Collections of photos selected by the editors that tell stories, show bird families, or explain the fine points of bird ID.
American Kestrel is our smallest falcon, and, unlike other falcons, it often hovers when searching for prey. You can see it year-round in open country and … Read More “Armchair birding: Compare male and female American Kestrels”
Nuthatches are compact, vocal birds with short tails, long bills, and square 12-feathered tails. Almost 30 species are known worldwide, four of which occur in North … Read More “Photo gallery: Five views of North America’s four species of nuthatch”
Wood Ducks are known as summertime residents of Ontario, but Larry Kirtley photographed the dapper drake above in the opposite season. His picture inspired us to see how … Read More “Winter birds: 10 photos show birds making do with all that snow”
Thirty-six species of gull occur in the Americas. Twenty-two breed in North America, ten breed in South America, and four visit from the Old World. The … Read More “Photo gallery: Gulls that make the pulse race”
Looks like this winter, like the winter of 2013-14, will be excellent for Snowy Owls. The birds have been reported across the northern Great Plains, all around … Read More “Seven Snowy Owls photographed this winter”
You can find superb photos of seven of North America’s jay species in our U.S. and Canada and Backyard galleries. Below are a few of our favorites. Steller’s Jay Steller’s … Read More “Photo gallery: Seven beautiful jays”
Two kinglets occur in the North America: Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned. Telling them apart can be a challenge. Shape isn’t very useful. Each is a compact … Read More “Photo ID: Separating Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets”
Who says you need to see golden slippers to know you’re looking at a Snowy Egret? You can identify it by its bill. And you … Read More “Identify egrets and herons by their colorful bills”
Unusual for owls, Burrowing Owls are active during the day, not night, but they can still be devilishly hard to find. Mottled brown and small, they’re … Read More “Photo gallery: Eight revealing views of Burrowing Owl”
