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Can Crows Laugh at Me?
The American Crow’s rattle call is uncommon, and researchers aren’t sure what it means. It could be a gathering call, a predator alarm, or a call bet…
2 years, 1 month ago
Does a Robin Hear Its Worm?
How does a robin know a worm is in one exact spot? Does it see the worm or hear it? Smell it? Sense its movements through its feet? To find the answe…
2 years, 1 month ago
Catching Insects
Birds that depend on flies for food have many creative ways of catching their prey. Swallows execute sharp turns and quick changes of speed. Bluebird…
2 years, 2 months ago
Warning Eggs About a Warming World
For birds, learning starts early. Birds listen to their parents’ songs and calls from inside the egg. Recent findings have shown that calls from Zebr…
2 years, 2 months ago
Migrations: Molt Migration
At the end of summer, the once-bright feathers of a male American Goldfinch look ragged. Growing new flight feathers in a process called molting make…
2 years, 2 months ago
Do Woodpeckers Suffer Brain Injuries?
When woodpeckers drum, they slam their beaks against bark many times per second. Scientists have long hypothesized that woodpeckers have a way of pro…
2 years, 2 months ago
Wood Ducks Succeed
Your eye may be drawn to the gorgeous male Wood Duck, but it is the call of the modestly plumaged female you’ll hear. This call tells the male where …
2 years, 2 months ago
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird’s Dazzling Dives
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are small but hardy creatures built for life in the mountains. They survive freezing cold nights by slowing their heart rat…
2 years, 2 months ago
Swallow or Swift?
At a glance, swallows and swifts, both graceful fliers, look much alike. But swifts — like this Chimney Swift — have longer, slimmer wings and short …
2 years, 2 months ago
What’s a Beak Made Of?
Bird beaks, or bills, come in many shapes and sizes. And birds use them for just about everything: to collect food, preen, fight, court (as this pair…
2 years, 2 months ago