Planes, birds, microscopes, and DNA
Smithsonian scientists do more than investigate bird-aircraft collisions – they push the limits of bird identification Read More “Planes, birds, microscopes, and DNA”
News & Features
Recent developments and in-depth articles about birdwatching, conservation, notable species, and scientific discoveries.
How Warren Petersen, Arthur Allen, and Henry Kyllingstad found the Bristle-thighed Curlew’s nest in Alaska in 1948
A shoebox full of letters and photographs reveals a grandfather’s place in ornithological history Read More “How Warren Petersen, Arthur Allen, and Henry Kyllingstad found the Bristle-thighed Curlew’s nest in Alaska in 1948”
You can find rails: Find Virginia Rail, Sora, King Rail, Clapper Rail, Yellow Rail, and Black Rail
Tips, strategies, and tricks for adding rails to your life list from four of North America’s most expert rail finders Read More “You can find rails: Find Virginia Rail, Sora, King Rail, Clapper Rail, Yellow Rail, and Black Rail”
Species profile: Winter wanderer, Varied Thrush
If the Varied Thrush is a bird of the Pacific Northwest, then why does it show up so often as far east as Maine? Read More “Species profile: Winter wanderer, Varied Thrush”
Species profile: Red wonder, Northern Cardinal
Why the cardinal, a bird Audubon knew from the South, is thriving in winters in the North Read More “Species profile: Red wonder, Northern Cardinal”
Lure of the list: How the American Ornithologists’ Union and American Birding Association determine bird checklists
Listing is at the heart of birding, but who decides what birds we can and can’t list? Read More “Lure of the list: How the American Ornithologists’ Union and American Birding Association determine bird checklists”
Species profile: Watching and studying Peregrine Falcons at Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Researchers on the frigid shores of Hudson Bay are changing our picture of the prince of birds Read More “Species profile: Watching and studying Peregrine Falcons at Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada”
Birding hotspots in the Small Wetlands Program
Saving grasslands, producing waterfowl, and creating birding gems, the Small Wetlands Program may be the best reason yet to buy a Duck Stamp Read More “Birding hotspots in the Small Wetlands Program”
Birds protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species List doesn’t come close to describing the status of all of America’s birds. To see the big picture, you have to piece together multiple lists. Read More “Birds protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act”
Species profile: California Condor, an endangered species, after 20 years of recovery efforts
Twenty years after the capture of the last wild bird, California Condors are nesting and flying free — but not worry-free Read More “Species profile: California Condor, an endangered species, after 20 years of recovery efforts”