For the Birds
Author's posts
May 13 2023
Bald Eagle: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
Few North American birds are as instantly recognizable as the Bald Eagle. With its enormous wings, powerful yellow bill, dark brown body, and brilliant white head and tail, an adult Bald Eagle is an unforgettable sight whether it is perched above a river or soaring across an open sky. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is …
May 13 2023
Golden Eagle: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the most impressive birds of prey in the world. Powerful, fast, and remarkably agile for its size, this enormous raptor can be found soaring above mountains, grasslands, deserts, and other open landscapes across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Its name comes from the warm golden-brown feathers covering …
May 13 2023
Red-Tailed Hawk: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
Few birds of prey are as familiar across North America as the Red-tailed Hawk. Whether it is soaring in wide circles above a field, watching the ground from a roadside utility pole, or letting out its unmistakable raspy cry, this powerful raptor has become one of the defining birds of the North American landscape. Red-tailed …
May 13 2023
American Pipit: Identification, Range, Habitat & Behavior
The American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) is a small, slender songbird of wide-open landscapes. It breeds in some of North America’s most dramatic environments—from Arctic tundra to windswept alpine meadows—and then appears much farther south during migration and winter, when flocks may gather in farm fields, along muddy shorelines, and beside reservoirs. At first glance, the …
May 13 2023
Horned Lark: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
The Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a small songbird of wide-open landscapes, equally at home on windswept prairie, Arctic tundra, coastal dunes, agricultural fields, and mountain slopes above the trees. Although its sandy brown plumage often blends into the ground, a closer look reveals a surprisingly distinctive bird with a dark facial mask, a black …
May 07 2023
Wild Turkeys: Understanding Their Behavior, Habitat, and Significance in Nature
Few North American birds combine size, personality, and ecological importance quite like the Wild Turkey. With its iridescent feathers, powerful legs, expressive calls, and elaborate courtship displays, this remarkable species is far more than a familiar symbol of Thanksgiving. Wild Turkeys are adaptable woodland birds that spend their days searching for food, communicating with their …
May 07 2023
Eastern Bluebird: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Backyard Tips
Few backyard birds capture the imagination quite like the Eastern Bluebird. With its brilliant blue feathers, warm rusty-orange breast, and gentle, musical voice, this small songbird brings a welcome burst of color to fields, gardens, orchards, and quiet country roads. The Eastern Bluebird, scientifically known as Sialia sialis, is one of three bluebird species found …
May 07 2023
Pileated Woodpecker: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
Few North American birds make an entrance quite like the Pileated Woodpecker. Nearly as large as a crow, this striking forest bird combines a mostly black body, bold white facial stripes, and a brilliant red crest that rises dramatically from the back of its head. Its appearance is only part of the story. A Pileated …
May 06 2023
Darwin’s Finches: Galápagos Species, Beak Adaptations & Evolution
Scattered across the volcanic islands of the Galápagos, a group of small, mostly brown or black birds has transformed how scientists understand life on Earth. They are not especially flashy. They do not possess the brilliant colors of parrots or the dramatic silhouettes of eagles. Yet their extraordinary variety of beaks, diets, behaviors, and habitats …
May 06 2023
Songbirds: Types, Identification, Behavior & Songs
A robin singing before sunrise, a cardinal whistling from a backyard tree, and a tiny wren delivering a surprisingly powerful performance from inside a hedge all belong to one of the most diverse and familiar groups of birds on Earth: the songbirds. Songbirds inhabit forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, mountains, gardens, and cities. Some travel thousands …
