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Roadrunner
The Greater Roadrunner is a common species in the desert and brush country of the Southwest, but its full range reaches from California to western Louisiana. Its soft cooing voice hints at its connec…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The Music of Birds Migrating in the Night
Ornithologist Bill Evans has helped us better understand the sounds that birds make as they migrate at night. Known as nocturnal flight calls, many species can be identified based on their signature …
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The Vampire Finch
Vampire Ground-Finches menace their victims in broad daylight, stabbing holes in their flesh, then devouring the blood. During the dry season, when their usual diet of seeds can be scarce, they turn …
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
There’s More Than One Way to Climb a Tree
No bird is better adapted for climbing up a tree trunk than a woodpecker. The foot of this Pileated Woodpecker is ideal for clinging, and its relatively short legs allow it to anchor itself securely.…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
How a Bird Came to Look Like a Caterpillar
The Cinereous Mourner is a small, ashy-gray bird that lives in the forest understory of the Amazon Basin. And it’s taking mimicry to the next level: when viewed from above, lying alone in its cup-sha…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
What Makes an Efficient Flying Bird?
Every bird species uses its wings a little differently, and some are specialized for highly efficient flight. But that means going without other abilities. Swallows and hummingbirds (like this Talama…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Surfing with Scoters
Surf Scoters are perfectly at home in the element they’re named for. They swim smack in the middle of what surfers call the impact zone: Just where the waves break with greatest violence. Why risk th…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The Birds of Yoga
Pigeon Pose. Crow Pose. Eagle pose. Bird of paradise. Writer Trisha Mukherjee, who is also a yoga teacher, discusses the connections these bird-inspired yoga poses have with Hindu mythology and philo…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
The Sociable Weaver’s Colonial Nest
When it comes to nests, common sense suggests that large birds build large nests, and small birds build small nests. But in fact, some species of smaller birds build large nests. None, though, builds…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago
Ornate Hawk-Eagle: the Elegant Eagle
Ornate Hawk-Eagles stand out from other raptors with their impressive crest that looks like an elegant crown in adults, and a punk hairdo over the white-headed and black-bodied juveniles. These birds…
Published on 2 years, 1 month ago