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Red-headed Woodpeckers Fly on Checkerboard Wings
Red-headed Woodpeckers have mastered the art of high-contrast fashion. Both males and females have deep-crimson head feathers. Their clean white body feathers are offset by large patches of ink black…
Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago
BirdNoir: Staging a Bird-Murder
In this episode of BirdNoir, the Private Eye sees some suspicious activity: a House Sparrow tries to steal a nestbox from Tree Swallows, but then flees the scene in terror. He stakes out the nestbox …
Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Kenon Walker, Duckmaster
Kenon Walker got one of the most unusual job offers you can get: be the Duckmaster of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. That means he would lead the hotel’s five ducks on a daily march to the fountain in…
Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Small Birds Mob Big Ones
When smaller birds join forces to ward off larger birds, it's called mobbing. This behavior — like calling your family for help — is used by many bird species. The best time to observe mobbing is spr…
Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Winter Birds Love Suet
Birds at a suet feeder... What a burst of vitality on a chilly morning! What's the attraction? A cake of suet, suspended from a branch in a small wire feeder. Suet is beef fat, a high-energy food cri…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Alpine Swifts Fly Nonstop
How long can a bird fly without touching the earth? To find out, Swiss scientists attached sensors to Alpine Swifts. The sensors showed long periods when the swifts were gliding and not flapping thei…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
The Harpy Eagle Is a Huge, Powerful Hunter
Harpy Eagles spend their lives in tall, remote tropical forests in Central and South America, flying from tree to tree in search of food. The eagles are named for the Harpies of Greek mythology, wome…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
The Verdin’s Winter Roosts
For small songbirds, surviving a cold winter night can be challenging. Their bodies lose heat faster than those of larger birds. So little birds have found resourceful ways to stay warm — like huddli…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warblers nest in forested regions in much of the East, preferring woodlands with a dense understory, often near streams or other wetlands. These birds can use our help. As their forest habit…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Spark Bird: Christian Cooper’s Red-Winged Blackbird
Christian Cooper wasn’t always interested in birds. His parents were teachers, his dad a science teacher, so nature was always part of his life. When he was a kid, his parents made him take a woodsho…
Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago