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About Birds

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta from space.
Western Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Is Big … for Arctic-Breeding Shorebirds
June 24, 2024 — A new study reveals Alaska’s climate-sensitive YKD to support 7 million Arctic-breeding shorebirds—including the majority of six North American populations.
ALASKA Important Bird Areas
A Northern Flicker with bright orange feathers on the bottoms of its wings and tail perches on a thin branch with its wings open.
10 Fun Facts About the Northern Flicker
June 21, 2024 — Discover the quirks that make this weird woodpecker—whatever you want to call it—so distinctive.
Bird Questions and Facts
A large, drab-colored hummingbird perches on the spike of a cactus.
Scientists Discover World's Largest Hummingbird Hiding in Plain Sight
June 07, 2024 — Groundbreaking research has resulted in a surprising split of the species known as the Giant Hummingbird, and one of the birds just happens to be slightly bigger than the other.
Bird News
A crow stands on an out-of-focus man-made surface with its beak open, presumably cawing.
Crows Can Count Aloud Much Like Toddlers, New Study Finds
May 28, 2024 — How smart are corvids? We can count the ways—and so can they.
Bird Science
‘The Birds That Audubon Missed' Provides New Insights Into the Age of Avian Discovery in America
May 09, 2024 — In his latest book, bird expert Kenn Kaufman focuses on the species that evaded John James Audubon and his peers to explore an exhilarating yet knotty era in ornithology. Read on to learn more about the book and for a Q&A with the author.
Books
Ignoring Threats Facing Bird Populations is a Texas-sized Risk We Can’t Afford to Take.
April 25, 2024
TEXAS Policy & Advocacy
Woodcocks Don’t Let Migration Mess With Their Sex Lives
April 24, 2024 — A new study finds the first proof that timberdoodles mate as they migrate, an extremely rare behavior known as itinerant breeding.
Bird Science
A calling loon is silhouetted against rippling water reflecting the golden light of sunset.
How the Common Loon's Eerie Call Took Over Pop Music
April 23, 2024 — The beloved bird has wailed its way through decades of hits. It’s time we give the species its royalties.
Arts & Culture
A flock of pigeons eating seeds on a sidewalk.
Cities Are Testing Birth Control to Solve Pigeon Problems
April 16, 2024 — Booming populations of these familiar urban birds are causing complaints. Can contraception help?
Bird Science