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The Alula
Adjusting the flaps on an airplane’s wing allows a pilot to control lift and drag — and the design of these flaps was inspired by the wings of birds.…
2 years, 6 months ago
Birding with a Baby
Writer Jen Sizeland has found peace through watching birds throughout her life, so she wanted that for her child, too. When she was pregnant, she sou…
2 years, 6 months ago
Migrations: Indigo Bunting, Master Stargazer
The stars appear to rotate in the sky, raising the question of how birds can use stars to navigate during migration. Ornithologist Stephen Emlen brou…
2 years, 6 months ago
Birds Love Sunflowers
Found throughout North America, the common sunflower can grow up to ten feet high, towering over other herbs and grasses. And that’s only half the st…
2 years, 6 months ago
The Harsh Beauty of Grackle Songs
Ranging from metallic hisses to electronic yodels, sounds of grackles may not be music to our ears—but they have their own rough beauty, a distinctiv…
2 years, 6 months ago
Moon-Watching for Migrating Birds
Before the high-tech gadgets used to track bird migration today, there was moon-watching: a technique dreamed up in the 1940s by ornithologist George…
2 years, 7 months ago
Watching Birds' Behavior
To distinguish one bird from a similar one, watch how the bird moves. Does it flick its wings? Bob up and down? Flip its tail? The White-breasted Nut…
2 years, 7 months ago
Where Do Fledglings Go?
By late summer, most birds hatched in spring are on their own, without help from their parents. Where do they go? Young migratory birds will head sou…
2 years, 7 months ago
Arizona Woodpecker and the Sierra Madre
Found in the Sierra Madre, the Arizona Woodpecker has a special connection to the mountain range. Sharing mid-elevation pine and oaks with fellow bor…
2 years, 7 months ago
Do Crows Sing?
It’s been said that if someone knows only three birds, one of them will be the crow. They’re common, easy to see, and even easier to hear. But crow v…
2 years, 7 months ago