As the use of plastic has grown throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, so too has the ubiquity of plastic waste in the world's oceans. Of all the world's birdlife, seabirds such as albatrosses, gannets, and gulls are hit especially hard by this threat. As we enter beach season, the American Bird Conservancy Action Fund … Read More>>

The New World warblers (family Parulidae) are among the birds most beloved by North American birders. It's not hard to understand why — they can be found in a range of habitats, sing distinctive songs and often sport bright colors, and many are long-distance migrants whose return to the continent is a welcome sign of … Read More>>

If you're interested in bird migration, you're probably familiar with the idea of scientists tracking birds' movements across the globe using tiny backpack-like devices. Knowing the routes individual birds take can be crucial for identifying the stopover sites and wintering grounds that declining bird populations rely on and, hopefully, taking action to protect them. But … Read More>>

One of the surest and most welcome signs of spring is the sound of birdsong drifting from the trees and bushes. But to birds, these songs aren't just an expression of joy. They're serious business, a crucial part of how songbirds find mates, defend territories, and pass on their genes. Birds have a specialized bit … Read More>>

“A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds” is a book by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal about the story of scientists, nonprofits, wildlife agencies, birders, hunters, ranchers and philanthropists, working to save North America's birds. Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled 25,000 miles across the hemisphere to visit the projects, rescue missions … Read More>>

I love birding. It is an escape from the predictability of everyday life, and provides me with a connection to the natural world that is primordially satisfying. It is at once a meditation and a sport, and a way to see the world through a lens that makes a direct connection to nature. It is … Read More>>

Sandy had been waiting for her snowy yard to be filled with bright yellow and black colors, reminding her of sunflowers, like the recent local photos she'd seen on Facebook. Every morning she filled her bird feeders with the recommended seed mix, waited, wondered, and watched. One cold morning in late December, as she refilled … Read More>>

You've probably seen swallows darting back and forth on fluttering wings, plucking insects out of the air to eat. Swallows — members of the bird family Hirundinidae, which includes 86 species worldwide — are part of a broader category of birds called aerial insectivores, meaning they catch insects on the wing. Swallows are small birds … Read More>>

I remember being in the outdoors often with my father when I was a boy. My Dad, Zene, was an avid hunter, angler, and unintentional naturalist, and we were in the fields or at the lake nearly daily. Zene was an Iowa farm boy who grew up to be a career military man. Nature was … Read More>>

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, do you know what you're going to get the bird-loving object of your affection? Here at ABC, we have some suggestions for you to make this Valentine's Day a bird-friendly one:  If the number-one gift to give on Valentine's Day is chocolates, did you know this head-turning, sweetheart of a … Read More>>