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American Avocet
The elegant American Avocet is a striking sight at any time of the year. This gregarious shorebird is a close relative of another eye-catching bird, the Black-necked Stilt. Both species have long necks and legs and flashy black-and-white plumage. However,… Read More »
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Sharp-tailed Grouse
The Sharp-tailed Grouse is closely related to Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens, but has several characteristics that set it apart: The “Sharptail” has a white-edged, wedge-shaped tail with two long central feathers that give it an elongated, spiky appearance. Also, the… Read More »
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Northern Pintail
The handsome Northern Pintail is one of North America’s most widespread ducks, especially in the West, though it is not nearly as abundant as the more familiar Mallard. This species is distinctive both on the water and in flight. Both… Read More »
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Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
The elegant Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is an unforgettable sight, with a forked black-and-white tail that can reach twice the length of its body. While both sexes have long tails, the male's is noticeably longer. This bird’s silvery gray-and-white plumage is accented… Read More »
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Yellow Rail
The tiny and enigmatic Yellow Rail is only slightly larger than the Black Rail and is perhaps even more difficult to detect in its marshy haunts. Often described as quail-like in appearance, this stocky rail has dark-brown upperparts striped in… Read More »
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Bird City Network
Expanding Bird Conservation Across the Americas The many challenges that birds face throughout the Americas have reduced breeding bird populations by 3 billion birds since 1970. Bringing the birds back requires sound science, effective planning, and a dedicated network of local… Read More »
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Red-faced Warbler
The Red-faced Warbler is one of only two North American warblers with red plumage; the other is the Painted Redstart, another species of the Mexican border. The Red-faced Warbler keeps its vivid red facial plumage year-round, and both sexes look… Read More »
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Northern Bobwhite
The Northern Bobwhite, also known as Virginia quail or partridge, is a New World quail species in the same family as the Montezuma and Scaled Quails. Like its relatives, the bobwhite has a short, curved bill; a chunky, roundish body;… Read More »
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Saving Habitat, for the Love of Birds
Whiskered Screech Owl. Photo by Amanda Guercio/Shutterstock 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… Read More »
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Five Ways to Take Action to Reduce Pesticides
Taking action to reduce pesticides can start in your own home and/or garden. Photo by Rosamund Parkinson/Shutterstock Around 1 billion pounds of conventional pesticides are sprayed and scattered each year in the United States, and many of these chemicals remain… Read More »
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Eastern Meadowlark
Often hunkered down in the grasses, the Eastern Meadowlark may surprise a casual observer: This stout-bodied bird sports a cryptic, streaky brown back, but when facing you, you see its shocking yellow breast, emblazoned with a bold, black “V.” Spring… Read More »
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ABC Garden Tour: Cutting Down Pesticide Use in a Native Plant-Rich Yard in Ohio
Hardy Kern's backyard in Ohio. Photo by Amanda Carberry Hear the birds! Sniff the flowers! Drink some lemonade! Summer is in full swing here in Ohio, which means tons of time spent outdoors enjoying nature. Whether in your yard, on… Read More »
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Grasshopper Sparrow
More often heard than seen, the Grasshopper Sparrow is named for the insect-like quality of its songs. Like its cousins the Henslow’s and Baird’s Sparrows, the Grasshopper Sparrow appears big-headed and large-billed when compared to more familiar species like the… Read More »
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ABC Birding: Palila Forest Discovery Trail, Hawai'i
https://youtu.be/NltT0BeIwJw Lay of the Land: Located on the island of Hawai‘i, the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve’s Palila Forest Discovery Trail — designed and supported with help from American Bird Conservancy (ABC) — goes through one of the largest remaining tracts of… Read More »
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Thick-billed Longspur
One of the first scientific descriptions of the Thick-billed Longspur, made in 1851 by amateur ornithologist George Newbold Lawrence, named this bird the “rufous-winged lark bunting.” Its current moniker is a literal translation of the bird’s genus name Rhynchophanes (Thick-billed),… Read More »
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New Seabird Restoration Project Highlights Connections Between Culture and Conservation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlNTX4ND24E A seabird restoration project was initiated this month at Nuʻalolo Kai on the rugged and remote Nā Pali coast of Kauaʻi. The project is a partnership of multiple organizations*, including American Bird Conservancy (ABC), and aims to restore seabird… Read More »
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Least Tern
As its name implies, the Least Tern is the tiniest of North American terns, and one of the continent's smallest fishing birds. Everything about this bird is small scale: Of the terns, it has the shortest tail, daintiest bill, quickest… Read More »
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Blackpoll Warbler
The Blackpoll Warbler, named for the male's black forehead and crown, has the longest migration of any North American warbler. Each fall, most Blackpolls migrate more than 2,000 miles across open water without stopping, sometimes flying for more than 80… Read More »
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Swainson's Hawk
From late spring through summer, this handsome western buteo is a familiar sight over open country in many parts of the West, soaring overhead on long, bicolored wings. But in fall, this raptor leaves breeding grounds and migrates long distances,… Read More »
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Palila
One of Hawai‘i's endemic honeycreepers, the Palila lives in dry, open māmane forests high on the slopes of Mauna Kea. This species is a standout in an already unique group of island birds: Most Hawaiian honeycreepers spend their days seeking… Read More »
