May 07 2023
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
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
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 …
May 04 2023
A soft, wistful coo drifts across the backyard just after sunrise. A moment later, a slender gray-brown bird settles onto a fence, its long tail tapering behind it. When it suddenly takes flight, its wings produce a surprising whistle that seems almost too loud for such a gentle-looking bird. This familiar visitor is the Mourning …
May 04 2023
A flash of orange against a backyard tree, fence post, or woodland trail can make an unfamiliar bird surprisingly memorable. But an orange chest alone does not always reveal its identity. American Robins, bluebirds, orioles, grosbeaks, thrushes, and several smaller songbirds can all display shades ranging from pale peach and cinnamon to brilliant pumpkin orange. …
May 04 2023
What Bird Eggs Are Blue? A small blue egg in a backyard nest can immediately raise an intriguing question: What kind of bird laid it? American Robins are famous for their unmistakable blue eggs, but they are far from the only birds that produce them. Bluebirds, Gray Catbirds, House Finches, Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, and …
Nov 01 2022
There are two families or subfamilies of owls, depending on the authority. In either case, there are the “true” owls with nearly all the species, and then all alone in the other category is the Barn Owl, a distinctive-looking animal. There are several genera in the so-called true owls. In this article, I will discuss …
Oct 28 2022
The owl may be my favorite bird of all. Most people are fascinated with owls but they don’t want to venture too close. While we have gotten more used to owls by reading and watching Harry Potter and the beloved Hedwig, that owl is nothing like the typical owl most of us see in neighborhoods, …
Jul 10 2022
Are sparrows really common? Sparrows are in the family of small passerine birds. Passerine birds are perching birds and songbirds. They include more than half of the world’s bird species. A house sparrow is a bird in the sparrow family that is found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird with …
Jun 27 2022
And Other Flight Facts The short answer as to why birds don’t usually fly in the rain is really the same reason as to why people don’t do much outside in the rain. It just isn’t practical. Birds are conserving their body heat and hunkering down in trees and near their nests during rain storms. …
