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Migrations: Molt Migration
At the end of summer, the once-bright feathers of a male American Goldfinch look ragged. Growing new flight feathers in a process called molting makes him more vulnerable to predators. Before migrati…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
Do Woodpeckers Suffer Brain Injuries?
When woodpeckers drum, they slam their beaks against bark many times per second. Scientists have long hypothesized that woodpeckers have a way of protecting their brains from injury. However, more re…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
Wood Ducks Succeed
Your eye may be drawn to the gorgeous male Wood Duck, but it is the call of the modestly plumaged female you’ll hear. This call tells the male where his mate is, important as the pair stays together …
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird’s Dazzling Dives
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are small but hardy creatures built for life in the mountains. They survive freezing cold nights by slowing their heart rate and metabolism. And they perform a death-defying…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
Swallow or Swift?
At a glance, swallows and swifts, both graceful fliers, look much alike. But swifts — like this Chimney Swift — have longer, slimmer wings and short bodies, enabling them to glide for long periods. T…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
What’s a Beak Made Of?
Bird beaks, or bills, come in many shapes and sizes. And birds use them for just about everything: to collect food, preen, fight, court (as this pair of Laysan Albatrosses is doing), chop holes in tr…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
Learning More About Birds by Sketching Them
Many people take an interest in birds as they get older. But others start very early, like one young BirdNote listener named Ben Bradmon. He has been learning how to identify birds by their calls. Hi…
Published on 1 year, 3 months ago
The Brown Thrasher's Never-Ending Songbook
The Northern Mockingbird isn’t the only mimic bird in town. Brown Thrashers also learn songs from nearby birds and add them to their repertoire. The species has been documented singing over 1,100 dif…
Published on 1 year, 4 months ago
The Ulūlu's Comeback
There are promising signs that a native Hawaiian bird called the ulūlu is on the way to recovery. Also known as the Millerbird, this small gray songbird nearly disappeared when invasive species inclu…
Published on 1 year, 4 months ago
Phainopeplas Glisten
A slim, sleek bird with a spiky crest, Phainopepla comes from the Greek for “shining cloak.” The name refers to the male’s glistening, inky black feathers, which are set off by piercing red eyes. And…
Published on 1 year, 4 months ago