For the Birds
Author's posts
Jan 27 2024
Scarlet Macaw: Habitat, Diet, Behavior, Lifespan & Conservation
Few tropical birds are as instantly recognizable as the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). With brilliant red plumage, golden-yellow wings, flashes of blue, and an enormous curved bill, this spectacular parrot is one of the most colorful birds of the American tropics. Scarlet Macaws live in forests stretching from parts of Mexico and Central America into …
Jan 01 2024
Best Flowers for Birds: How to Create a Bird-Friendly Garden
Birds and blooms have a special connection that goes beyond just aesthetics. Explore the science behind this relationship and how you can create a bird-friendly garden in your backyard.
Dec 16 2023
White-winged Snowfinch: The High-Altitude Sparrow of Europe and Asia
Few small birds seem as perfectly matched to the mountains as the White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis). This hardy alpine bird lives among rocky slopes, high meadows, lingering snowfields, mountain passes, and windswept peaks where winters are long and conditions can change in minutes. Despite the word “finch” in its name, the White-winged Snowfinch is not …
Dec 16 2023
Himalayan Rubythroat
The Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis) is a striking mountain songbird found across the Himalayas and parts of Central Asia. Males are especially memorable, combining slate-gray plumage with a brilliant ruby-red throat, black breast, bold white eyebrow, and flashes of white in the tail. Despite those dramatic markings, the Himalayan Rubythroat can be surprisingly difficult to …
Dec 16 2023
Himalayan Griffon Vulture: Giant Scavenger of the High Himalayas
High above the windswept valleys and rocky plateaus of the Himalayas, an enormous bird circles almost effortlessly on broad wings. This is the Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), one of the largest vultures in Asia and one of the most impressive soaring birds in the world. Also known simply as the Himalayan Vulture, this powerful …
Dec 14 2023
Rock Ptarmigan
The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a hardy grouse of Arctic tundra and high mountain landscapes. Famous for changing its plumage with the seasons, this remarkable bird can blend into snow-covered ground in winter and rocky tundra during the warmer months. Rock Ptarmigan live in some of the coldest bird habitats on Earth. Thick plumage, …
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 …
