BirdNote Daily

The Power of Albatross Partnerships

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Waved Albatrosses produce such slow-growing, needy offspring that females lay only a single egg every two years. And both parents need to share the lo...

Mair Marsiglio on Therapeutic Bird Walks

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mair Marsiglio is an avid birder, and they are also a psychologist with a background in trauma therapy. A few years ago Dr. Marsiglio worked with the ...

Resplendent Quetzal: Mexico’s Sacred Bird

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Found in Southern Mexico and Central America, Resplendent Quetzals have a striking blue tail up to three times the length of their bodies. That's prob...

Finches Singing Over the Sidewalk

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The songs of two common finches provide a steady soundtrack in cities across North America: the House Finch and the American Goldfinch. While they can...

Nesting Niches

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American Robins (like this male seen here with its young), House Finches, and Song Sparrows may all nest within one small garden. By selecting differe...

Raptors in the Mojave Desert

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Desert raptors get most of their water from eating prey animals. Biologist Blair Wolf explains, “if you think of any insect or a mouse or something ...

Climate Change Leads Male Birds to Migrate Sooner

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For years, biologists have been seeing migratory birds arriving earlier in the spring due to the effects of climate change. But surprisingly, the effe...

Amazing Aquatic American Dipper

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The American Dipper stands on a rock in a stream, bobbing up and down on its long legs - "dipping" - hence the name. But watch! This nondescript bird ...

Seeing the Rainbow in a Bird’s Feathers

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We make it a habit to detail the broad and beautiful spectrum of bird colors, but iridescent feathers are undoubtedly among the most mesmerizing. When...

Kelp in the Eagles’ Nest

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A pair of Bald Eagles will reuse their nest each year and repair it with new tree branches. But recently in British Columbia, scientists came across a...

Woodpeckers Carve Out Roost Cavities, Too

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In spring, we often hear woodpeckers hard at work, carving out nest holes in tree trunks. And now that fall has arrived, we may hear that excavating s...

Migration Takes Guts — Until It Doesn’t

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This Bar-tailed Godwit makes one of the longest migrations of any animal — a 7,200-mile non-stop flight each autumn from western Alaska to New Zeala...

Cowbird Song and Password

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As most young male birds get ready to leave the nest, they learn their species’ song by hearing their male parent sing it again and again. They impr...

Parrots Using Video Chat to Keep in Touch

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Knowing how clever parrots are, researchers wanted to see how they’d respond to another parrot saying hi on a tablet or phone. After being trained h...

New Zealand Bellbird

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A forest in New Zealand rings with the sound of bellbirds, also known as Korimako or Makomako. Many bellbirds sing together, especially in the morning...

Juvenile Shorebirds Head South

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Like most juvenile shorebirds, this young Black-bellied Plover was abandoned by parents that began their southbound flights from the Arctic National W...

The Private Lives of Public Birds

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Gedney’s book, The Private Lives of Public Birds, is dedicated to the familiar birds we see and hear in our neighborhoods. Illustrated by Anna ...

Migrations: The Triumphant Comeback of the Aleutian Cackling Goose

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Aleutian Cackling Geese, which have a slighter build and shorter beak than Canada Geese, build their nests on a chain of islands off the western coast...

Swifts Roost in Chimneys

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What could bring crowds of people out after sunset on a September evening to stare at  ... a chimney? Swifts, of course! Scores of swifts form a funn...

The Alula

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adjusting the flaps on an airplane’s wing allows a pilot to control lift and drag — and the design of these flaps was inspired by the wings of bir...

Birding with a Baby

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Jen Sizeland has found peace through watching birds throughout her life, so she wanted that for her child, too. When she was pregnant, she soug...

Migrations: Indigo Bunting, Master Stargazer

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The stars appear to rotate in the sky, raising the question of how birds can use stars to navigate during migration. Ornithologist Stephen Emlen broug...

Birds Love Sunflowers

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Found throughout North America, the common sunflower can grow up to ten feet high, towering over other herbs and grasses. And that’s only half the s...

The Harsh Beauty of Grackle Songs

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ranging from metallic hisses to electronic yodels, sounds of grackles may not be music to our ears—but they have their own rough beauty, a distincti...

Moon-Watching for Migrating Birds

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Before the high-tech gadgets used to track bird migration today, there was moon-watching: a technique dreamed up in the 1940s by ornithologist George ...

Watching Birds' Behavior

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To distinguish one bird from a similar one, watch how the bird moves. Does it flick its wings? Bob up and down? Flip its tail? The White-breasted Nuth...

Where Do Fledglings Go?

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

By late summer, most birds hatched in spring are on their own, without help from their parents. Where do they go? Young migratory birds will head sout...

Arizona Woodpecker and the Sierra Madre

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Found in the Sierra Madre, the Arizona Woodpecker has a special connection to the mountain range. Sharing mid-elevation pine and oaks with fellow bord...

Do Crows Sing?

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been said that if someone knows only three birds, one of them will be the crow. They’re common, easy to see, and even easier to hear. But cro...

Southern Lapwings Defend Their Nest

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nature educator Johanne Ryan shares her observations of Southern Lapwings, shorebirds that make their nests on the ground in open areas and vigorously...

Why Do Some Birds Flock?

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When birds like these Dunlin form flocks, each individual is less likely to be captured by a predator. Some shorebirds that forage with their heads do...

A Song That Has Survived for Thousands of Years

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, a species’ song changes over the course of a few decades. But a bird that lives in the mountains of eastern Africa, the Forest Double-col...

Pigeons and Head-bobbing

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pigeons seem to bob their heads as they move, like they’re grooving to an internal tune. But what look like head bobs are actually momentary pauses ...

Clair de Loon

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

August 22 is the birthday of renowned French composer, Claude Debussy. Born in 1862, Debussy is known for his impressionistic sonic portraits, like La...

Birds Crossing the Pacific

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over 12,000 miles across at its widest point, you might think the Pacific Ocean is a barrier that even high-flying birds can’t cross. Think again –...

Bellbirds Turn It Up to 11

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The four species of South American bellbirds can make a real racket, including this Bearded Bellbird. Hidden in the tree canopy, males cannot see one ...

Lilli Holden on the Ecology of Vacant Lots

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In her grandmother’s neighborhood in Chicago, Lilli Holden made an early connection with the outdoors by playing in a vacant lot with a large old tr...

What's Behind Those Lustrous Red Feathers?

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Male Northern Cardinals, Scarlet Tanagers, and House Finches all have striking red plumage that’s thought to play a role in attracting mates. Males ...

Some Birds Have Two Voices

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The amazing vocal organ found in most birds, the syrinx, has two sides, with different sets of muscles and nerves controlling each side.  That lets s...

The Most Abundant Birds in North America

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

By August, most birds in North America have finished nesting, bringing billions of new birds into the world. So many birds. It might make you wonder: ...

The Best Nest

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some birds woo a mate by building the best nest. Males of many weaverbird species construct a series of intricately woven nests to impress a prospecti...

Andean Condors Soar for Hours Without Flapping

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the blue skies over the Andes Mountains, Andean Condors look majestic, with a ten-foot wingspan. While flying, according to researchers from Argent...

Ospreys Never Stop Building

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ospreys are remarkable nest builders. Many reuse their massive stick nests from the previous year, but continue tinkering with it once the nesting sea...

Great Horned Owls in the Neighborhood

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Not all owls live in the deep woods. Many Great Horned Owls make their homes in urban areas. Though mostly nocturnal, Great Horned Owls are also activ...

Pheasants of Detroit

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Because of its abundant open space, Detroit, Michigan has a thriving ring-necked pheasant population. The birds have endeared themselves to many by re...

Finding the Links Between Plants and Birds

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are many great tools for identifying birds, some of them right on your phone. If you’re stumped on an unfamiliar plant species, iNaturalist is...

Creating an Inviting Habitat

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bird feeders and birdbaths are great ways to attract birds to your yard, but they aren’t the only ways to entice our feathered friends. Planting an ...

Blind Snakes and Screech-Owls

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During the breeding season, when Eastern Screech-Owls capture the worm-like reptiles known as blind snakes, they deliver them to their chicks alive an...

Chickadee Line-up

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You'll find the Black-capped Chickadee across the northern US into Canada. The Carolina Chickadee holds sway in the Southeast. Hear the husky voice of...

Great Kiskadee: Unconventional Flycatcher

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An unusual flycatcher called the Great Kiskadee takes on much bigger opponents, sometimes even riding on the back of a falcon for a few seconds to dri...

Fruit as a Bribe

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In summer, many shrubs bear fruit that birds find irresistible. Elderberries, serviceberries, blackberries, dogwood berries, mulberries, and currants ...

Seeing a Chicago Beach in a New Way

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mikko Jimenez is a PhD student doing research on bird migration. Growing up in Chicago, he played beach volleyball at Montrose Beach, a popular spot o...

Sandhill Crane Families Stick Together

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sandhill Crane families form a close bond. A pair of adults might travel north with their young from the previous summer, along with grown-up offsprin...

Sleeping on the Wing

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some swifts and frigatebirds stay aloft for months. But for a long time, scientists did not know if the birds might be sleeping on the wing. A 2016 st...

Sparrows Sing in Arizona Monsoon

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midday temperatures in southeast Arizona soar above 100 degrees during the month of July. But relief is coming. A summer monsoon refreshes the Sonoran...

Stowaway Birds

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When they migrate, tiny songbirds that spend most of their lives on land fly hundreds of miles over the ocean at a stretch – and they get tired. A r...

Paradise-Whydah

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A few times each year, the Eastern Paradise-Whydah puts on its party clothes. This small finch is found in East Africa, and males and females generall...

Magpie-Jay Flocks Are Led by Females

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Found in much of Central America, White-throated Magpie-Jay flocks are family groups led by a dominant female. They include a mate and several female ...

Birds, Nests, and Camouflage

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bird nests can be hard to find, often hidden in plain sight. Is the clever camouflage simply the result of using building materials that the birds hap...

Great Blue Herons on Land

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout much of North America, the Great Blue Heron graces waterways, ponds and lakes. They’re built for hunting fish and amphibians along the wa...

Birds in Summer - The Heat of the Day

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just a few weeks past the solstice, and the real heat of summer is yet to come. Some shorebirds are already on their way south, but most songbirds wil...

Nest Boxes Help Bring Birds Back

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wherever you live, chances are a sweet-singing, cavity-nesting bird would be happy to perform in your yard — and it might stick around if you offer ...

Architecture for Avians

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During her first year at the Yale School of Architecture, Kenyan graduate student Barbara Nasila was tasked to design a hypothetical outdoor pavilion ...

The Value of a Dust Bath

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It might sound strange, but dirt helps birds scrub themselves clean. Birds of all sizes (like the Eurasian Skylark seen here) often scrape a depressi...

Song Neighborhoods

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Birds of the same species don’t always sing exactly the same as each other. But those that live near each other sometimes have similar songs. Scient...

“Clearing” by Camille T. Dungy

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, writer Camille T. Dungy shares the poem “Clearing” from her new book, Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden.More info and ...

What Makes Feathers Both Strong and Light

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bird feathers are famously light, but they’re also strong, holding up under tricky flying and high winds. They’re made of beta keratin, a tougher ...

How Toucans Stay Cool

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Toco Toucan of South America has evolved to stay cool in the sweltering heat of the tropics. Relative to its body size, the Toco Toucan has the la...

Eavesdropping on Babies

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around this time of year, many baby birds are begging their parents for food. A Hairy Woodpecker chick calls from its nest carved deep within a dying ...

Milkweed: A Whole Ecosystem on a Plant

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Milkweed plants are important to Monarch butterflies, which depend on milkweed to raise their caterpillars. But Monarchs aren’t the only ones who be...

Why Do Owls Bob Their Heads?

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you were to stand face to face with an owl, including this Great Gray Owl, it would eventually move its head, bobbing rhythmically from side to sid...

Bill McKibben on Leaving Behind a Better World

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben has been pushing for climate solutions for decades. Now in his 60s, Bill’s working to organize people ag...

Grounded Geese

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In spring and summer, the paths around local ponds might have some fluffy obstacles: young goslings along with their caring and defensive parents. Adu...

Seabirds Thriving on Volcanic Slopes

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In August 2008, Kasatochi Island erupted in the middle of auklet breeding season, burying tens of thousands of chicks in hot ash. At first, the auklet...

Just Whose Ducklings Are Those?

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s spring, and a female duck swims across a pond with ducklings in tow. Some of the youngsters might not be her own. Wood Ducks and others may lay...

How Birds Produce Sound

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly all birds produce sound through an organ unique to birds, the syrinx. In many songbirds, the syrinx is not much bigger than a raindrop. Extreme...

Music of a City Lake

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A city lake is one of the most prized places in a fast, growing environment. It’s also often difficult to distinguish all of the bird calls from eac...

The Elegant Black Tern

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Elegant Black Terns breed in summer on secluded wetlands across the northern states and Canada. Because of major losses of wetlands in their breeding ...

Isaiah Scott on Birds in Gullah Geechee Culture

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Isaiah Scott is a twenty-year-old birder who already runs a popular Instagram account called Ike’s Birding Hikes. He has a passion for learning more...

Bald Eagles’ Daredevil Cartwheel Flight

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two eagles locking talons high above the ground might look like they’re risking injury, but it’s a normal courtship behavior called the “cartwhe...

Clean Beach Week

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week is Clean Beach Week. Many busy beaches are also where declining species such as Piping Plovers and Least Terns have their nests. Keeping lit...

Megapodes - Mound-Builders

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a group of birds that lay their eggs underground — in geothermally heated burrows, or  warm sands, or even mounds of organic material war...

Wetland Birds Thrive

01 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While nearly a third of North American bird species are in decline, many birds that depend on wetlands are thriving. Duck breeding populations in 2009...

Traveling with Blue-winged Teal

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Noticeably smaller than Mallards, Blue-winged Teal wings have large patches of powder blue edged in emerald. Blue-winged Teal are long-distance migran...

The Color of Birds' Eyes

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Peer into the world of birds, and eyes of many different colors peer back. While eye color isn’t tied to one group of birds or another, a common pat...

Dudley Edmondson on Black Outdoor Role Models

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a kid in Columbus, Ohio, Dudley Edmondson came to love being outside, despite having few outdoor role models who looked like him. As he progressed ...

Yellow Warblers in a Changing World

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In spring and summer, Yellow Warblers sing from treetops to stream sides. While their beauty and songs commonly light up our most vibrant months, they...

Tree Swallows and Feathers

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tree Swallows glisten in the June sunlight, as they swoop and glide, their arcs interlacing in the air. When a white feather flutters down among them,...

How Many Eggs to Lay?

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When nesting, most birds lay a predictable number of eggs. Bald Eagles: 2. Bluebirds: 4 to 6. Mallards: 10 to 12. But how do they determine when they ...

Seeds of Attraction

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is it that draws us to a romantic partner? Birds have lots of ways to catch the attention of a mate. Most cranes duet with prospective partners f...

The Lustrous Purple Gallinule

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the most colorful bird in the U.S.? The Scarlet Tanager? Maybe the Painted Bunting? Well, consider one more lustrous candidate: the Purple Ga...

World Rainforest Day

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tropical rainforests are stunning places. Despite covering a small part of the Earth’s surface, they support half of the world’s biodiversity. The...

Incarcerated Women Helping Raise Butterflies

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This spring, Bring Birds Back host Tenijah Hamilton traveled to Washington state to meet up with incarcerated women who are part of the Sustainability...

California Condor

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During the days of mammoths and saber-toothed cats, California Condors thrived over much of the continent. Today, they're one of the most endangered b...

Holy Chickens

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The modern chicken, a descendant of the Red Junglefowl, was domesticated thousands of years ago. But chickens haven't always just been farm animals. D...

Black-bellied Plover, Arctic Nester

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, June days offer almost continuous daylight to breeding birds, including this Black-bellied Plover. At this hig...

Baby Birds Move Out of the Nest

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After they leave the nest but before they take flight, many baby birds - especially robins and flickers - spend time on or near the ground. If you see...

The Endangered 'Akiapōlā'au

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 'Akiapōlā'au is a bright yellow bird with a black eye mask, found only in the upper elevations on the Big Island of Hawai'i. But its most distin...

Cliff Swallow--Strength in Numbers

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cliff Swallows gather in spring, in nesting colonies of up to 3,700 nests. Look for swarms of them under bridges, under the eaves of barns, or even th...

Birds Need Water in Summer

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Summer is a crucial time to keep your backyard birds supplied with water for drinking and bathing. Birdbaths set at different heights serve a great va...