The impressive great gray owl irruption of 2021
If you’re looking to add one of the world’s largest owls to your lifetime birding or bucket list, this winter offers some prime opportunities across the region.
Birding
A feathered silver lining for nature lovers this December
Hoards of northern finches like crossbills and grosbeaks are entertaining Americans stuck at home this winter.
A little fresh water goes a long way in keeping birds at your feeder throughout winter months
In winter, open water is often as hard for birds to find as available food. (Photo courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation) I’m an unabashed hunter and that includes both gamebirds and waterfowl. I’m equally an unabashed bird feeder and we have a bird feeding station at my home year-around. I also hunt squirrels and welcome them at my feeders,…
How to keep wasps out of your nectar feeder
As hummingbird feeding season 2020 winds down, you already can start planting and working toward next spring by considering hummingbird-attracting flowers.
Bird and other wildlife sightings during the COVID era
Are critters really more abundant, or are citizens working from home simply seeing more of the birds and mammals that always have lived among us?
Bird-watching soars amid COVID-19 as more Americans head outdoors
With coronavirus restrictions dragging on, interest in bird-watching has soared as bored Americans notice a fascinating world just outside their windows.
Birding ideas for a pandemic
During this challenging time, find comfort in the great outdoors and enjoy the upcoming peak of the spring migration.
Spring cleaning is for the birds
Tackle these duties before the snow melts for better bird nesting success and health this spring.
Where are the winter birds?
Have you noticed that the number of birds visiting your yard each winter seems to fluctuate year to year?
Great bald eagle watching opportunities during the winter
Find some open water along the Mississippi River drainage from the Twin Cities on south, and you’ll often see adult bald eagles.
The little-known scoop on bird poop
There’s a method to the madness of our avian friends managing the defecations of nestlings during the summer, and the clues are surprisingly obvious to a trained eye.
There’s more than gobblers out there, so take in the spring
One of the writer’s favorites is the bobolink, which generally appears in early to mid-May in the Southern Tier. It’s been a strange spring gobbler season, full of the usual highs and lows, filled tags, close calls, and near misses. A mid-season gobbling lull could be blamed on some wet and cool weather, but there always seemed to be a…
An obvious dating clue: pelican horns
You’ll see migrating American white pelicans sporting longer feathers and a growth on their beaks.
Lessons in recognizing a popular upland forest dweller: ruffed grouse
If someone tries to convince you ruffed grouse are chirping from an urban wetland in April or May (or anytime), they’re probably wrong.
How many bald eagles can the North Country support?
As territories shrink, some fight to the death, while others are working together.
Birdwatching history: the first U.S. birding field guide
Remarkable tome with a remarkable inscription provides a window into the earliest days of North American birding and conservation.
Don’t eat the blue snow either
Seeing patches of blue in your yard this winter? The ‘Birdchick’ explores this mysterious bunny-buckthorn connection.
Birding alert: A great winter for grosbeaks
Often on the move, evening and pine grosbeaks will be appearing at regional bird feeders through late winter.
A birder abroad: Wildlife- and bird-watching in Uganda
Heading to the heart of Africa produces remarkable encounters with wild, charismatic megafauna and additions to a birding life list.
Smartphone birding apps that every birdwatcher should own
Next-generation software for your digital devices makes bird-watching more efficient and satisfying than ever.
Winter bird feeding entertains, educates
Writer enjoys watching birds over the bead on the barrels of his double-barrel shotgun well enough, but also enjoys watching them at his feeding stations every winter day.
New York City’s Mandarin duck versus the sound and fury of birder drama
Though the Central Park waterfowl story felt overblown at first to seasoned birdwatchers, its ability to inspire novices reminds the author of calmer, simpler times in the birdwatching world.
Amid a rough news cycle, the internationally famous drunk migrating waxwings of Minnesota
Though the author has never convinced a bird to admit it has an alcohol problem, she has indeed helped intoxicated birds “sleep it off.”
Old growth could be key for native songbird species
Hotter, drier summers are having an impact on some of the migrating songbirds that come to Oregon and Washington to breed each spring.
Top locations for birding during the autumn migration
The fall season has reached a fever pitch for bird-watchers, and even a little time afield via these simple, accessible spots can produce action for your life list.
Researchers: More than 4 billion birds stream overhead during fall migration
Fewer birds return to their breeding grounds after going through fall migration and spending months on their wintering grounds. But the researchers were surprised to find that the migrants arriving across the U.S. southern border had an average return rate of 76 percent during the 5 years of the study (2013 to 2017) and the birds wintering in the U.S. had only an average return rate of 64 percent.
Outdoor News Store
Shop our online store for products and gear: Print of the Year, Outdoor News History Book, Outdoor News Clothing and more!
