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About Birds

Two researchers, with equipment and notebooks splayed across a boardwalk in a forest, sit cross-legged while they record data.
Scientists Can Now Track How High Songbirds Fly Over the Ocean—a Potential Lifesaver
September 19, 2025 — Researchers are gathering new insights that improve migration science and may help make offshore wind energy more friendly to small birds with big treks.
Bird Migration
A messy clump of leaves and sticks sits in the fork of a tree.
How to Tell if That Nest Belongs to a Squirrel or a Bird
September 18, 2025 — Squirrels build structures called dreys that can be easy to mistake for a crow or hawk’s nest.
Bird Nests and Breeding
A Common Myna stands on a railing with its beak open, vocalizing.
Sleepy Birds Are Lousy Singers, Study Finds
August 21, 2025 — Just like people, songbirds are groggy and quiet after a rough night’s sleep—a sign that urban noise and light may leave them less fit for reproduction and survival.
Bird Science
A gull in flight in a cloudy blue sky.
More Gulls, More Vireos: Latest Shakeup of North American Bird Names Splits Familiar Species
August 20, 2025 — Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ field editor Kenn Kaufman breaks down this year’s checklist changes from the American Ornithological Society.
Bird Names & Taxonomy
A Streaked Shearwater pooping while flying.
Poop-Cam Footage Shows These Seabirds Fertilize the Ocean With Their Body Weight Per Day in Guano
August 18, 2025 — Recording Streaked Shearwaters gave scientists a new window into the role seabirds play in fueling marine food webs—and possibly spreading avian flu—far from land.
Bird Science
A Chimney Swift flying low over rippling, greenish water.
10 Fun Facts About the Chimney Swift
August 12, 2025 — These little guys were built for life on the wing.
Bird Questions and Facts
A light gray seabird hovers on a wave with its beak open at the surface.
How Do Seabirds Drink Salt Water?
August 07, 2025 — Albatrosses, petrels, and other ocean-dwellers can stay hydrated without fresh water. The key? Little glands above their eyes.
Bird Questions and Facts
A Rufous Hummingbird perches on a thin branch and looks towards the camera.
Common Birds Are Declining the Fastest, and Habitat Loss Is to Blame, a New Study Finds
August 05, 2025 — As humans have transformed the natural environment, abundant birds have suffered the most—while some rare species have increased.
Conservation News
A Brown Pelican on water holds its beak slightly open, revealing several fish flopping around in its gular pouch.
10 Fun Facts About the Brown Pelican
August 01, 2025 — They love fish but will eat whatever their pouches can hold.
Bird Questions and Facts