May 29 2025
The Red Warbler (Cardellina rubra) is one of the most striking birds found in North America. Covered almost entirely in brilliant crimson-red plumage and marked by contrasting white or silvery-gray cheek patches, this tiny songbird can look almost unreal when it appears among the green foliage of a Mexican mountain forest. Unlike many familiar North …
May 28 2025
Few birds live up to their name as perfectly as the Bumblebee Hummingbird. Barely larger than a large insect, this remarkable hummingbird can hover among mountain flowers while its rapidly moving wings create a distinct buzzing sound. The Bumblebee Hummingbird (Selasphorus heloisa) is one of the smallest birds in the world. Measuring only about 7 …
May 28 2025
The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi) is a highly social, intelligent member of the crow family found primarily in the mountain woodlands of Mexico and the southwestern United States. With its soft blue upperparts, grayish underparts, long tail, and inquisitive personality, this handsome bird is a memorable sight in the oak-covered canyons and pine forests of …
May 28 2025
The White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis) is a striking migratory songbird of the mountains and dry scrublands of western and central Asia. Adult males are especially memorable, combining slate-gray upperparts, a dark face, brilliant orange underparts, and the crisp white throat that gives the species its name. Despite being called a robin, the White-throated Robin is …
May 11 2025
Most songbirds spend their lives among branches, grasses, and open skies. The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) takes a very different approach. This stocky gray bird makes its home beside cold, rushing streams—and routinely plunges directly into them. American Dippers can swim, dive, and even move along rocky streambeds while searching for food. They are considered …
Apr 26 2025
A trip to the beach can be about much more than swimming, seashells, and sunsets. Coastal shorelines are among the most exciting places to watch birds, offering everything from tiny sandpipers racing ahead of the waves to pelicans gliding over the surf. Bird watching at the beach is especially rewarding because many species are easy …
Apr 19 2025
Sandpipers are among the most fascinating—and sometimes most challenging—birds to identify. A flock feeding across a mudflat may initially look like dozens of nearly identical little brown-and-white birds. Look more carefully, however, and differences begin to emerge. One bird has yellow legs, another has black legs. One has a short, straight bill, while another carries …
Apr 17 2025
The Evening Grosbeak is one of North America’s most dramatic finches. With an oversized bill, bold white wing patches, and flashes of yellow and black, an adult male can look almost tropical when it lands at a snowy winter bird feeder. Females are more subdued, but their combination of gray, olive, yellow, black, and white …
Apr 14 2025
Puffins have an almost irresistible combination of features: bright bills, expressive faces, compact bodies, and a slightly awkward walk that makes them look as though they are always hurrying somewhere important. Yet beneath their charming appearance is a remarkably well-adapted seabird capable of spending months on the open ocean and pursuing fish deep beneath the …
Apr 11 2025
Discover the beauty and power of the American kestrel, a small but mighty bird of prey. Learn about their habitat, behavior, and conservation efforts in this informative article.
