On certain afternoons, if I time it just right, I may spot a brown creeper (Certhia americana) on the trunk of a tree in my front yard. Moving stealthily, almost imperceptibly up the tree, the brown creeper hunts for food amongst the bark. I watch this avian mission with a sense of appreciation, as the bird flies to other trees to repeat the process. [Read more…] about Brown Creepers Are Everywhere, If You Can See Them
birding
Try Accessible Recreation at Wildlife Management Areas
Scientific studies show that time outside in nature significantly reduces stress and anxiety; lowers blood pressure; improves mood, energy, and sleep; and boosts the immune system.
There are several Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) where people with disabilities will find universally accessible features. [Read more…] about Try Accessible Recreation at Wildlife Management Areas
Nesting Time for Canada Geese
Among these impatient migrants to New York State each spring are pairs of Canada Geese that have overwintered in the windswept corn fields of Southern New York, and across the Pennsylvania and New Jersey countryside where they have found an adequate source of food. [Read more…] about Nesting Time for Canada Geese
The Woodcock’s Spring Serenade
The woodcock is a plump, mottled tannish-brown bird that is seldom seen during the day because of its extremely effective protective coloration, and its preference for remaining inactive when the sun is above the horizon.
It is during the fading twilight of evening, and as the sky begins to brighten before dawn that this odd-looking bird ventures from a sheltered spot on the forest floor and begins to forage. [Read more…] about The Woodcock’s Spring Serenade
Threats to the Long-Lived Bald Eagle
Bald eagles are long-lived birds, with a lifespan in the wild of more than 30 years. Mating for life, they return to nest in the general area (within 250 miles) from which they fledged.
Once a pair selects a nesting territory, they use it for the rest of their lives. However, bald eagles face threats to their long lifespan and nesting territories due to a wide range of human impacts including habitat loss and plastic pollution. [Read more…] about Threats to the Long-Lived Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle Numbers On The Rise
In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the latest population estimate for Bald Eagles. Some 316,000 eagles now cruise the skies in the Lower 48 — more than four times the previous estimate, from 2009. [Read more…] about Bald Eagle Numbers On The Rise
The Northern Harrier: One Unusual Hawk
Erie was perched on a sunny branch when I met her on a cold day in March. She turned her head this way and that to survey her surroundings at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS).
She is a slender hawk, brown above, with a dark-streaked, buff breast and a long, barred tail. A ring of light-colored feathers surrounds her face, giving her a facial disc similar to that of an owl. [Read more…] about The Northern Harrier: One Unusual Hawk
New Study Considers Birds and Bacteria Arms Race
Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientists have been tracking the effects House Finch eye disease for more than 25 years. The disease causes red, swollen, watery, or crusty eyes. Afflicted birds can recover, but may die because they cannot see well enough to find food or avoid predators.
The latest analyses, based on the observations of Project FeederWatch participants from eight Northeast states, addresses the long-term impact of the disease on House Finch populations and points to the role of the finch immune system in the bird vs. bacteria battle. [Read more…] about New Study Considers Birds and Bacteria Arms Race
Study Finds Genetic Shuffling Speeds Up Evolution of New Species
New research reveals that a recently discovered songbird has traveled a very rare evolutionary path — a finding that challenges the typical model of how new species form. Exploration into the origins of the Iberá Seedeater of southern South America shows that a new lineage need not always arise from genetic mutations accumulated in geographic isolation over millions of years. Instead, the novel mixing and matching of existing genetic traits already found in closely related species can create something new, at a much faster pace. [Read more…] about Study Finds Genetic Shuffling Speeds Up Evolution of New Species
Bicknell’s Thrush: A History Podcast
Bicknell’s Thrush was first identified by American amateur ornithologist Eugene Bicknell on Slide Mountain in the Catskills in the late 19th century.
This rare songbird prefers our State’s higher peaks and will soon be returning from its winter residency in Hispaniola. [Read more…] about Bicknell’s Thrush: A History Podcast