For the Birds
Author's posts
Dec 14 2023
Finch: Species, Identification, Habitat, Diet & Facts
Finches are small, lively songbirds known for their seed-cracking bills, cheerful calls, colorful plumage, and tendency to gather in active flocks. They are among the most familiar birds at backyard feeders, where species such as the House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin can sometimes appear in surprising numbers. True finches belong to …
Dec 14 2023
Vultures: Species, Diet, Habitat, Facts & Conservation
Vultures are among the most recognizable—and misunderstood—birds in the world. With enormous wings, hooked bills, bare or sparsely feathered heads, and an extraordinary ability to locate carrion, these birds are perfectly adapted to a life spent searching for animals that have already died. That may not sound glamorous, but vultures perform one of nature’s most …
Dec 09 2023
Rosy Finch: A Guide to North America’s High-Mountain Finches
Few songbirds are as closely associated with snow, wind, and high mountain landscapes as the rosy-finches. These hardy members of the finch family spend much of their lives in alpine environments where trees disappear, snowfields linger well into summer, and winter weather can be severe. North America is home to three rosy-finch species: the Gray-crowned …
Dec 09 2023
Giant Coot
The Giant Coot (Fulica gigantea) is an extraordinary waterbird of the high Andes of South America. Larger and heavier than most other coots, this imposing member of the rail family lives among cold lakes, lagoons, and marshes thousands of feet above sea level. With its dark slate-colored body, brilliant reddish legs, and striking multicolored bill …
Dec 08 2023
Golden Pheasant
The Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is one of the most spectacular members of the pheasant family. The adult male looks almost unreal, with a brilliant golden crest, scarlet underparts, an orange-and-black neck ruff, flashes of blue and green, and an extraordinarily long patterned tail. Females could hardly look more different. Their brown, buff, and black …
Dec 08 2023
Chinese Monal
The Chinese Monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) is one of the most spectacular pheasants in the world. Found only in the high mountains of China, this large ground-dwelling bird combines brilliant iridescent plumage with a rugged alpine lifestyle. Male Chinese Monals shimmer with metallic green, blue, purple, and copper tones, while females wear far more subdued brown …
Nov 26 2023
Killdeer: Identification, Habitat, Nesting & the Broken-Wing Display
The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is one of North America’s most recognizable plovers—and one of the few shorebirds you are just as likely to encounter in a parking lot, pasture, or athletic field as along the edge of a pond. Its bold double breast bands, piercing call, long-legged running style, and dramatic “broken-wing” performance make the …
Nov 08 2023
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is one of North America’s most recognizable birds. With its enormous wings, powerful talons, brilliant white head and tail, and commanding presence, an adult Bald Eagle is difficult to mistake once it comes into view. Bald Eagles are closely associated with rivers, lakes, reservoirs, marshes, and coastlines, where fish make …
Nov 08 2023
How Do Birds Build Nests? Nest Types, Materials & Construction
A tiny hummingbird gathers spider silk. A robin presses mud and grass into a sturdy cup. A woodpecker chisels a cavity into a tree, while an eagle carries branches large enough to look more like firewood than nesting material. Bird nests come in an extraordinary variety of shapes and sizes, but they serve the same …
Nov 07 2023
Bird Sanctuaries: What They Are, Why They Matter & How to Visit Responsibly
Bird sanctuaries are places where birds can find something increasingly valuable in a changing world: safe habitat. Some protect wetlands crowded with migrating waterfowl. Others preserve forests used by nesting songbirds, islands occupied by seabird colonies, grasslands where ground-nesting species breed, or coastal mudflats where shorebirds stop to feed during migration. For birdwatchers, these protected …
