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A Renaming Committee of One
Amid discussion of renaming birds that are named after people, ornithologist J. Drew Lanham forms a “committee of one” to choose his own names for birds. In this episode, he suggests two “better, mel…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
Rock Climbing Among the Peregrines
Eagle Cliff in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park is an important nesting site for Peregrine Falcons. Each year, popular climbing routes in the area close temporarily to give nesting falcons …
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
Polite Birds Gesture 'After You' with Their Wings
Researchers studying birds called Japanese Tits, relatives of the chickadees and titmice in North America, noticed that mates raising chicks together often fluttered their wings near the entrance of …
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
Spider Silk - Duct Tape for Bird Nests
The spider’s web is an intricate piece of precision engineering. Made from large proteins, it’s sticky, stretchy, and tough. So it’s no surprise that many small birds — including this Anna’s Hummingb…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
Great Egret's Lacy Courtship
Male Great Egrets have special long feather plumes called aigrettes, which they use in courtship displays in the spring. These beautiful big birds were nearly hunted to extinction for these special f…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
David Shepard and the 'Alala
Artist David Shepard designs aloha shirts with illustrations of Hawai‘i's native flora and fauna. David actually trained as a botanist, and one of his shirt designs was inspired by his experience wor…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
The Marsh Wren's Many Nests
Tiny Marsh Wrens live in wetlands, usually within cattails, reeds, or bulrushes. After choosing his territory, the male weaves up to 15 dome-shaped shells, lashing together cattails, grasses, or reed…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
My Grandmother’s Ornithology, and Mine
In this episode, J. Drew Lanham shares how his grandmother’s personal names for birds helped shape his own relationships with birds. Names such as “redbirds” for Northern Cardinals, “rain crows” for…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
American Robins Are Exceptional Singers
As singers go, American Robins are exceptional. They’re often the first birds to sing in the morning, and the last you’ll hear in the evening. While their average song strings fewer than a dozen shor…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
New English Names for Birds
If you’re new to birding, you might be baffled by names like Couch’s Kingbird, Wilson’s Warbler, and Townsend’s Solitaire. These birds were named in honor of scientists and their friends long ago. Bu…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago