• Blue Jay

    The brash and beautiful Blue Jay is seldom regarded with indifference. Some think it's an aggressive bully, while others love its boisterous, sociable nature. A member of the Corvid family, related to the Common Raven and Green Jay, the Blue… Read More »

  • Black-capped Chickadee

    The feisty Black-capped Chickadee is the most common and widespread of the seven chickadee species found in North America. Named for its call and trademark black cap, this little bird is a common sight at backyard bird feeders, along with… Read More »

  • Carolina Wren

    "Like others of its tribe, the Carolina Wren is the embodiment of tireless energy and activity," wrote ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent, "seldom still for a moment, as he dodges in and out of the underbrush or creeps over and around… Read More »

  • White-breasted Nuthatch

    The confiding, acrobatic White-breasted Nuthatch delights many a backyard birder with its head-down antics and nasal calls. Sometimes described as the "upside-down bird" or " wall walker," this agile little songbird is often seen in the company of other familiar… Read More »

  • Rufous Hummingbird

    At a tad over three inches long, the feisty red-and-orange Rufous Hummingbird is a tiny warrior, readily attacking birds many times its size, as well as large insects or anything else it perceives as a threat to its territory. It… Read More »

  • Pileated Woodpecker

    With flashing black-and-white wings and a bright red crest, when a crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker swoops by, even the most experienced birders stop in their tracks. This is the largest of North American woodpeckers. In the United States, only the Ivory-billed… Read More »

  • Tufted Titmouse

    The active and agile Tufted Titmouse is easily recognized by its jaunty crest of gray feathers, big black eyes, and rust-colored flanks. This familiar bird feeder visitor often joins mixed foraging flocks with other common backyard birds such as the… Read More »

  • Mourning Dove

    The handsome Mourning Dove is a familiar sight to most people — beige-brown above and pinkish-brown below, with black spots on its wings and an iridescent pink-and-blue flash on its neck. A ring of vivid blue skin encircles its large,… Read More »

  • Northern Flicker

    The Northern Flicker is a standout, even in an unusual family of birds that includes the pink-and-green, flycatching Lewis's Woodpecker and the clown-faced, nut-hoarding Acorn Woodpecker. This brownish-gray woodpecker, larger than an American Robin, has a black-barred back and is… Read More »

  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet

    One of North America’s smallest songbirds, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is tinier than a Black-capped Chickadee and only a bit larger than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Unremarkable at first glance, this diminutive bird is a drab olive-green and gray, with a white… Read More »

  • Northern Mockingbird

    The Northern Mockingbird is well-known for its powers of mimicry. Nicknamed the "American Nightingale," this remarkable species has been recorded as learning the songs and calls of hundreds of other birds, as well as musical instruments, car alarms, and many… Read More »

  • BOTW Homepage Thumbnail Northern Cardinal

    Northern Cardinal

    In the East, few birds are as familiar and well-loved as the Northern Cardinal. The male "Redbird" is unmistakable, with a distinctive crest and vivid red plumage, which is rivaled perhaps only by the Scarlet Tanager or Vermilion Flycatcher. The… Read More »

  • Migrating Birds Could Use a Helping Hand – Ten Ways People Can Protect Birds This Spring

    Allen's Hummingbird by Susan Beree (Washington, D.C., April 21, 2011) As warmer temperatures begin to arrive, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) often gets asked how people can help birds. Toward that end, ABC has identified the top ten things people can… Read More »

  • Pink-footed Shearwater

    Pink-Footed Shearwater

    Flying over the Pacific Ocean, sensing every movement of the wind and waves, Pink-footed Shearwaters are finely attuned to the world around them. These ocean-going birds are frequently far from human civilization, and as the old saying goes, “out of sight, out… Read More »

  • A Red-breasted nuthatch sitting on a branch

    Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Once known as the Canada Nuthatch or Red-bellied Nuthatch, the active, compact Red-breasted Nuthatch is a common resident of northern and western coniferous and mixed forests in the United States and Canada. Usually well-hidden within the thick forest it favors,… Read More »

  • Gray Catbird

    The Gray Catbird is a familiar member of the Mimidae (mimic) family, a group of birds that includes noted songsters such as Northern Mockingbird and Sage Thrasher. Like its relatives, the Gray Catbird mimics a variety of sounds, but this… Read More »

  • Bahama Oriole

    The dashing Bahama Oriole has shiny black plumage and bright lemon-yellow on its belly, wings, and rump. Unlike the related Baltimore Oriole, male and female Bahama Orioles are very similar in appearance. Found only on the Andros Islands in the… Read More »

  • Steller's Jay. Photo by dimostudio, Shutterstock.

    Steller's Jay

    The gregarious and noisy Steller's Jay traditionally has been the only crested jay found west of the Rocky Mountains, although in recent decades, its close relative the Blue Jay has made some inroads there. This robust species is also sometimes… Read More »

  • Feral cats by John Honeywell

    Two New Studies Document Link Between Serious Mental Disorders and Parasites Associated with Cats

    (Washington, DC, June 3, 2015) Two new peer-reviewed studies have just been published evaluating the link between serious mental disorders and a common cat-carried parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect any warm-blooded species (i.e., birds, mammals) but relies on felids… Read More »

  • Common Backyard Birds of the United States

    American Robin. Photo by Jeff Rzapka/Shutterstock. If you’re just getting interested in birds, identifying the ones that live in your backyard or neighborhood is a great place to begin. With a little guidance and patience, most people can quickly learn… Read More »