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Birds and History

A linocut depicting a lapwing, a map, an old book, and some tools on a wooden surface.
When People Dined On Robins and Other Avian Oddities From America's Past
February 27, 2025 — In his richly researched newsletter, amateur historian Robert Francis takes deep dives into the country's complicated and ever-changing relationship with birds.
‘The Birds That ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Missed' Provides New Insights Into the Age of Avian Discovery in America
May 09, 2024 — In his latest book, bird expert Kenn Kaufman focuses on the species that evaded John James ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and his peers to explore an exhilarating yet knotty era in ornithology. Read on to learn more about the book and for a Q&A with the author.
Books
A group of male and female Wild Turkeys foraging close together.
Native Americans Domesticated Turkeys Long Before the Pilgrims Arrived
November 15, 2023 — Indigenous societies in the Americas valued the birds so highly that they tamed them at least twice, including in the U.S. Southwest. Turkey feathers still have abundant uses to tribes there today.
What This Gruesome Stork Taught Us About Bird Migration
October 30, 2023 — Long before tracking technology, the most concrete testament to bird migration was a stork impaled by a spear.
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.