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Art and Environmental Activism
Mustafa Santiago Ali has been an environmental activist and policymaker for nearly three decades. The work has taught him that everyone has a story to tell – and those stories can drive change. For B…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The Elusive Virginia Rail
The Virginia Rail is a secretive bird, a relative of coots and cranes. And it's a bird you'll more often hear than spy. The rail takes its name from its narrow body (you know the saying, "as skinny a…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Clever Nuthatches
Of the four nuthatch species living in the United States, the most common are the Red-breasted Nuthatch and the White-breasted Nuthatch. The nuthatch's insistent call matches its aggressiveness. As t…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The Unmistakable Ruddy Turnstone
The Ruddy Turnstone stands out among sandpipers. On taking flight, the turnstone flashes a vivid and unmistakable pattern of dark and light striping across its wings and tail. And that comical chatte…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Two Rare Wrens Serenade Southern Mexico
Sumichrast’s Wren and Nava’s Wren are both sooty-brown songbirds of southern Mexico. They both live in tropical forests where limestone outcrops provide a natural amphitheatre to show off their vocal…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Vocal Learning is for the Birds
Humans and songbirds are among a small group of animals that can learn to imitate the sounds we hear. It’s an ability called vocal learning that makes language possible. Scientists who study human sp…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Swans Come Calling
Trumpeter Swans are among the world's largest flying waterfowl. They can weight up to 25 pounds and have a wingspan of nearly seven feet! These swans migrate in family groups each fall from nesting s…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Volunteer for Project FeederWatch
Project FeederWatch is a community science project studying over 100 species of birds that spend their winters in North America. From November through April, people count the birds they see at a bird…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
State Birds
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have official birds. To become a state bird, it helped to be familiar, colorful, and have a punchy song. The Northern Cardinal perches as state bird in seve…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Makes a Comeback
While most Sandhill Cranes migrate, the Mississippi population lives year-round in wet pine savanna near the Gulf Coast. Their dependence on this unique habitat caused their population to plummet to …
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago