Articles by Scott Weidensaul

For the second year in a row, a Snowy Owl irruption has led to numerous sightings of these great raptors, south of their usual range. This one was photographed in Breezy Point, Queens, New York City on January 25, 2015. Francois Portmann
Birds In The News

The Return of the SNOWstorm
February 20, 2015 — Experts continue to track Snowy Owls through yet another southern irruption.

With So Many Snowies to Study, Scientists Are Discovering How Little We Know About This Bird
February 9, 2014 — After a banner year for Arctic rodents, the greatest snowy owl explosion in half a century has descended on the eastern United States—and it’s teaching us about these nomads from the north. 
Thousands of mile of oil and gas canals have altered fragile Gulf marshes and allowed saltwater to penetrate coastal wetlands. A football field-size chunk of wetlands vanishes into open water almost every hour. Michel Varisco
Gulf Restoration

Restoring the Gulf Coast
December 1, 2013 — In a strange twist of fate, the biggest oil spill in U.S. history may end up saving the South’s wetlands and coastlines—if we make the right choices.

Excerpt: Living on the Wind
July 30, 2013 — Follow a myriad of migrants on their winged journeys. 
International Travel

The Falkland Islands: A Birder’s Grail Destination
May 8, 2013 — The otherworldly, windswept Falklands are home to such a vast and diverse array of wildlife—including five species of penguins—that the archipelago has become a grail destination for adventurous birders and nature lovers.

Birds Matter Because They Do
April 1, 2013 — The intrinsic value of these creatures is incalculable. 

Fighting to Save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper From Extinction In Five Years
September 14, 2012 — So rare and cute. The spoon-billed sandpiper blends fantasy with tragedy. In a scramble to get the word out, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology captured the first-ever high-definition video of the bird, which numbers barely 300. Audubon has the story.

Connecting the Dots Along Migratory Flyways
May 11, 2012 — The dawn of a new era in ornithology is revealing the secrets of many species’ migratory journeys in astonishing detail. Here are some of the latest endeavors.

Unlocking Migration's Secrets
March 5, 2012 — For centuries the study of bird migration has been riddled with mystery and unanswered questions: Where do birds go in winter? How far do they fly? Can they navigate a hurricane? Scientists are tapping new technologies to find 

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