Bird Feathers and Colors

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Western Hummingbirds?

July 10, 2025 — Think you can tell a Calliope from a Costa's? Let's find out.

Long Before Pantone, This Bird-Based System for Describing Color Was a Hit

December 17, 2024 — In the early 20th century, ornithologist Robert Ridgway published a massive dictionary to categorize birds’ hues, from Peacock Blue to Duck Green. His work still resonates for artists and designers today.

Arts & Culture

Portrait of a mottled brown Rock Ptarmigan looking straight on at the camera.

It’s One of the Biggest Events in a Bird’s Life. Scientists Can’t Agree How to Talk About It.

September 12, 2024 — Every species replaces its feathers by molting, but a passionate debate among ornithologists about what to call the plumage swaps spans oceans and generations.

Bird Science

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

Close-up portrait of a hawk with bright, all-white feathers with its mouth open and tongue sticking out.

This White Red-tailed Hawk Isn't Just Gorgeous—It's Also a Rare Scientific Opportunity

March 12, 2024 — The stunning raptor was recently trapped in Oklahoma by an awestruck group of researchers, who affixed the bird with a GPS transmitter for further study.

A Painted Bunting perched on a branch, a colorful bird with red, blue, purple, yellow, and green feathers.

Why Are Buntings All So Good?

June 01, 2023 — An Audubon magazine investigation.

Bird Questions and Facts

A plump, streaky brown bird with large eyes and long beak stands on a lichen-covered stone looking at the camera.

Drab but Fab: Woodcocks Wear the Whitest Whites in the Avian Wardrobe

April 28, 2023 — Though mostly camouflaged, Eurasian Woodcocks have brilliant patches much whiter than any feathers previously measured, a recent study finds.

Bird Science

Ask Kenn: What’s Up With Bird Color Morphs and Phases?

November 24, 2021 — In some species, many adults wear different color patterns from others. Kenn Kaufman explains the phenomenon, and the lingo to describe it.

Bird Questions and Facts