For the Birds
Author's posts
Jan 28 2024
Birds of Hawaii: Native Species, Endemic Birds & Where to See Them
Hawaiʻi is one of the most extraordinary places in the world for birds. Isolated in the central Pacific Ocean for millions of years, the Hawaiian Islands became a natural laboratory of evolution, where birds arriving from distant lands gradually developed into species found nowhere else on Earth. Brilliant red honeycreepers move through flowering ʻōhiʻa forests. …
Jan 27 2024
Red-breasted Nuthatch: Identification, Habitat, Diet, Nesting & Behavior
Small, energetic, and remarkably acrobatic, the Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is one of the most entertaining birds to watch in North America’s conifer forests. It races along tree trunks, creeps headfirst down branches, wedges seeds into bark, and announces its presence with a nasal call that can sound like a tiny toy horn. Despite its …
Jan 27 2024
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) may be small, but it is one of the most recognizable and approachable woodpeckers in North America. This energetic black-and-white bird is a familiar visitor to forests, parks, suburban neighborhoods, and backyard bird feeders, where its compact size allows it to forage in places that larger woodpeckers simply cannot reach. …
Jan 27 2024
American Goldfinch: Identification, Habitat, Diet, Nesting & More
Few backyard birds announce summer quite as brightly as the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). A breeding male in full plumage seems almost impossibly yellow, with a brilliant lemon-colored body set against jet-black wings and a black forehead. Females are more subdued, but they share the species’ graceful shape, active feeding style, and distinctive bouncing flight. …
Jan 27 2024
How Do Birds Survive Winter? How Birds Stay Warm & Find Food
Winter can transform a familiar landscape almost overnight. Insects disappear from view, ponds freeze, berries become scarce, and snow covers many of the seeds birds depend on for food. At the same time, freezing temperatures force birds to burn additional energy simply to stay alive. Yet chickadees continue darting through snow-covered branches. Woodpeckers cling to …
Jan 27 2024
Blue-and-yellow Macaw: Identification, Habitat, Diet, Behavior & Conservation
With brilliant blue wings, a golden-yellow chest, an enormous black bill, and a tail nearly as impressive as its wingspan, the Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) is one of the most recognizable parrots in the world. Also called the Blue-and-gold Macaw, this large tropical parrot is native primarily to South America, where it inhabits forests, palm …
Jan 27 2024
Toucan: Species, Habitat, Diet, Behavior & Fascinating Facts
Few birds are as instantly recognizable as the toucan. With an enormous, often brilliantly colored bill, dark plumage, bright patches of yellow, orange, red, or white, and an unmistakably tropical appearance, toucans seem almost too colorful to be real. But that extraordinary bill is far more than decoration. Toucans use their bills to reach fruit, …
Jan 27 2024
Victoria Crowned Pigeon: Habitat, Diet, Behavior & Fascinating Facts
With its powder-blue plumage, deep maroon chest, brilliant red eyes, and an extraordinary crown of delicate feathers, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria) hardly resembles the pigeons most people see in city parks. This spectacular tropical bird is one of the largest living members of the pigeon and dove family and is native to the …
Jan 27 2024
Resplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is one of the most spectacular birds of the Americas. Famous for its shimmering emerald plumage, brilliant red breast, and the extraordinary flowing feathers of adult males, this cloud-forest bird has fascinated people for centuries. Resplendent Quetzals live in the cool, humid mountain forests of southern Mexico and Central America, …
Jan 27 2024
Bali Myna: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Conservation
The Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi), also known as the Bali Starling, is one of the most striking and endangered birds in the world. With brilliant white plumage, a sweeping crest, black-tipped wings and tail, and patches of vivid blue skin around its eyes, this unusual member of the starling family is instantly recognizable. What makes …
