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Blind Snakes and Screech-Owls
During the breeding season, when Eastern Screech-Owls capture the worm-like reptiles known as blind snakes, they deliver them to their chicks alive and wriggling. Some are gulped down immediately, bu…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Chickadee Line-up
You'll find the Black-capped Chickadee across the northern US into Canada. The Carolina Chickadee holds sway in the Southeast. Hear the husky voice of a Mountain Chickadee in the Rockies. Travel to C…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Great Kiskadee: Unconventional Flycatcher
An unusual flycatcher called the Great Kiskadee takes on much bigger opponents, sometimes even riding on the back of a falcon for a few seconds to drive them off. Chunky and robin-sized, kiskadees li…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Fruit as a Bribe
In summer, many shrubs bear fruit that birds find irresistible. Elderberries, serviceberries, blackberries, dogwood berries, mulberries, and currants attract many species of birds, including waxwings…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Seeing a Chicago Beach in a New Way
Mikko Jimenez is a PhD student doing research on bird migration. Growing up in Chicago, he played beach volleyball at Montrose Beach, a popular spot on the lake shore. At the time, he wasn’t so aware…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Sandhill Crane Families Stick Together
Sandhill Crane families form a close bond. A pair of adults might travel north with their young from the previous summer, along with grown-up offspring from several years ago. After the breeding seas…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Sleeping on the Wing
Some swifts and frigatebirds stay aloft for months. But for a long time, scientists did not know if the birds might be sleeping on the wing. A 2016 study provided answers. Tiny devices attached to th…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Sparrows Sing in Arizona Monsoon
Midday temperatures in southeast Arizona soar above 100 degrees during the month of July. But relief is coming. A summer monsoon refreshes the Sonoran Desert like a second spring. Grass grows lush, w…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Stowaway Birds
When they migrate, tiny songbirds that spend most of their lives on land fly hundreds of miles over the ocean at a stretch – and they get tired. A recent study suggests that birds migrating over busy…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Paradise-Whydah
A few times each year, the Eastern Paradise-Whydah puts on its party clothes. This small finch is found in East Africa, and males and females generally share the same nondescript appearance. But when…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago