quiet. While some juvenile birds were still […]
If you are asking this question after reading about the study showing 3 billion birds are gone since 1970, you White-throated Sparrow Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel are not alone as the enormity of the numbers of birds lost is difficult to comprehend. Some of the hardest hit birds are ones we see most often – White-throated Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern and Western […]
Guillemot Chicks screenshot – courtesy Audubon/Explore By now, most raptor chicks have fledged. But now there are some other nests and burrows that are very active: In a manner befitting a Guillemot, both eggs hatched in the Guillemot burrow on International Guillemot Appreciation Day! Do not miss watching these two adorable, black, amazingly active and fluffy little chicks! […]
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 […]
Male Bobolinks are first to arrive on their breeding grounds in the grasslands. Why are there fewer Bobolinks than in decades past? Probably because the landscape of North America has changed so much. Bobolinks originally nested on native prairies of the Midwest and southern Canada. Much of the land where they nested has come under intense cultivation. Grassland conservation […]
California Condor Chick – courtesy Ventana Wildlilfe Society This has been a busy month — some birds we have been following have fledged, others are still in the nest about to burst out on their own. NEW this month is a great view of a California Condor nest in Big Sur, which is home to an active and fluffy chick […]
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 […]
Every year as hatching and fledging season gears up, we find baby birds in spots they don’t seem to belong, i.e. out of their nest. And they seem to look either helpless or lost – what can we do? Rescued House Finch Nestling Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel The answer to this question is based on […]
Stuff To Do With Kids: Make a Nesting Shelter for Robins American Robin on Nest Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel American Robins are wonderful birds to have in your yard. I can’t recall a time I didn’t have robins around, and even in the city where I live, there are robins in the garden behind my […]
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 […]
Great Horned Owl and owlets – courtesy Owl Research Institute Bird around the globe from home with nestcams! In North America, you can see nests we have been following and some new ones with owls, eagles, peregrines and ospreys. Visit New Zealandwhere you can continue to follow the now very large Northern Royal Albatross chick. Then zip over to Bermuda, to […]
Fluffy Bermuda Petrel chick, courtesy Cornell Lab It’s the season for nestcams! What can you see now? Travel the globe to see eagles, owls, hummingbirds, peregrines! Plus get updates on albatross and petrel nests (including this Bermuda Petrel pictured here) we have been following. All just waiting for you to click their cam link! […]
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 […]
Great Horned Owlets Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila One of the best ways to control rodentsis the old fashioned and completely non-toxic way – reliance on the hunting skills of owls. Some owls, like Great Horned Owls, are especially effective at this during nesting season and are often found in orchards or on farm woodlots. They will nest out in the open, […]
After the release of the scientific report last month, spearheaded by White-throated Sparrow Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Cornell Lab of Ornithology, showing the loss of 3 billion birds in North America in less than 50 years, we were deluged with requests asking what can a normal person do to help? The decline of birds is so precipitous that […]
Check out this great video from Audubon about sharing our beaches with beach nesting birds – many of whom have little ones to care for. We can all #sharetheshore!
Piping Plover chick Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Tiny and aggressive, Piping Plovers migrate from Central America and the Bahamas to the US and Canada to breed each year. But pressure from human disturbances and development on or near their nesting areas, has pushed some of these birds to nest in unlikely and unsafe areas. […]
Northern Cardinal Fledgling Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Nesting season’s most asked question is: “I found a baby bird on the ground – what do I do? ” Well, that’s not entirely scientific, but the question gets asked a lot right now! We expect to see baby birds in the nest being fed and cared for, but what […]
Osprey nest in Savannah nestcam/Cornell More Chicks to watch! Our favorite nestcam this month shows three seriously cute and relentlessly active Osprey chicks in the nest we have been following in Savannah. Barred Owls in Indiana have two beautiful little owlets in their nestbox. Our super fluffy Bermuda Cahow chick on Nonsuch Island is really getting big! […]
Bermuda Cahow chick -nestcam/Cornell Chicks are hatching! Our favorite nestcam this month is the ridiculously adorable Bermuda Cahow chick on Nonsuch Island. He’s so fluffy and tiny that every movement and especially wing flapping becomes an experience! And don’t miss the parental visits to feed and preen him and fluff his nesting materials. Unbearably cute! Fraser Point Bald Eagles – all […]
Tree Swallow Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Both species of beautiful blue birds rely on hard-to-find cavities or nest boxes to raise their families. And right now the race is on for available nesting spots. Tree Swallow populations are in decline in part because they need cavities or special boxes for safe nesting. Hear more about the […]
Rufous-TailedHummingbird Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel All species of hummingbirds are found in the New World, making this a truly American bird. While most hummingbirds are found in Central and South America, some species of these tiny gems searching for food and shelter grace many a North American garden. If you are in an area where hummingbirds […]
Fraser Point Bald Eagle nestcam/explore.org There is a lot to see right now — owls setting up to nest, baby hummingbirds being fed, beautiful birds at the feeder in Panama and more… Enjoy them all! Fraser Point Bald Eagles in Santa Cruz have 2 eggs – hatch watch starts March 16. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird cam in California with a chick and another egg! (see […]
It’s not too early to prepare for the nesting birds you want to attract to your yard during nesting season. If you are interested in a DIY project, here’s one which helps Northern Flickers. Northern Flicker Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Flickers are considered common birds, but are suffering a steep decline in population due to loss of habitat as dead trees […]
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 […]
Black-tailed Godwit/Photo Credit: BirdLife Sweden For our year end issue we wanted to highlight some bird conservation success stories. Sometimes the challenges to birds and conservation can loom large. It’s not always good news. But there are numerous successes and new positive findings about birds which give us hope that the work we do on behalf of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Baby Birds Through the Summer Spring isn’t the only time to see baby birds. While most Wild Turkey chicks songbirds have already nested and many of the young have fledged, some songbirds like Bluebirds, Robins and Cardinals who may have three broods during the season, and Mourning Doves who may have as many as six, […]
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 […]
Help Nesting Birds! Nesting season is happening in many places, so there is still time to help breeding birds in your backyard. Here are three easy things you can do to make nesting and raising chicks easier for the birds in your backyard. 1 — Birds can always use nesting materials! In some neighborhoods, people […]
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 […]