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Swamp Sparrow
The Swamp Sparrow, like the Song Sparrow, is often dismissed as a "little brown job." But a closer look reveals a bird richly colored in earthy tones of russet, brown, and cool gray, set off by a white throat and… Read More »
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White-tailed Tropicbird
The graceful, streamer-tailed White-tailed Tropicbird is built for life on the wing. Its taxonomic name, Phaethon, is the ancient Greek word for sun and refers to the young charioteer who dared drive the chariot of the sun god high over… Read More »
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Prairie Warbler
Contrary to its name, the Prairie Warbler is a bird of scrubby fields, clearcuts, and open woods, where it can be located by its buzzy, ascending song, tail-pumping habit, and black-streaked yellow plumage. This species has a bold facial pattern… Read More »
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Dark-eyed Junco
“There is not an individual in the Union who does not know the little Snow-bird,” declared John James Audubon, writing about the Dark-eyed Junco almost 200 years ago. Many people in the United States today still think of this familiar… Read More »
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Townsend's Shearwater
This eye-catching black-and-white seabird is closely related to Newell's Shearwater of Hawai'i, from which it was split in 2015. These lookalike species "shear" or closely skim the ocean surface as they fly, a flight style shared by the Pink-footed Shearwater… Read More »
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American Crow
The American Crow is widespread in North America and, like the Blue Jay, is often maligned and misunderstood. In folklore, the crow is sometimes associated with witchcraft and evil, or is thought to signify misfortune and even death. One popular… Read More »
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Hawaiian Common Gallinule (‘Alae ‘Ula)
Like the ‘Io (Hawaiian Hawk) and ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrel), the ‘Alae ‘Ula, or Hawaiian Common Gallinule, is revered in folklore. According to legend, this bird brought fire from the gods to the people, burning its white forehead red in the… Read More »
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Fading Symbols: These Five State Birds Are in Trouble
U.S. grasslands that once resounded with the boisterous song of the Western Meadowlark are growing silent as numbers of the famed singer decline. This situation, distressing as it is, isn’t unique: A number of state birds have experienced major population… Read More »
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Newell's Shearwater (ʻAʻo)
The low, moaning call of the Newell’s Shearwater gives this small black-and-white seabird its onomatopoeic Hawaiian name ʻAʻo. First described by ornithologist Henry Henshaw in 1900, the elusive bird was declared extinct in less than ten years, then was rediscovered… Read More »
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Birds of Virginia: Waterbirds
Waterbirds are among Virginia’s superlative birds, including some of the largest (pelicans and swans), most colorful (ducks), most ornamentally plumed (egrets and herons), and most exciting to watch (skimmers skimming, terns diving, ibises flapping over marshes at sunrise or sunset).… Read More »
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Birds of Virginia: Backyard Birds
Most birders in Virginia start watching birds around their homes. The following species can be seen almost anywhere in the state, often in cities and towns. While some of the bird species included here are among the most common birds… Read More »
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Nutcrackers, Chisels — and Air Conditioners?! The Diverse World of Bird Beaks
What is a bird beak? Is it just a funny-looking version of a nose, or is it something else entirely? Toco Toucan. Photo by Daniel-Alvarez/Shutterstock. Birds use their beaks for a wide variety of functions, including communication and defense, as… Read More »
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10 Gorgeous Green Birds of the Americas
Green Kingfisher. Photo by Bildagentur ZoomGMBH/Shutterstock. While the color green is commonly associated with parrots and parakeets, it’s actually found in a range of birds throughout the Western Hemisphere and the wider world. Some of these species, like the Green-winged… Read More »
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“Owl” Be Seeing You: Amazing Facts About Owl Eyes
The bird world is full of majestic hunters like eagles, hawks, and falcons, but when the sun sets, one group of avian predators reigns supreme. Owls have many adaptations that make them excellent at stalking prey at night, including specialized… Read More »
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Extinction
A casual observer might not notice, but take a closer look. Across the Americas, fewer birds inhabit our landscapes. Some familiar birds, like the Wood Thrush, are 50 percent less common than they were 50 years ago. This thrush is just… Read More »
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Extraordinary Appendages: An Introduction to Bird Wings
Reconstructed skeleton of Archaeopteryx. Photo by Jim the Photographer from Springfield/Wikimedia Commons. All birds have wings. Even flightless birds, which are descended from flying ancestors, use their wings for balance, display, and other purposes. The origins of these extraordinary appendages… Read More »
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Favorite Bird Sounds and Songs in the United States
Bird sounds — especially bird calls and bird songs — provide a natural soundtrack for our lives. Among other things, they give voice to the spring, sweeten the sunrise, and add mystery to the night. But with hundreds of bird… Read More »
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New Hope for Hawaiian Petrels, Wandering Souls of the Sea
On my first night searching for the Hawaiian Petrel, I am wrapped in a sleeping bag in a lava field at 9,500 feet, waiting. The Milky Way above me is a river of stars. As I watch for the nocturnal… Read More »
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Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker belongs to the boldly marked Melanerpes genus, a group of woodpeckers found only in the New World that includes Acorn and Lewis's Woodpeckers. The genus name derives from the Greek words for "black" and "creeper." Oddly enough,… Read More »
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Seabirds: Nature's Winged Mariners
Wandering Albatrosses. Photo by Goldilock Project/Shutterstock. The term “seabird” doesn’t refer to a specific family of birds, but rather to any bird species adapted to live and feed in the saltwater environment of the ocean. These resilient birds endure some… Read More »
