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Female Condors Have Offspring Without Males
A captive breeding program has helped set California Condors on the path to recovery. But when biologists reviewed the family tree for the breeding program, they found a big surprise. Two chicks had …
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago
The Auspicious Chime of the Bare-throated Bellbird
The sight and sound of the Bare-throated Bellbird—the national bird of Paraguay—inspires wonder and delight. Its presence as an indicator species and seed disperser also bodes well for ecosystem heal…
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Danielle Whittaker and the Mystery of Bird Scent
When biologist Danielle Whittaker started studying bird odors, some scientists tried to discourage her, claiming that birds can’t smell. But that only deepened her curiosity. Once, she caught a whiff…
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Black-billed Magpie
The Black-billed Magpie is a familiar sight throughout much of the west. The magpie's bulky nest is a rough sphere of sticks nearly three feet across, with entrance ports on the sides. Take a field t…
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Healing Trauma with Animals at the Kyiv Zoo
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, zookeepers at the Kyiv Zoo shared audio recordings from the animal enclosures with BirdNote. The Zoo staff maintained care for the a…
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks 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 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Sage Thrasher and Sagebrush
The glorious song of the male Sage Thrasher rings out every Spring from tracts of sagebrush throughout the west. Sagebrush was once widespread in the Great Basin region, and so were the thrashers. Bu…
Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago
You Are What You Eat
House Finches are familiar birds all across North America. Researchers have shown that the red coloration of males is produced from carotenoid pigments in the birds' diet. Male House Finches develop …
Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Long-lived Wisdom, the Albatross
A Laysan Albatross named Wisdom has been nesting and raising chicks on the island of Midway for nearly 60 years. She was banded back in 1956 and was rediscovered, still alive and healthy, in 2002. Si…
Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Nest Cavities – Book Early
Tree Swallows and bluebirds — like this Western Bluebird — are among the earliest northbound migrants to arrive, heralding spring a month before the equinox. These species will nest only in cavities,…
Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago