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Chlorpyrifos: Why It's Time to Ban This Dangerous Chemical
Editor’s note: For 50 years the insecticide chlorpyrifos has been posing a threat to human health and wildlife, including birds. We asked Cynthia Palmer, ABC’s Director of Pesticides Science and Regulation, to tell us more about chlorpyrifos and why it’s… Read More »
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Bird Conservation in Today's Political Climate: How You Can Help
Bird conservation and other efforts to protect the environment are at risk. The 115th Congress is considering measures that affect public lands and wildlife. New administrators are taking over leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies charged with… Read More »
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Video: How Neonics Affect Birds
From ornamental plants to the tomatoes in your salad, neonicotinoids, also known as "neonics," are found in a range of products. They are applied as seed coatings, powders, sprays, soil drenches, tree injections, turf treatments, and pet collars. Neonics are… Read More »
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Seven of the Coolest Sparrows in the United States
In North America, it’s easy to enjoy sparrows. You can find them in almost any habitat. They can occur in large (although decreasing) numbers, sing beautifully (for the most part), and reliably cheer up backyard feeders. What’s not so easy… Read More »
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Silent Hunters: Seven Facts About Owls' Hunting and Eating Habits
Owls are quintessential creatures of the night (with a few exceptions mentioned below). Beautiful and formidable predators, they inspire admiration, fear, and a sense of mystery. There are more than 200 species of owls around the world. They are divided… Read More »
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Pigeons and Doves of the United States: A Photo List of All Species
There are 12 species of pigeons and doves in the United States and Canada. Some are widespread and others more localized “specialties,” occupying small ranges in the southern parts of the United States. The main difference between pigeons and doves… Read More »
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Why Conserve Birds?
If these declines in bird populations are not enough, consider these additional reasons that conserving birds is important. Birds Inspire People have always admired birds. Species like Golden Eagles, doves, and ravens permeate history and cultures around the world. Images of… Read More »
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Chimney Swift
The sooty-gray Chimney Swift is best identified by its sleek silhouette, often compared to a "flying cigar." Twittering, gliding, and diving, often high in skies above cities and towns, Chimney Swifts are among the most aerial of all birds. Like… Read More »
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Red-shouldered Hawk
The Red-shouldered Hawk is named for its reddish upper wing coverts, or shoulders. The lineatus in its name means "striped" in Latin, referring to its black-and-white-banded tail and finely barred reddish breast. Another distinctive field mark: translucent wing crescents, or… Read More »
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American Golden-Plover
The American Golden-Plover is made for life on the wing, with an elegant, elongated shape set off by eye-catching breeding plumage of black and white with a gold-spangled back. Like other birds that fly long distances, from the Barn Swallow… Read More »
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American Goldfinch
"The goldfinch is an active little bird, always in the best of spirits," observed noted naturalist Arthur Cleveland Bent early in the 20th century. "It has a definite personality exemplifying light-hearted cheerfulness, restlessness, sociability, and untiring activity." Famed ornithologist Roger… Read More »
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Golden-crowned Kinglet
The tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet is one of the world’s smallest perching birds. At only five grams (about the weight of two pennies), it's not much larger than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Its genus name, Regulus, means “little king,” and refers to… Read More »
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Killdeer
The Killdeer is the largest and most familiar of the "ringed" plovers, a group that includes the Piping and Wilson's Plovers. Although classified as a shorebird, this conspicuous, double-banded species is most often found in areas far from water —… Read More »
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Black-throated Green Warbler
The pretty little Black-throated Green Warbler is aptly named, with a green crown, back, and rump; black throat, upper breast, and wings; and lemon-yellow face. The amount of black on its throat and breast varies according to the bird's age… Read More »
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Laughing Gull
The Laughing Gull is perfectly named; its continuous, raucous "ha-ha-ha" calls are a part of the summer soundtrack along Gulf and Atlantic Coast beaches. This medium-sized, black-hooded gull favors the ocean shore and is a common sight there during the… Read More »
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Birds at Risk
More than one-third of the Americas’ 340 migratory species are birds at risk, suffering measurable declines in population. What’s behind these losses? There is consensus, if inadequate data, that habitat loss is the greatest threat to birds. Habitat loss is accelerating in… Read More »
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American Bird Conservancy Announces Findings in Bird Feed Contamination Tests
American Goldfinches at feeder by Gary Smyle (Washington, D.C., April 14, 2011) American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – the nation’s leading bird conservation organization – today announced the results of its study to test the safety for wild birds of bird… Read More »
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$4.5 Million Fine for Scotts Highlights Need for Monitoring Bird Seed Safety
MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, American Goldfinches at feeder by Gary Smyle (Washington, D.C., February 7, 2012) The recent decision by Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. to plead guilty to charges of distributing insecticide-tainted bird seed highlights the need for… Read More »
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Groups Challenge Proposed EPA Approval of Dangerous New Pesticide
Bobolinks by Kent Mason, USFWS (Washington, D.C., February 20, 2013) Eight national non-profit organizations concerned with the environment, food safety, children’s health, bee and bird conservation, and pesticide management, sent two letters calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to halt… Read More »
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Northern Gannet
The eye-catching Northern Gannet is the largest seabird found in northern Atlantic waters — about the size of a Black-footed or Laysan Albatross — and belongs to the same family as Brown and Red-footed Boobies. It shares a similar pelagic… Read More »
