Have you seen pictures showing how long owl legs are? Owls, it turns out, are much “leggier” than we might guess. In fact, seeing pictures of an owl’s spindly limbs can be bit of a shock. What’s going on here? Why do owls have such long legs, and why does… Read more >>

Shortly after taking the job as ABC’s Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign Director in 2019, I visited what was at the time the country’s first and only offshore wind facility, off Block Island, Rhode Island. Our companions during the ferry out to Block Island were gray-and-white Cory’s Shearwaters, which cruised above… Read more >>

One Health. Have you heard of it? The chances are good that you haven’t, yet this term has permeated the public, wildlife, and veterinary health professions for years. And in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, One Health has never been more relevant. One Health is a collaborative strategy for… Read more >>

If you know one fact about shrikes, it’s probably that they impale their prey on thorns — but there’s so much more to these stand-out birds than their macabre dining habits. The ancestors of shrikes, which are closely related to crows and ravens, may have first evolved in Africa between… Read more >>

There are five species or types of loon that can be spotted in the United States: the Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Yellow-billed Loon, and Arctic Loon. The otherworldly calls of loons punctuate the nighttime air in a chorus of mournful cries. However, some Indigenous cultures consider these birds… Read more >>

There’s nothing like the flash of a red bird at the feeder to draw your eye to the window. In winter snow or summer greenery, red birds stand out, and the relatively small number of all-red or mostly red bird species in the United States and Canada makes them all… Read more >>

Birds are acknowledged masters of sound, including some extremely unusual, rarely heard “songs.” Famed bird sounds, like the Wood Thrush’s ethereal song, get a lot of play time in our collective imagination — but these dazzling tunes are only the tip of the iceberg. Birds are capable of an amazingly… Read more >>

Hummingbirds may loom large in our minds thanks to their fast and flashy nature, but in truth these birds live life on a small scale — starting with their eggs. Weighing in at less than one-fiftieth of an ounce, hummingbird eggs are easy to overlook, but these tiny wonders deserve… Read more >>

Although seldom seen by the casual birdwatcher, woodpecker tongues are a big part of what makes these birds unique. In combination with powerful chisel-like beaks, long, specialized tongues help woodpeckers access food other birds can’t. But that’s not the only thing that makes these organs so special. Tongues help make… Read more >>

Many birders and naturalists know that scores of bird species in the U.S. and Canada aren’t really “our birds,” in the sense that they are migratory and don’t live here year-round. In fact, many of “our” birds, including most warblers and tanagers and even a few raptors like the Broad-winged… Read more >>