Articles by Asher Elbein

Why You Should Scale Up Your Birding By Looking for Reptiles

By Asher Elbein
March 23, 2023 — Lower your binoculars and expand your next trip by seeking out snakes, lizards, and amphibians. Here are some expert tips to get you started.
Culture

'Prehistoric Planet,' a Stunning New Series, Depicts Dinosaurs Like Never Before

By Asher Elbein
May 23, 2022 — Drawing from science that connects modern birds and ancient dinosaurs, the David Attenborough-narrated Apple TV+ show was influenced by avian biology and behavior at every step.
Science

Newly Recorded Condor ‘Virgin Birth’ Is Another Way Birds Are Like Reptiles

By Asher Elbein
November 10, 2021 — Zoo researchers discovered that two female California Condors had reproduced without males, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis.
Conservation

Is the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken Starting to Make a Comeback?

By Asher Elbein
June 23, 2021 — The endangered subspecies has been in trouble for two decades, but recent data suggests the bird's population is booming in the wild.
Culture

This Producer's Joyful Bird Beats Are Wowing TikTok

By Asher Elbein
April 16, 2021 — So Wylie learned last year that owl calls are "kind of fire." Now she is expanding her catchy avian collection.
News

In Praise of the Great-tailed Grackle, a Bird That Doesn't Need Your Respect

By Asher Elbein
January 11, 2021 — Few species are as polarizing as these urbanites, but one thing is indisputable: Their ubiquity is a sign of their adaptability and success.
News

‘It’s a Bird’ Is a New Comic Written by Central Park Birder Christian Cooper

By Asher Elbein
September 14, 2020 — The story, which is loosely inspired by Cooper's racist encounter in the park, is the first in the digital "Represent!" series from DC Comics.
News

The Bird World Is Grappling With Its Own Confederate Relic: McCown's Longspur

By Asher Elbein
July 02, 2020 — A grassland species named for an ornithologist who later became a Confederate general, the longspur has sparked a fiery debate over which honorific bird names should be reconsidered. Some say all of them.
News

"What's the Deal With Birds?" a New Paper Asks—While Making a Point

By Asher Elbein
April 22, 2020 — In the world of academia, predatory journals with almost no vetting process abound. One researcher had enough.
COVID-19

Canceled Birding Festivals Deal Host Towns a Major Economic Blow

By Asher Elbein
April 01, 2020 — As event organizers are forced to make tough decisions over coronavirus concerns, local businesses and nonprofits brace for the fallout.