About Birds

A condor stands on an orange-colored cliffside with outstretched wings affixed with numbered tags.
After a Wave of Bird Flu, More Than 20 California Condors Dead in the Southwest
May 10, 2023 — Setting the species' recovery back by at least a decade, the crisis appears to be ebbing as the weather warms, with no new detections since April.
Conservation News
A plump, streaky brown bird with large eyes and long beak stands on a lichen-covered stone looking at the camera.
Drab but Fab: Woodcocks Wear the Whitest Whites in the Avian Wardrobe
April 28, 2023 — Though mostly camouflaged, Eurasian Woodcocks have brilliant patches much whiter than any feathers previously measured, a recent study finds.
Bird Science
A close up portrait of a small, streaky, brown and white bird looking at the camera.
Migrating Birds Change Their Scenery—and Their Gut Bacteria
April 20, 2023 — A new study using birds killed in window collisions finds avian microbiomes, unlike those of mammals including humans, vary as they travel, changing with the surrounding environments.
Bird Migration
Illustration of a hand holding a mirror showing a sparrow's face staring back in the reflection.
Meet the Little Brown Bird That Holds a Mirror Up to Humanity
April 05, 2023 — Whether we love, hate, or ignore the familiar House Sparrow, its story can teach us about how we relate to the natural world—and each other.
Birds and History
A little brown and white thrush with its feathers fluffed up perches on a fallen tree in a forest holding a red berry in its beak.
Forest Fragments Act Like ‘Convenience Stores’ for Migrating Birds, Study Finds
March 31, 2023 — Using radar data, scientists identified the most popular stopover sites for migrants across the eastern United States. But these same strongholds are often overlooked in conservation strategies
Bird Migration
A woodpecker stuck to a glue trap with several bugs. Its wings are splayed out stuck to the paper with many feathers ripped out.
Meant to Catch Spotted Lanternflies, Glue Traps Are a Horrifying Hazard for Birds
March 29, 2023 — Wildlife rehabilitators, unable to save many victims, are urging the public to choose bird-safe methods of managing the invasive insects.
Bird News
A small brown and gray bird perches at the entrance of its dome-like, moss-and-lichen nest, holding plant material in its beak.
Bird Nests Tell Extraordinary Stories, If You Learn How to Read Them
March 29, 2023 — Casey McFarland, author of “Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests,” describes how paying attention to nests can improve your birding.
Bird Nests and Breeding
A group of birds at a hanging feeder, two of them appear to be having a fight.
In Bird Feeder Battles, Social Species are Featherweights
March 09, 2023 — A new study finds ‘groupy and wimpy’ birds have a hard time fending off competition, but they can gain a boost among friends.
Bird Science
A large streaky brown owl with bright orange eyes perches on a tree with blurred city lights in the background.
What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York?
March 07, 2023 — After the zoo fugitive learned to hunt rats in Central Park, some fans are cheering for his freedom. But ornithologists argue he should return to his enclosure, for his sake and for that of local wildlife.
Bird News
A round globular nest made of twigs and dry grasses with a hole for entry built in a cactus in a desert landscape.
Appreciate These Magnificent Avian Nests—and the Next One You Find in the Field
March 06, 2023 — Birds build an amazing variety of nest types, and each construction is a work of art.
Bird Nests and Breeding