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BirdNote

Escape the daily grind and immerse yourself in the natural world. Rich in imagery, sound, and information, BirdNote inspires you to notice the world around you. Join us for daily two-minute stories about birds, the environment, and more.

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Have You Ever Seen a Tom Turkey's Beard?

BirdNote ·

2025/03/29

With his brilliantly colored plumage fanned out in display, a tom (male) Wild Turkey is a handsome sight to behold. He has a bright red head, long spurs, and… a beard. This “beard” is a small cluster of bristles that sprouts from his chest plumage. It looks like a misplaced ponytail. The older the

Common Yellowthroat

BirdNote ·

2025/03/28

Common Yellowthroats are one of the most abundant warblers in North America. They’re adaptable birds, thriving in places that pickier warblers pass over. So it’s easy to find yellowthroats in urban areas. Check for them in marshes, overgrown fields, and brushy areas along streams or trails.

Melanin Makes Feathers Stronger

BirdNote ·

2025/03/27

Many species have black feathers on the trailing edge of their wings, regardless of what color most of their feathers are. Birds as different as gulls, pelicans, storks, and flamingos all have black-tipped wings. These flight feathers are rich in a pigment called melanin. But melanin doesn’t just

Thirsty Hummingbirds

BirdNote ·

2025/03/26

Here they come! Rufous Hummingbirds, Black-chins, Broad-bills, Ruby-throats, and others are migrating north after a hot, dry winter in sunny Mexico or Central America. And they’re ready for a drink. You can help these thirsty birds by hanging a hummingbird feeder filled with the right kind of nectar

Inundaciones estacionales del Amazonas

BirdNote ·

2025/03/25

Cuando es predecible y la vida silvestre está bien adaptada, una inundación natural puede generar prosperidad biológica. En la cuenca del río Amazonas, que contiene una quinta parte del agua fresca del mundo, las lluvias anuales pueden aumentar el nivel del agua entre 9 y 12 metros en cuestión de

Meet the Tiniest Owl in the World

BirdNote ·

2025/03/24

Standing less than six inches tall, with gray feathers and big yellow eyes, the Elf Owl weighs less than an ounce and a half — that’s a bit less than a golf ball. But don’t let their size fool you. The Elf Owl hunts beetles, crickets, and spiders, plus the odd lizard or mouse. Even larger prey like

American Woodcock

BirdNote ·

2025/03/23

At sunset, the male American Woodcock – a plump, robin-sized bird – walks slowly on short legs from the cover of the forest to a nearby clearing. After a few sharp calls, the woodcock takes flight. As he spirals upward, slim, stiff feathers at his wingtips create a curious twittering. At the apex of

Adaptations for Flight

BirdNote ·

2025/03/22

Birds evolved not only wings, but many other adaptations that make it possible to fly. Feathers provide insulation, waterproofing, and a lightweight means to become airborne. Birds have honeycombed or hollow bones, reducing body weight. And instead of weighty jawbones and teeth, birds evolved a

Zone-tailed Hawks Mimic Vultures

BirdNote ·

2025/03/21

Zone-tailed Hawks of the American Southwest look a lot like Turkey Vultures. And they often soar among groups of Turkey Vultures. By consorting with vultures, Zone-tailed Hawks gain a distinct advantage as predators. While doves and lizards would quickly flee the flight silhouette of a Red-tailed

Spring Bursts Forth

BirdNote ·

2025/03/20

People often say that spring “bursts” forth. But this seasonal change isn’t like flipping a switch. It’s more like a series of waves breaking slowly. Robins and bluebirds return north in March. During April, more songbirds migrate north from the tropics, adding to spring’s growing chorus. As late as

Beautiful and Beneficial Gardening for Birds

BirdNote ·

2025/03/19

Buying enough birdseed to keep all your backyard birds satisfied can run up a big bill. Homegrown National Park co-founder Douglas Tallamy says growing native plants in your garden can provide a balanced diet for birds. While there’s a misconception that native plants lead to a messy garden, Tallamy

Hembras encabezan las parvadas de urracas copetonas

BirdNote ·

2025/03/18

Presente en gran partede Centroamérica, las parvadas de la urraca copetona son grupos familiares liderados por una hembra dominante. Incluyen a su pareja y varias crías femeninas que llevan alimento a la hembra principal y a sus crías. Es un ejemplo de crianza cooperativa, cuando aves que no son los

Field Sparrow Nests Climb Higher and Higher

BirdNote ·

2025/03/17

Field Sparrows make use of all the warm months of the year by building multiple nests each breeding season. Females will build their first, cup-shaped nest near the ground in dense grasses. As shrubs and trees grow their leaves throughout the summer, they will pick new spots higher off the ground

Drumming with Woodpeckers

BirdNote ·

2025/03/16

Like a jazz player beating out a drum roll, a woodpecker uses its bill to rap out a brisk series of notes. Early spring resounds with the percussive hammering of woodpeckers. Their rhythmic drumming says to other woodpeckers, "This is my territory!" We also hear them knocking on wood when they carve

How Do Birds Brake from Flight?

BirdNote ·

2025/03/15

Birds are often admired for their ability to fly. But braking just in time to avoid a crash landing is amazing by itself. How does a robin go from full-out flight to a dead stop at a tree? If we could watch in slow motion, we’d see it raising the angle of its wings higher and higher from the

Squirrel or Bird?

BirdNote ·

2025/03/14

Identifying birds by ear means getting familiar with each species’ unique voice. And that means learning the other voices in the ecosystem, too. Squirrels and chipmunks make calls that can sound a bit like bird calls at times. With practice, each species’ voice becomes more distinct and familiar.

Spark Bird: The First Robin of Spring

BirdNote ·

2025/03/13

Rasheena Fountain studied environmental science and worked at her local Audubon Society. Now she writes about nature and diversity in the outdoors. And what got her interested in the first place? It all started in kindergarten, with a teacher named Miss Beak and the first robin of spring.

Counting Ducks with Alison Vilag

BirdNote ·

2025/03/12

Alison Vilag has worked for half a decade as a fall and spring waterbird counter at remote migration hotspots around Lake Superior. For weeks, every day from sunrise to nearly sunset, Alison is outside in frigid and volatile weather, identifying species from afar and tallying them with a clicker

¿Los pingüinos se sonrojan?

BirdNote ·

2025/03/11

Los pingüinos de Humboldt que habitan a lo largo de la costa del Pacífico de Chile y Perú, están adaptados al frío. Pero en tierra las temperaturas alcanzan los 37 grados y los pingüinos tienen que refrescarse. Por este motivo, tienen parches de piel desnuda de color rosa en la cara, bajo sus alas y

Glimpsing the Future Through Washington's Puffins

BirdNote ·

2025/03/10

Some of the largest populations of Tufted Puffins are in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and other northern coastlines. But University of Puget Sound professor Peter Hodum says the smaller colonies that breed off the coast of Washington and Oregon could provide key insights to conserve the whole

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