Spring cleaning is for the birds
Tackle these duties before the snow melts for better bird nesting success and health this spring.
Birds
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.
Dramatic wild bird declines make unfortunate national headlines
A study by a joint team of conservation biologists described a steady drop of nearly 3 billion North American birds since 1970, primarily as a result of human activities.
Study says bird populations declined nearly 30% in 50 years
Two bird organizations published findings in scientific journal.
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.
Experts: Birds equipped to survive Minnesota’s bitter cold
About half of the state’s roughly 300 bird species head south to warmer climates in the winter, and the birds that stay are tough enough to survive the extreme cold weather, as long they’re able to find food,
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.
Thanksgiving weekend offers more than just turkeys for Pennsylvania hunters
There are multiple game birds and waterfowl worth pursuing for Pennsylvania hunters during their time away from work and school.
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.
Amazing birdwatching find: Minnesota’s first roseate spoonbill
A large, pink wading bird, the roseate spoonbill normally is found in the coastal regions of the Caribbean, Mexico, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and central Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
Endangered whooping cranes expanding their range out of Wisconsin
Two captive-reared young males draw birdwatchers to the Minnesota River bottoms in the metro area.
New York state expands popular grassland bird area
The state-owned area is within a 2,000-acre grassland recognized by the National Audubon Society as critical bird habitat.
Piping plovers, common terns making conservation history on Presque Isle
For the second consecutive year, a pair of federally endangered piping plovers are raising chicks on Presque Isle State Park’s Gull Point. Further heightening this breaking conservation news is the nesting of a pair of state-endangered common terns on the same beach, maybe the first time both species have nested there since the mid-20th century.
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