Up your birding game this fall with BirdCast. Even during the peak of migration, the flow of birds each day is different. Temperature, storms, winds – there are many things that can affect the flow of birds on their migrations. Every wonder if tomorrow morning is going to be a huge opportunity to see migrating birds? Or […]
Twice each year, about 4 billion birds in North America make what can only be described as a series of continuous ultramarathons — flying unbelievably taxing journeys north and south between the Americas, sometimes flying for days at a time over open water, without eating, sleeping, or touching down. Making these migratory journeys is so […]
In winter, Snowy Owls often travel far south of their Arctic tundra homes and can be found in the oddest places. This year, there were a few very public appearances of Snowy Owls – including in NYC’s Central Park and at Union Station in Washington DC. Both appearances made national headlines as residents and visitors alike […]
No matter where you are February 18-21, you can help birds by joining tens of thousands of birders from around the globe who are counting, and reporting birds during that time period to eBird for the Great Backyard Bird Count. The info reported helps scientists keep track of bird population numbers and locations. Just by doing […]
Everything we learn about hummingbirds seems extreme. And here’s the latest news: Scientists at Cornell discovered that hummingbirds are able to exert fairly precise control over the energy they produce in the way of body heat during torpor- a state which is not sleeping and not hibernation, but a kind of brief overnight energy […]
Words can’t adequately describe the life and experience of Hudsonian Godwits. Until recently, the lives of this large, graceful shorebird were a mystery. But what scientists are now discovering about these birds and their future is both awe-inspiring and alarming. Hudsonian Godwits are one of 70 species of birds that twice-yearly fly a dangerous, harrowing, […]
Owls, in general, are mysterious and beautiful birds, but no one owl species attracts quite as much fascination as Snowy Owls. Known for the male’s stunning pure white plumage, these gorgeous owls are normally found in the far north where they nest on the ground on treeless tundra. Despite their occasional appearance in the lower 48 […]
Some birds have really unusual, and in this case dizzying, behaviors. Phalaropes, which are shorebirds, are rarely seen as they spend much of their time on the water , nesting way far north in Alaska, or otherwise overwintering off the coasts of South America and Africa. But if you ever get the chance to watch a flock […]
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Iniko is the name of a 6 month old condor chick in Big Sur, California. His name means “Born in Troubled Times”, and his story has been a dramatic one. Born April 25, 2020 to Condors “Kingpin” #167 and “Redwood Queen” #190, he was lovingly cared for by both parents who shared the duties of feeding […]
Shorebirds embody the word “superlative” in almost every way. As a species, they make some of the toughest and longest distance migrations in the world. And now, a new official record for marathon non-stop flight has been set by a satellite tagged Bar-tailed Godwit who recently made a 12,000+ km (7,500 miles) migration with a small flock […]
What’s going on with shorebirds? These exquisitely evolved champions of extreme migration are facing shocking obstacles in their day to day lives. So much so that even shorebirds like Red Knots, which can fly over open water for 8 days – no sleeping, no eating, just flying non-stop – may not be able to survive some […]
Can’t fly because of the pandemic? It hasn’t seemed to stop migrating birds, pretty much anywhere. In fact, a Mongolian cuckoo by the name of Onon who was tagged with a GPS last summer, completed a 10,000 mile journey from South Africa to Mongolia in 2 weeks. Given it was believed that cuckoos in Asia migrated to south […]
We may not be able to travel right now, but Birdlife International is making it possible to be whisked away to the far ends of the globe with updates on birds from all seven continents from Helmeted Hornbills to Sage Grouse to Grey-breasted Parakeets. Learn more about making a healthy planet a human right and […]
White-throated Sparrow Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel White-throated Sparrows are familiar to many of us. Seen at some point during the year in most parts of North America, they are well-known for their easily identifiable calls. The sound of “Oh, sweet Canada, Canada, Canada” wafting in the breeze is a sure sign that you are in the […]
Male Bobolinks are first to arrive on their breeding grounds in the grasslands. Why are there fewer Bobolinks than in decades past? Probably because the landscape of North America has changed so much. Bobolinks originally nested on native prairies of the Midwest and southern Canada. Much of the land where they nested has come under intense cultivation. Grassland conservation […]
For most birds in the US, going south for the winter typically means at least crossing the Mason-Dixon Snowy Owl Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila Line. But for Snowy Owls, as long as there is enough food, a winterly southern migration often sees them staying mostly north of the US/Canadian border with forays into the northern US and New England. […]
Nature Books To Give and Receive Gift yourself, family or friends some books about birds and nature. Below are several titles we really enjoyed and think you might like to include on your gift list: Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival – Award-winning author and biologist, Bernd Heinrich offers detailed insights into how birds and other wildlife […]
If you are asking this question after reading about the study showing 3 billions birds are gone since 1970, you White-throated Sparrow Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel are not alone as the enormity of the numbers of birds lost is difficult to comprehend. Some of the hardest hit birds are ones we see most often – White-throated Sparrows, Red-winged […]
Last week, a group of conservation organizations led by Cornell Lab of Red-winged Blackbird Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Ornithology released a stunning report of a detailed study which shows a loss of 3 billion birds in North America in 50 years. It’s a staggering amount of birds – a net loss of 29% of the breeding […]
Photo Credit: Sarah Sharpe/FLAP Fatal Light Awareness Project We all know the sound of the thud on our window. Then the sinking feeling as we rush to see if the bird is down and needs help or is dead. FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Project) has some good advice about what to do to help the bird […]
Hurricane season is really tough on birds. It happens during migration BirdCast Live Migration Map, 9/14/2018 Cornell Lab of Ornithology when many millions of birds are on the move, and it can be anywhere from disruptive to deadly. Birds do the best they can to avoid the maelstrom and being blown off course or worse, […]
Project Snowstorm – Snowy Owls in Motion Snowy Owl Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila Snowy Owls are true denizens of the far north, and are only occasionally found south of the Canadian border — even in winter. These beautiful pure white owls are widely admired for their beauty, but not well understood. Project Snowstorm is changing […]