Why robins sit on empty nests
A reader asks about a female robin’s behavior on their property.
Julie Craves
Julie Craves is an ecologist and the retired director of the Rouge River Bird Observatory in Dearborn, Michigan. She answers readers’ questions about birds in her column “Since You Asked” in every issue of BirdWatching. A tireless researcher and bird bander with a keen interest in the stopover ecology of migrant birds, she is also a personable writer with a gift for making everything she writes readable and entertaining. Her first article in Birder’s World (now BirdWatching), “Forest Fire-tail,” a profile of the American Redstart, appeared in June 1994. Send a question to Julie. Read her blog at http://net-results.blogspot.com.
Julie Craves on social media
What makes a group of hawks a “kettle”
Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers a reader’s question about hawks.
When Burrowing Owls make time to sleep
The night-hunting owls are often seen outside their burrows during daylight, so a reader wondered when they find time for shut-eye.
Why birds can eat hawthorns
Learn why birds can eat hawthorn and crabapple fruits without harm, and humans can’t.
Turkey mites explained
Contributing Editor Julie Craves describes what turkey mites may actually be.
How to control spotted lanternflies without harming birds
Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers a reader’s question about dealing with invasive insects without putting birds in harm’s way.
Replacing a feeder with a caged one
Julie Craves shares why birds aren’t visiting a reader’s new caged feeder.
For many birds, eye colors change as they age
Contributing Editor Julie Craves explains how many species of birds experience a change in eye color during their life.
Explaining an American White Pelican’s misshapen bill
Contributing Editor Julie Craves examines a photo from a reader of an American White Pelican to clarify its apparently misshapen bill.
How to research a bird’s band
You can learn a lot about a bird by tracing the information found on its band.
Nectar thieves at hummingbird feeders and bluebirds preying on frogs
If you live in the West and find your nectar feeder empty in the morning, bats are the probable culprit. But in the East, other mammals are more likely.
A wasp nest and a dead bluebird in a nest box
Contributing Editor Julie Craves tries to unravel a reader’s discovery of an abandoned wasp nest and a dead bluebird inside a nest box.
Hybrid bluebirds and why they may become more common
In the column Since You Asked in every issue of BirdWatching, Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers readers’ questions about birds and bird behavior. Here’s a … Read More “Hybrid bluebirds and why they may become more common”
It’s time for Great Horned Owls to begin hooting
In the column Since You Asked in every issue of BirdWatching, Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers readers’ questions about birds and bird behavior. Here are … Read More “It’s time for Great Horned Owls to begin hooting”
Why dogs shouldn’t eat bird seed on the ground
In the column Since You Asked in every issue of BirdWatching, Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers readers’ questions about birds and bird behavior. Here is … Read More “Why dogs shouldn’t eat bird seed on the ground”
Deepwater Horizon oil affected land birds as well as seabirds
When the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April 2010, at least 130 million gallons of oil escaped into the northern Gulf of Mexico over … Read More “Deepwater Horizon oil affected land birds as well as seabirds”
The true cost of coffee
How your morning cup of joe can help save the birds you see this spring
Species profile: Masked predator, Loggerhead Shrike
The Loggerhead Shrike is an open-country songbird that hunts like a falcon and was once confused with the Northern Mockingbird
The birds of Cuba
Trade restrictions have hampered understanding of the birds that spend the winter in Cuba — including many we call “ours”
Species profile: The pint-sized Northern Saw-whet Owl
Get to know this wide-eyed raptor, a little woodland charmer