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A Quest to Save Wood Thrush (and Jaguars) in Nicaragua's Largest Remaining Forest
Every year, millions of Wood Thrush take to the skies and trade one chain of gentle mountains for another. They travel along the rolling ridge of the Appalachians, cross the Gulf of Mexico, and after brief sojourns to rest and… Read More »
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After Dorian: How Are Birds in the Bahamas Doing?
In the first days of September, Hurricane Dorian roared over the northwestern Bahamas, ripping across and swamping Abaco and Grand Bahama. This colossal storm left more than 50 dead, 1,300 missing, and thousands without food and shelter. The storm also… Read More »
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Cool Birds: Five Extraordinary Birds of the Western Hemisphere
All birds are marvels of natural engineering and adaptation, but some — there’s no denying it — fire our imagination more than others. These “cool birds” defy expectations, stretch our thinking, and simply can’t be ignored. To that end, we’ve… Read More »
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Top Nine Bird Conservation Wins In 2019
The last year has held no shortage of challenges for birds and bird conservation. But thanks to the strong backing of American Bird Conservancy's partners and supporters, our conservation efforts flourished, and we scored major victories for birds across the… Read More »
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Singing in the Dark: 7 of the Most Captivating Nighttime Songsters in the U.S.
For good reason, birds are emblematic of the morning — that’s when many are most vocal — but some species find their voice after dark, and listening to these birds chirping at night can be a uniquely enchanting (or eerie)… Read More »
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To Prevent Another Pandemic, It's Time to End the Global Wild Bird Trade
The tragic emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic has once again exposed the nexus between human health and wildlife conservation issues. Wild bird markets where birds, other wildlife, and domesticated animals are often confined in crowded, unsanitary conditions are potential… Read More »
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Saving Birds with Sound
Above Kaua‘i’s remote northwest coast, an unlikely whine fills the air. A helicopter glides out of the sky and hovers just above impassable, 3,000-foot-high cliffs that are preferred nesting grounds for the world’s remaining colonies of the Newell’s Shearwater and… Read More »
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The Surprisingly Complex Science of Bird Longevity
How long do birds live? Whether you want to ace this question at your next bird-themed trivia challenge or just impress someone spontaneously, here’s the answer: Birds can live between four and 100 years, depending on the species. While it… Read More »
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The Amazing Secrets of Woodpecker Tongues
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… Read More »
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Know Your Nocturnal Neighbors: Nine Owl Calls to Listen For
There’s more to owl sounds than just “hoo, hoo.” Each species of owl has its own unique call — sometimes more than one. If you’ve heard owl sounds at night around your neighborhood and are wondering about the caller’s identity,… Read More »
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American Bird Conservancy's Top 10 Birds of 2021
Few may remember 2021 fondly, but if there is a silver lining, it’s that many of us took advantage of our time at home to connect or re-connect with birds we love. In that spirit, we’ve decided to close 2021… Read More »
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Take Flight From Lawn Pesticides: Tips for Organic, Bird-Friendly Gardening
Around 1 billion pounds of conventional pesticides are sprayed and scattered each year in the United States, applied to everything from the food we eat, to the grass we walk on, to the plants in our gardens. Although invisible, many… Read More »
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What's the Deal with Duck Bills?
Mallard. Photo by Sharon de Groot/Shutterstock. If you’ve ever gotten a glimpse inside the beak of a bold duck or goose that approached you at a local park or elsewhere, you may have done a double take. Were those…teeth?! Ducks… Read More »
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Save Birds, Save Our Earth
We have lost 3 billion birds in the last 50 years. Our study in Science shocked the world with the news that nearly 3 billion breeding adult birds have been lost from the United States and Canada over the past… Read More »
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Climate Change
As the climate changes, many birds are struggling to adapt. Climate change exacerbates existing threats, such as habitat loss and degradation, while adding new challenges, including shifting ranges and altered migration patterns. These threats pose an ever-growing danger to birds… Read More »
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Black-necked Stilt
“Long” and “thin” are the best adjectives for describing this elegant black and white shorebird: long neck; thin, needle-like black bill; and long, pink legs. Black-necked Stilts have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird—only a… Read More »
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Great Frigatebird (‘Iwa)
The Great Frigatebird has a distinctive flight silhouette, with long, pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. Like the Swallow-tailed Kite, its wings allow for graceful aerial acrobatics and effortless soaring. Frigatebirds often use their aerial agility to harass other… Read More »
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Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi
One of the most common and adaptable of Hawaiian honeycreepers, the Hawai‘i 'Amakihi is found in all types of habitat, from sea level to 9,500 feet. Its presence at lower elevations seems to indicate that this species is evolving a… Read More »
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ʻAkiapolaʻau
The ʻAkiapolaʻau (pronounced ah-kee-ah-POH-LAH-OW) has one of the most unusual bills in the Hawaiian honeycreeper family, with a long, downward-curving upper mandible, used for probing, and a shorter lower mandible that functions as a chisel. This specialized bill allows the… Read More »
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ʻOmaʻo
The robin-like ʻOmaʻo, also known as the Hawaiian Thrush, is one of only two endemic thrushes left in Hawaii. (The other species, the Puaiohi, is found on Kaua‘i.) Once there were endemic thrushes on each of the main Hawaiian Islands,… Read More »
