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An App That Helps You Hear High-Pitched Bird Songs
For years, nature recordist Lang Elliott came up with clever ways to hear high-pitched bird songs despite his high-frequency hearing loss. Lang teamed up with a programmer to develop an app called He…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Leaping with Sandhill Cranes
With a graceful leap, wings outstretched, Sandhill Cranes welcome the longer days. The stately cranes are courting, renewing an annual dance they perform in earnest as the days lengthen into spring. …
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
How Noise Pollution Affects Birds
Dr. Clinton Francis is a sensory ecologist who studies how noise pollution affects birds, like this Black-headed Grosbeak. He says sounds from machines and vehicles can really disrupt bird behavior. …
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Observe First, Photograph Second
When Day Scott teaches people how to take pictures of birds, she emphasizes observing birds carefully before picking up the camera. Sometimes that means choosing whether or not to even attempt a phot…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Birds, Berries and Germination
Some plants have evolved fruits with edible flesh that attract birds. When birds swallow the fruit, they also ingest the seeds. They transport the seeds to new spots for the plants to take root. Bird…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Hovering Is Hard Work
Hummingbirds are built for hovering flight, with flexible wrists that rotate their wings in a rapid figure-eight motion that generates almost constant lift. Eurasian Skylarks, on the other hand, hove…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Biomimicry - Japanese Trains Mimic Kingfisher
In the 1990s, train engineers in Japan built trains able to travel nearly 170 miles per hour. The problem was that when the trains exited a tunnel, the air in front of their bullet-shaped noses expan…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Dining with Sanderlings
While many shorebirds have gone south, tiny sandpipers called Sanderlings are easy to find on winter shores. They follow the waves as they lap in and out, probing the swirling sand for prey. They oft…
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Creating Abstract Paintings of Migratory Birds
Artist Debra Ramsay became fascinated with the way that birds and their colors mark changes in the seasons. In her “Migrations” project, she painted species seen in New York’s Central Park, creating …
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago
Tennessee Warbler, Nectar Thief
Tennessee Warblers love drinking nectar, but they do it without helping to pollinate flowers. By tapping a hole into the base of a flower, these warblers enjoy an easy meal while bypassing the flower…
Published on 1 year, 10 months ago