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Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrikes are found across much of the United States in open country, like pasture and sagebrush. Male shrikes are well known for impaling their prey on thorns, creating a larder that may he…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Migrations: Veeries Predict Hurricanes
In some years, tawny-colored thrushes called Veeries cut their breeding season short. Researchers discovered that Veeries tend to stop breeding early in the same years that the Atlantic hurricane sea…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Decibels Per Gram
Some of the tiniest birds in the world have impressively loud voices. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet — that bright-headed sprite of the treetops — would be downright deafening if it were just a little bigg…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Common Potoo: Branch or Bird?
Common Potoos are champions of camouflage. In the daytime these nocturnal creatures perch perfectly still on branches: heads pointed upward, bodies outstretched, and eyes closed down to tiny slits. I…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Providing Water for Birds
From chickadees to Cooper’s Hawks, most birds love a good bath. Some birds get the fluids they need from their food, but many birds need a drink at least twice a day. Water is essential for birds, an…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The Striped Owl: A Yelling Owl
Striped Owls are known for their diverse vocalizations. Their repertoire includes deep hoots, eerie screeches, and a range of calls that help give an otherworldly ambiance to tropical rainforests fr…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Using Machine Learning to Forecast Bird Migration
PhD student Mikko Jimenez and his colleagues are using machine learning to improve our ability to forecast bird migration. Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that can find patterns…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
What the Pacific Wren Hears
What does the Pacific Wren hear in a song? It's a long story. What we hear as a blur of sound, the bird hears as a precise sequence of sounds, the visual equivalent of seeing a movie as a series of s…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Urban Cooper’s Hawks
Next time you’re in the city, look up. When pigeons are wheeling, you might just see a different bird in pursuit. The Cooper’s Hawk, once known as the “chicken hawk,” used to be in steep decline due …
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Birding for a Better World
Molly Adams founded the Feminist Bird Club to try to make birding safer and more inclusive. Along with coauthor Sydney Golden Anderson, Molly wrote a book titled Birding for a Better World that welco…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago