Wild Birds

Introduction Costa’s is a bright little hummer, a bird that, once seen, you could not mistake for anything else. Arguably the prettiest North American hummer, the male has a brilliant purple throat with trailing feathers and a white line above the eye. Combined with a head-on look, this gives you the impression that you are […]

Twenty years ago, I had little data about red-cockaded woodpeckers—just a few in a simple file. Since then, I have done a great deal of research on them. They now take up two GB of space on my computer. I still study them. My focus on these birds, though, has shifted. It is less about

Everything Guide to the White-Tailed Hawk Stocky and Large with Broad Wings Conservation: Low Concern Resident only – Non-migratory Diet: Mammals, reptiles, birds Listen to the White-Tailed Hawk here and here Watch the White-tailed Hawk fly here! I love the White-tailed Hawk because it has the same color of eyes (as well as here) as I

The naming of birds has always been interesting to me. Some birds are named after people, such as the Cooper’s Hawk (named after 19th-century naturalist William Cooper), or Bonaparte’s Gull (named after Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who happened to be the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte!). Alexander Wilson, considered by many to be the Father of

On the hunt for hummers? Who isn’t? These agile jewels are as intriguing as they are stunning. Hummingbirds were the first family of birds to spark my interest in ornithology, so I am especially keen to write about them. I love hummingbirds because you can begin your hunt right in your backyard with an affordable

Info This is a rather unique-looking hummingbird species because they don’t have the typical bright metallic and iridescent throat feathers that hummingbirds are known for. Instead, with an intense violet crown, white throat, and red bill, they look slightly cartoonish. This is also another hummingbird species that barely makes it into North America and has

Any time I am out on a bird-watching hike, or even when I am just sitting in my backyard on a sunny afternoon, I am entranced when I spot a hummingbird. These tiny creatures hardly seem real, zipping about in fast flight or hovering at a flower or feeder. When watching one, I feel like

As if eagles didn’t already look like murder machines soaring through the sky, in flies the Black Eagle. A jet black bird that soars low and slow as it scans over subtropical forests and mountain ranges. Strongly contrasting against a blue sky, the Black Eagle is seen with its massive outstretched wingspan. At first glance,

If you’ve never heard of Rivoli’s Hummingbird, that’s because it’s undergone a few name changes over time. From Rivoli’s to Magnificent to Rivoli’s again, let me explain. Rivoli’s Hummingbird first received its name in 1829, when natural historian René-Primevère Lesson named this bird in honor of the second Duke of Rivoli. The Duke was an

Bald eagles are among the most iconic birds in North America, some would say the most majestic. Their giant wingspans and striking white heads are a sight to behold if you’re lucky enough to see one. Few other birds look like bald eagles; the golden eagle is the closest in size and coloration – at