If you live in the northern half of the United States, the odds are good that a black-capped chickadee will visit your property this winter. The most widespread of North … Read more
birds
Remembering Craig: A Happy Sad Day
Last Monday we dedicated the pond and habitat at the National Wildlife Federation’s Virginia headquarters to our beloved and former Chief Naturalist, Craig Tufts, who lost his battle with brain … Read more
Bird of the Week: Rufous Hummingbird
About a week before Thanksgiving, fellow science writer Rick Borchelt spotted a “way out of season and way out of range” rufous hummingbird feasting at his backyard sugar-water feeder … Read more
Cleared for Landing
A bald eagle slows to land in a nearly leafless tree near Maryland’s Conowingo Dam. Photographed by Jim McCollum of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read more
Bird of the Week: Wild Turkey
Like many of us this holiday, the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts, probably feasted on turkey that legendary first Thanksgiving. In 1621, the big, handsome birds were plentiful throughout northeastern forests. … Read more
Bird of the Week: Dickcissel
Stroll across a Midwestern prairie anytime between late spring and early fall, and you’ll rarely be out of ear shot of the dickcissel’s distinctive trill: see-see, dick-dick, ciss-ciss-ciss. Stocky, streaked, … Read more
Bird of the Week: White-Throated Sparrow
Iconic winter birds for backyard wildlife enthusiasts across much of the United States, white-throated sparrows already are bringing smiles to our faces as they return from northern breeding grounds and … Read more
Update: Migratory Birds in the Gulf of Mexico
Just over six months into the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, federal officials finally have some good news for those of us concerned about birds in the Gulf of … Read more
Spooky Animals: Photo Gallery
Edgar Allen Poe’s “grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore” is actually one of the smartest birds around, using tools to collect hard-to-reach food and, in lab experiments, appearing to use logic to solve complex problems. Read more
Birds Die Slow Death in Tar Sands Sludge
Yesterday, reports surfaced that birds landed in the toxic sludge-filled lakes that surround the tar sands mines in northern Alberta. Over 120 birds had to be euthanized because they were … Read more