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Monk Parakeets
If you live in the U.S., parrots might seem like ambassadors from far-off rainforests. Especially since the Carolina Parakeet, a native species once common in the South and Midwest, went extinct in t…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Camille T. Dungy on Nature and Motherhood
Writer Camille T. Dungy’s book Trophic Cascade deals with themes of nature and becoming a mother. The title is an ecological term, referring to the far-reaching changes on an ecosystem caused by the …
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Rapid Evolution in the Galápagos Islands
Scientists have long thought that new species took a very long time to emerge. This thinking has now changed dramatically. On an island in the Galápagos, researchers Rosemary and Peter Grant discover…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Kari Sasportas on Advocating for Autistic Birders
For Kari Sasportas, who helps lead the Feminist Bird Club of Boston, birding is a way to become absorbed in the sensations of the outside world — something that can be difficult for them to do elsew…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
White-crowned Sparrow
The White-crowned Sparrow pours out its song over and over on spring and summer days-and even on moonlit nights-often up to 15 times a minute. Now here's a curious thing: Just as people in different …
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Spring Rain Refreshes a Desert
Springtime in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southeastern California. Cacti and wildflowers glisten with raindrops, and birds begin to sing. A House Finch, a Bewick's Wren, a Cactus Wren, a Mo…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Have You Ever Seen a Tom Turkey's Beard?
With his brilliantly colored plumage fanned out in display, this tom (male) Wild Turkey is a handsome sight to behold. He has a bright red head, long spurs, and… a beard. This “beard” is a small clus…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
A Natural Feast for Hummingbirds
Hoping to attract hummingbirds to your yard or balcony? One way is to grow native plants. Native plants provide cover, and they offer nectar in spring and summer. They also attract insects, the most …
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Kingbirds Steal from Wasps
Kingbirds are robin-sized flycatchers that excel at plucking insects from the air. They’ll even tackle prey as big as cicadas. Finding naturally-camouflaged cicadas hidden among the leaves is hard wo…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Robins and Earthworms: The Backstory
When glaciers pushed south into what is now the U.S. around 20,000 years ago, they scraped off the soil layer and spelled the end of native earthworms except in the southern states. So the earthworm …
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago