Secrets of the world’s poisonous birds
How researchers uncovered the link between poison dart frogs in Colombia and a small number of toxic bird species in Papua New Guinea.
Eldon Greij (1937-2021) was professor emeritus of biology at Hope College, located in Holland, Michigan, where he taught ornithology and ecology for many years. He was the founding publisher and editor of Birder’s World magazine and the author of our popular column “Those Amazing Birds.”
Eldon Greij on social media
How researchers uncovered the link between poison dart frogs in Colombia and a small number of toxic bird species in Papua New Guinea.
A 2018 study found signs of CTE in some woodpecker brains, but it’s unclear if the birds suffer from brain damage from hammering on trees.
Why songbirds pair off to establish territories yet frequently seek out neighbors to mate with.
Its sky dancing courtship display is just one of the incredible behaviors of this shorebird that’s found in the woods.
Physical and physiological adaptations enable birds to endure extremely low temperatures and the worst of winter weather.
Founding Editor Eldon Greij reflects on the early days of the bird magazine he established 40 years after the “bolt of lightning” idea that sparked it.
The world’s corvids can use tools, solve puzzles, recognize threats, give gifts, and return lost items to their human neighbors.
Why researchers misunderstood birds’ brains for a century — and what we now know.
Arctic Tern, Sooty Shearwater, and Bar-tailed Godwit among species that fly the farthest.
Birds use a wide array of tools, including hooks, bait, drop zones, and fire.
Eldon Greij explains the difference between how hummingbirds fly compared to other flying birds.
Eldon Greij explains how the cleverly wired avian brain enables young birds to carry a tune.
Eldon Greij explains the variety of factors that affect the optimum clutch size for each bird species.
Birds have more highly developed sight abilities than any other vertebrate, including humans.
Eldon Greij explains how birds exploit a wide range of food sources.
Eldon Greij explains how beaks evolved to fit the functionality of each bird species.
Founding Editor Eldon Greij explains how the unique feeding behaviors of flamingos help them thrive in highly alkaline lakes and lagoons.
Eldon Greij explains Manakins dazzling visual and audio displays during their courtship rituals.
Eldon Greij describes the skills a male Satin Bowerbird must possess in courting females — from constructing an intricate bower to a frenzied song-and-dance routine.
Want to learn more about birds? Sign up for our biweekly newsletter! After watching migrant Swainson’s Thrushes refuel on fruiting shrubs in Michigan one fall, an … Read More “Why many birds evolved to eat fruit”
Albatrosses are large, heavy birds with goose-like bodies and long, narrow wings. The smaller species have wingspans of 6 to 8 feet, while those of … Read More “How albatrosses fly, find food, and nest”
While I was walking a wooded area near a Michigan pond one spring, the forest floor stopped me cold. It was carpeted with White-throated Sparrows … Read More “The value of flocks”
Humans have been fascinated by flight since their earliest writings, and accounts of attempts to master the airways are scattered throughout history. Using kites and … Read More “Eldon Greij: Birds are the original ultralights”
Sometimes we are so busy looking at the differences between birds that we forget the similarities. Birds resemble each other in many ways. Perhaps none … Read More “Eldon Greij describes how birds’ streamlined teardrop shape enables them to fly”
A review of Listening to a Continent Sing: Birdsong by Bicycle from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by Donald Kroodsma
Birds have internal compasses that can determine directions from the sun’s position during the day, star patterns at night, and Earth’s magnetic field. A compass … Read More “How homing pigeons find their way home”
As a rule, birds undergo a complete molt after the breeding season. Prior to the next breeding season, many birds undergo a partial molt (typically, … Read More “How feather wear gives starlings and other birds their snazziest plumage”
It was the final day of safari, and our Land Cruisers were slowly making their way to the bottom of Ngorongoro Crater, in northern Tanzania. … Read More “How Africa’s hummingbird-like sunbirds find nectar”
The primary goals for birds are to survive, successfully breed, and dominate the gene pool. There are almost as many strategies to meet those goals … Read More “Eldon Greij explains why some birds practice siblicide”
Imagine being in a pitch-black room, your pupils maximally dilated, but you can’t see a thing. You feel helpless. Now picture a Barn Owl on a … Read More “Behavior: How owls can hunt even in total darkness”
Feathers are the ultimate characteristic of birds. No other (living) animals have them. The qualifier is required because feathers have now been found in fossil … Read More “Bird basics: Six different feather types explained”
Ratites are a small group of mostly huge, flightless birds. Think ostrich, rhea, emu, and cassowary. Where did they come from? We used to think … Read More “Curious birds that can’t take flight but sure can run”
Conventional wisdom has maintained for years that birds have remarkable special senses, especially vision and hearing. Olfaction, on the other hand, was relegated to the … Read More “Eldon Greij tells what birds can smell”
As birds diverged from their early ancestors, many exploited aquatic habitats by wading or swimming. Others took to diving. Diving creates a problem for birds: … Read More “How birds are able to dive and swim below the waves”
Perhaps nothing speaks to the cleverness of birds more than the variety of their nests. Driven primarily by predation, birds construct and locate nests to … Read More “Nest basics”
The incredible egg. Essential to the species. Relished fried or poached. And the perfect package. But how did it come about? Like reptiles, birds broke … Read More “Where eggs come from”
Whether a bird spends the winter in high latitudes or migrates to more southerly climes in fall has less to do with temperature than with … Read More “Eldon Greij explains the clever way birds keep legs and feet warm”
It was March, just before evening, and Sandhill Cranes were rising high above the Platte River in Nebraska, soaring in tight circles, and then dropping … Read More “The amazing way birds land”
It is generally well known that birds lack teeth. What is not as well known is that ancient birds had them. Several fossil bird species … Read More “Why Mallards and other birds have no teeth and sometimes eat pebbles”
On a recent game drive in northern Tanzania, in eastern Africa, our driver pulled to a stop next to a group of acacias decked out … Read More “Eldon Greij describes the most abundant bird in the world”
While protein is essential in the diet of all animals, it can have side effects that make it a double-edged sword. Protein consists of many … Read More “Eldon Greij explains what every birder should know about bird poop”
For birds and other organisms, winning at the game of life is defined as leaving behind more offspring than other members of your species. Biologists … Read More “Eldon Greij describes birds’ varied and surprising mating strategies”
Birds are busy animals. Consider insect-hawking flycatchers, far-flying shorebirds, and hovering hummingbirds, and you get a picture of how active birds can be. That’s why … Read More “Eldon Greij describes the amazing way that birds breathe”
Flight is essential for birds and captivating for birdwatchers. Consider the speed of a diving falcon, the burst of a flushed grouse, the erratic pattern … Read More “The amazing muscles and bones that make birds fly”
The feeding strategy of woodpeckers requires two specialized adaptations: one understood by the whole world, the other known to but a few students of birds. … Read More “Why woodpeckers can hammer without getting headaches”
I saw one of the most handsome birds in the world not too long ago. It was a male about the size of a jay, … Read More “Extravagance explained: Why birds-of-paradise are the way they are”