2021-02-01 02:20
Breeding Bird Surveys monitor the status and trends of North American bird populations. Following a rigorous protocol, BBS data are collected by thousands of dedicated participants along tho… Read More
Blog Directory > Home & Garden Blogs > Hobbies & Crafts Blogs > Birdzilla.com hobbies-and-crafts Blog >
Birdzilla.com Blog
birdzilla.com/blog
Tags:
bird
guide
duck
thickbilled fox
aplomado falcon
bird banding
north america
south texas
count
breeding bird surveys
News and information on wild birds. Bi-weekly blog updates from Joel Greenberg. Over 4000 pages of information.
2020-11-30 02:25
Cedar Waxwings migrate to the southern part of the United States during the winter.
Photograph © Greg Lavaty
I live in Texas and have not noticed them yet but they must be around. … Read More
2020-11-01 22:19
We are excited to announce that the new Birdzilla.com Photographic Guide to the Birds of North America is now available. Designed for beginner to intermediate level birders it covers… Read More
2020-03-13 00:15
The Institute for Bird Population Studies recently posted a series of recordings of the song of the “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow. Some of the recordings they describe as bein… Read More
2020-01-05 16:05
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Scientists now say that since birds evolved from dinosaurs the egg came first. In either case bird eggs are an amazing invention.
Bird e… Read More
2019-12-22 01:45
The beautiful Aplomado Falcon was once extinct in the United States. Re-introduction efforts in far south Texas are being successful.
Aplomado falcons are most often seen in pairs. They do… Read More
2019-12-15 02:37
The majestic Golden Eagle is not as wide-spread as the better known Bald Eagle, at least in the United States. It is, however, found in Europe and Asia.
The Bent Life History Series has this… Read More
2019-12-08 17:01
The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts are now in their 118th year. The counts are a fun way to get outside and do a little counting for the birds. All skill levels are invite… Read More
2019-11-30 16:56
Enormous hazards face birds even before they hatch. Although the odds against one individual bird appear staggering, avian species as a whole survive well, except where they are threatened b… Read More
2019-11-23 20:36
The small Bufflehead is one of my favorite ducks. It also a favorite of others, as witnessed by this description of the Bufflehead as described in the Bent Life History Series.
Bufflehead (B… Read More
2019-11-10 15:08
The Hawkwatch season in the U.S. is starting to wind down. The Corpus Christi, TX hawk watch has recorded 30 raptor species and over 500,000 individuals.
Osprey with fish. © Greg… Read More
2019-10-26 16:34
The large Brown Jay was once somewhat regular along the lower Rio Grande River in far south Texas. Never common, the rare visitor seems to have retreated back across the Rio Grand and… Read More
2019-10-19 16:41
As more ducks are starting to show up in their winter homes it is a good time to review duck and waterfowl identification. The Birdzilla.com web site has an excellent section on Waterf… Read More
2019-09-29 16:13
What causes a bird to start migration? The Germans call it “zugunruhe” or migratory restlessness. There are several factors that influence the beginning of migration… Read More
2019-09-18 00:32
A world apart, the toucan and the hornbill have an amazingly similar approach to feeding, designed to accommodate their large bills. One often seen feeding on the ground, an another favorin… Read More
2019-07-21 01:11
The new “Dick Stamps” are now available for purchase. Duck stamps are used for habitat conservation and enrichment and benefit wildlife of many kinds.
Scot Storm, a nati… Read More
2019-07-14 20:50
The end of July marks the start of a two week experience to the Pantanal region of Brazil. This is not a dedicated birding trip as I will be traveling with non-birders, my brother Mark, and… Read More
2019-06-16 19:09
This spotting scope features the Dual-Speed Focus system, allowing the user to move between near objects and long-range targets quickly, while enjoying the benefits of fine focusing and shar… Read More
2019-04-21 22:20
Birds can fly because they have low weight and lots of power. Their feathers, wings, hollow bones, warm bloodedness, powerful breast muscles, and a strong heart all contribute to this abilit… Read More
2019-03-11 18:28
The woodcock is a strange little “shorebird” of moist woodlands. Here is how it is described in the Bent Life History series.
American Woodcock © Greg Lavaty&l&hell…Read More
2019-02-18 22:47
For some birds color is for camouflage. For others, it is used to attract the right mate. Even baby birds use color to get their needs met. The inside of the mouth of many… Read More
2018-09-21 23:48
(From The Birding Community E-Bulletin)
On 13 April of this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the successful recovery of the Black-capped Vireo, thus removing the sp… Read More
2018-08-06 13:40
Birding Products Showcase to be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Birders interested in a hands-on experience with the latest binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras will have th… Read More
2018-07-05 15:27
The 2018 Whooping Crane nesting survey on Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada located 86 nests. This is the second highest count on record with a total of 98 nests counted in 2017.
Rhona Kind… Read More
2018-05-21 15:07
Scientists now believe they have identified a new species of a Bird-of-Paradise. Watch this terrific video to see if you agree Read More
2018-05-07 14:08
The BirdCast web site provides projected information on on areas of high migration intensity.
The forecasts powered by 23 years of radar observations and the most recent North American Mesos… Read More
2018-04-22 23:39
A comprehensive photographic guide to the world’s gull species
.
This new guide is an excellent resource for anyone honing their identification skills for this often conf… Read More
2018-04-04 14:09
Wisdom, The World’s Oldest Known Wild Bird, a mother again at 67!
Wisdom is a Laysan Albatross that nests on Midway Island at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. She has been ne… Read More
2018-03-19 00:04
Did you know there was a sea in the mainland of the United States? It is the Salton Sea and is located in southern California.
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, rift lake located di… Read More
2018-03-11 19:45
Two of the big annual events in the birding world are coming up soon.
Great Texas Birding Classic
Registration is now open for teams wishing to enter the Great Texas Birding Classic. Tournam… Read More
2018-02-18 15:52
Be a scientist for a week and learn how to contribute to science at home.
June 10 to 15, 2018
Act now if you want to register for a new program on Audubon’s Hog Island this summer… Read More
2018-02-06 15:03
The New Caledonian crow is the only non-human animal known to craft hooked tools in the wild, but the ecological benefit of these relatively complex tools remains unknown. Here, we show that… Read More
2018-01-13 16:24
2018, marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world are j… Read More
2018-01-03 16:10
The Department of Homeland Security has announced that the first new section of the proposed border wall at the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) in South Texas will be at Santa Ana National Wi… Read More
2017-12-18 21:07
Some interesting news about the Passenger Pigeon.
A study released last month in Science sheds new light on the possible reasons for the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. A team of researc… Read More
2017-12-07 15:30
Despite Benjamin Franklin’s efforts to enshrine the Wild Turkey as our national symbol, the Bald Eagle was selected instead. The large, majestic adult Bald Eagle, dark in color save fo… Read More
2017-11-26 20:16
Learning to identify the songs and call notes of the birds you see in your backyard can be lots of fun. Start by trying to create an association with the songs that you hear.
Some birds say… Read More
2017-11-19 15:19
Noting the color of the iris can help identify or age a bird.
Most birds have a black pupil surrounded by a dark brown iris. This is not always the case. The color of the iris ca… Read More
2017-11-06 20:54
The widespread Loggerhead Shrike is an uncommon breeding or year-round resident across much of the U.S. Despite being classified as a Passerine (the group containing most of our songbirds) a… Read More
2017-10-28 20:31
The American Birding Association will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 5:00 pm at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium, 1204 Fair Park Blvd, Harlingen, TX 7… Read More
2017-10-23 14:36
The recent hurricanes that blasted through the Caribbean have done untold damage to people and wildlife.
Reviewing Irma’s carnage is painful. Video from Cuba’s northern Cays show… Read More
2017-10-17 23:24
Whooping Cranes are returning to Texas – what is left after Hurricane Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey did a number on the Texas coast, with damage as far south as the Aransas National Wildlif… Read More
2017-10-09 14:31
Hawk migration is well underway. Hawk watchers at the major hawk watch locations are turning in large numbers of sightings.
ON Sept 30, the Corpus Christi, Texas site counted 17,163 hawks mi… Read More
2017-09-24 15:10
One of my favorite and most important web sites is the Boreal Songbird Initiative. Habitat loss is the most significant threat to native bird and animal specials. North America’s borea… Read More
2017-09-18 13:53
The American Birding Expo is North America’s most extensive gathering of birding-related products, services, companies, destinations, and organizations. That’s why we call it &ld&hell…Read More
2017-09-10 19:34
The Big Sit! is an annual, international, noncompetitive birding event hosted by Bird Watcher’s Digest and founded by the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird Club. Every team that observes th… Read More
2017-08-30 14:23
For the third year in a role Mississippi Kites have nested near my home near Dallas. My home backs up to a golf course which provides excellent soaring space for the young kites. They are ac… Read More
2017-08-21 15:21
While many birders flock to air conditioned comfort during August, many shorebird species will start their southern migration during the month. According to the Stanford web site more than 2… Read More
2017-08-14 19:31
It has been know for several years that some birds see well in the UV range and that UV markings on windows, while not visible to humans, can be detected by birds and offer protection from w… Read More
2017-08-03 22:33
From the Friends of the Wild Whoopers web site.
“The remote muskeg of the taiga in Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, and its surrounding environs have long been the last holdout f… Read More
2017-07-16 14:56
I found this article on the Black-capped Vireo and cowbird predation especially interesting as several years ago I had the opportunity to spend the day at Fort Hood in central Texas, where m… Read More
2017-07-09 20:12
Zoologists at the University of Cambridge filmed a group of Mallards hunting other birds on a reservoir in Romania.
Two fledglings – a grey wagtail and a black redstart – were c… Read More
2017-07-04 14:22
A new parrot species has been identified from the Yucatán Peninsula: The Blue-winged Amazon.
I had no idea there were remote parts of the Yucatán Peninsula but apparently there… Read More
2017-06-26 23:08
The speculum is a patch of often iridescent color on the secondary feathers of many duck species. It is often seen as a bright patch of color on the rear of the wing when the wing is s… Read More
2017-06-18 23:51
What is the only North American (U.S. and Canada) songbird that breeds exclusively in Canada? It is one of our most beautiful, and one of my favorite sparrows – the Harris’… Read More
2017-06-04 20:30
This little bit if happy news is from The Birding Community E-Bulletin.
In a refreshing move of bipartisanship, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) recently introduced t… Read More
2017-05-29 20:15
Audubon has launched a pilot program called Climate Watch. The plan is to use bluebirds and nuthatch observations to validate Audubon’s predictions on how birds’ territory ranges… Read More
2017-05-21 20:56
Princeton University Press has had a great year introducing new bird guides. First across my desk was Raptors of Mexico and Central Mexico. Raptors can offer a real identificatio… Read More
2017-05-14 14:56
The 21st International Conference of BirdsCaribbean will take place July 13-17, at Topes de Collantes Nature Reserve Park in Cuba.
Cuban Trogon © Max Schwenne
The five-day conference wi… Read More
2017-05-04 14:33
Recently returned from a quick trip to the Galveston, Texas area. About 2 days of birding yielded 118 species. Warblers were only fair and numbers of other usually common m… Read More
2017-04-23 15:06
Princeton University Press has released a beautiful new guide to the birds of India and the surrounding region:
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of IndiaIncluidng: Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan… Read More
2017-04-15 14:24
The following note is from The Birding Community E-Bulletin on the passing Chandler S. Robbins. Many years ago I had the opportunity to spend about an hour birding with Mr. Robins in H… Read More
2017-04-02 20:18
If you are not familiar with the phrase, the The dawn chorus occurs when birds sing at the start of a new day. This is most noticeable in spring when the birds are trying to attract a mate o… Read More
2017-03-26 23:13
If you are starting to plan your summer vacation a visit to the Nature Conservancy “Nature’s Road Trip” web pages may provide some excellent ideas for birding or a family r… Read More
2017-03-19 23:14
Whooping Cranes visit the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the Texas coast from September to early April each year. Survey estimates for this year are not complete but April 2016 repor… Read More
2017-03-08 14:22
Last month, the Boreal Songbird Initiative released a short but important report that helps underscore the importance of Canada’s boreal wetlands. The report, called “Wetland Won… Read More
2016-12-21 18:21
The 2018 International Ornithological Congress (IOC) will unite about 2000 scientists and conservationists from 100 countries around the world. The event will be held in Vancouver, British C… Read More
2016-12-13 16:27
If you think the above image is of a feather and not of a frond, you would be correct. But that’s not all there is to it. What you are looking at is a feathered dinosaur t… Read More
2016-12-07 16:25
From The AukSmart female Wood Ducks live longer. (our interpretation)
An 11-year study of almost 500 Wood Ducks found a positive correlation between annual survival rate and nesting su… Read More
2016-11-29 16:05
The Institute for Bird Populations is an excellent organization for those interested in studying, what else, bird population trends and the development of conservation programs. Their web si… Read More
2016-11-20 16:01
Another Audubon Christmas Bird Count season is just around the corner. This great winter birding tradition started in 1900, making this its 117th season! This year the coun… Read More
2016-11-12 16:57
We should all know a little more about the countries to the north and south of us.
Almost everyone knows the Bald Eagle is the National Bird of the United States. Some may know that Be… Read More
2016-11-02 15:36
Bird identification can often be a real challenge. Birds captured at banding stations sometimes provide an opportunity to study unusual plumages.
In the spring of 2014, researchers at… Read More
2016-10-22 15:37
Two of the largest and most influential ornithologist organizations are the American Ornithologists’ Union (The AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society (COS).
Among other things, th… Read More
2016-10-15 17:37
Woodpeckers offer an endlessly fascinating study in bird behavior and style. The more you watch, the more engaging they become. Part of it is anatomy. Their broad wings, stiff tail feathers… Read More
2016-10-10 16:36
To answer the question of what makes a white bird white we first have to ask what makes a black bird black. The answer to that question is a pigment called melanin. Melanin… Read More
2016-10-03 15:18
New research from the Nature Conservancy and university scientists revealed that only 41 percent of the natural land area in the United States retains enough connectivity to facilitate speci… Read More
2016-09-26 15:23
A widely used phrase for developing a bird-friendly yard is “habitat development.” Plant a few trees, shrubs and flowers, add a water feature and you are done – habit… Read More
2016-09-21 15:00
One of the most interest facets of bird watching is studying bird behavior.. The behavior of a bird, including posture, the way they move, feed and fly can be distinctive enough to ide… Read More
2016-09-11 15:53
Euphonias and chlorophonias are neotropical birds in the finch family. They were previously placed in the tanager family. DNA research has moved them to the finches but future re… Read More
2016-09-05 14:00
The path of Hurricane Hermine seems ideal for birders looking to discover birds far removed from their normal range. As it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico the eye of the… Read More
2016-08-31 15:53
Fall is a great time to study migrating raptors. Multiple hawk watch locations around the country are located where the geography funnels large numbers of hawks through the area.
Hawk… Read More
2016-08-28 14:45
I may be in the minority of people that feed birds but I love Blue Jays. Whenever a neighbor or birding buddy makes a disparaging remark about a Blue Jay I counter with this quote from… Read More
2016-08-21 13:52
If you went on a birding trip to Melanesia, where would you be? Any guesses?
Melanesia extends from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The r… Read More
2016-08-15 14:29
Tundra Swans.
The latest video cameras are shooting 4K video. The results allow amateurs, like me, to end up with fantastic video quality that matches what the experts were doing 20 ye… Read More
2016-08-13 14:45
Most migratory shorebirds are headed south to their winter home.
While most people are staying inside to dodge the summer heat, most shorebirds are migrating south. Large numbers and a great… Read More
2016-08-07 15:27
These “lover of grubs” are spectacular birds.
Campephilus is the genus of several large woodpeckers (12 species, 2 of which are now probably extinct.) The name Campephilus… Read More
2016-08-03 15:10
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has been celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of centennial events. As part of the celebration all national parks (including monuments a… Read More
2016-07-31 14:57
Grebes are an interesting family of birds. The Horned Grebe is the most colorful grebe but for some reason the Red-necked is my favorite. Maybe because it is the only North Ameri… Read More
2016-07-31 14:39
Birding Products Showcase to be held in Columbus, Ohio.
Birders interested in a hands-on experience with the latest binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras will have the opportunity to do so… Read More
2016-07-24 14:22
Antbirds are a large and diverse family of birds (more than 200 species) found from Mexico to South America. Antbirds are often high on the list of visiting birders as they represent a… Read More
2016-07-19 13:52
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a 2,600-acre natural area in southeastern Pennsylvania. The terrain acts like a funnel for migrating raptors. The local mountains run north-south and cross winds h… Read More
2016-07-10 14:05
Birds in a specific family usually have a high degree of family resemblance. Gulls look like gulls, hawks look like a hawk and owls look like an owl.
This is not the case with Cotingas… Read More
2016-07-05 14:16
The Birdzilla Adventure Team (BAT) reports from the Mackinaw River high in the northern Yukon. The focus of the trip were the “friendly” Grizzly Bears. Most of the e… Read More
2016-07-04 14:34
The graceful “sea swallow” faces threats from storms and humans.
With a length of only 9 inches the diminutive Least Tern is the smallest Northern American Tern.
Two of the thre… Read More
2016-06-26 13:52
Events held in both October and December, 2016.
Wings Over Water is one of the most unique wildlife and birding festivals in the country. The festival covers such a large area that it… Read More
2016-06-19 14:36
Research may reveal one reason for color morphs, but there is much to learn.
In some birds, such as the well-known Red-tailed Hawk, the same species can occur in two or more color types, or… Read More
2016-06-12 16:35
Have another cold one in support of the birds.
Bird-friendly coffee has long been available for many years. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center advertisers their coffee as the only 1… Read More
2016-06-05 15:56
The Thrill of the Thaw – Cuba, birds, and us.
Birders are excited about the opportunity to return to Cuba. With over 370 species and 24 endemic species Cuba is top of the list fo… Read More
2016-05-30 02:58
Over 1,900 species have been recorded in Colombia!
Golden-hooded Tanager. © Glenn Bartley
Colombia leads the world in avian biodiversity. With a species count approaching 2,000, al… Read More
Subscribe to Birdzilla.com
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!