Sep 30 2026
A large bird circling high overhead can be one of the most exciting—and frustrating—identification challenges in birdwatching. From hundreds of feet below, the field marks shown so clearly in a guide may disappear. A red tail can look dark. Fine streaking becomes invisible. Even a huge eagle can look surprisingly small when it is far …
Sep 29 2026
A bird of prey flashes across the sky with a hooked bill, powerful wings, and sharp talons. You know you are looking at a raptor, but deciding whether it is a hawk or a falcon can be much more difficult. Hawks and falcons share many features because both are predatory birds, but they belong to …
Sep 24 2026
Picture an October night: a nearly full moon, bare branches moving in the wind, and somewhere beyond the porch light, the unmistakable call of an owl. It is easy to understand why people have spent centuries turning these remarkable birds into creatures of mystery. Owls appear on Halloween cards, decorations, witch illustrations, haunted forests, party …
Jul 03 2026
Few birds command the sky quite like the Peregrine Falcon. Powerful, agile, and extraordinarily fast, this remarkable raptor is famous for its breathtaking hunting dives and its ability to thrive in environments ranging from remote sea cliffs to the tops of downtown skyscrapers. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is found across much of the world …
Jun 19 2026
High among the conifer forests and windswept ridges of western North America lives one of the continent’s most remarkable birds. The Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) may look understated in its gray, black, and white plumage, but behind that modest appearance is an extraordinarily intelligent member of the crow family with a memory capable of keeping …
Jun 19 2026
The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is one of North America’s most striking songbirds. With the male’s brilliant sky-blue plumage and the female’s softer blend of blue and gray-brown, this species brings a splash of color to open country across the western part of the continent. Often associated with grasslands, sagebrush flats, mountain meadows, and fence-lined …
Jun 09 2026
Hummingbirds seem almost impossible the first time you watch one closely. A bird scarcely larger than a thumb can stop in midair, dart backward, defend a flower patch from rivals, and disappear across the yard before your eyes can follow it. These tiny birds belong to the hummingbird family, Trochilidae, and occur naturally only in …
Jun 03 2026
The flash of a deep blue wing between towering evergreens is often the first clue that a Steller’s Jay is nearby. A moment later, a dark-crested bird may land on a branch, cock its head inquisitively, and announce itself with a rough series of rattles, squawks, or scolding calls. The Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is …
May 21 2026
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no expense to you. A bird feeder can completely change the way you experience your backyard. Hang the right feeder in the right place, fill it with food the local birds actually want, and suddenly that quiet corner outside your window can become a gathering …
May 02 2026
A flash of red among the branches can stop a birdwatcher in their tracks. But identifying a bird with a red chest is not always as easy as it first appears. Some birds have brilliant scarlet breasts. Others are rosy, rusty, brick-red, cinnamon, or orange-red. In many species, only the male displays the brightest coloration, …
