Across North America’s wetlands, coastlines, and open fields, many brown-plumaged birds share one defining feature – noticeably long bills suited to their feeding style. Among them are waders and marsh birds that probe soft mud and...
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is one of the most familiar yet mysterious birds of the Palearctic. Known for its unmistakable two-note call and remarkable brood parasitism, it has fascinated naturalists for centuries. From its wide-ranging...
Pennsylvania hosts a rich variety of yellow birds, from the familiar American goldfinch brightening meadows and gardens to secretive warblers calling from shaded forests. Their golden tones stand out across the state’s fields, wetlands, and...
Across North America’s wetlands, lakes, and coastal shallows, the most distinctive white birds with long necks and legs include the elegant herons, egrets, and cranes. A few other species, such as swans, share a similar long-necked silhouette...
The snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans) is the largest and most wide-ranging member of the albatross family, Diomedeidae, and one of the most iconic seabirds of the Southern Ocean. Renowned for its immense wingspan and its ability to glide for hours...
The most distinctive black birds with red or orange wings are the red-winged blackbird, common and widespread across North America, and the tricolored blackbird, a similar but more localized species of the West. A few other blackbirds occur farther...
Alaska is the heart of North America’s puffin world. Each summer, millions of seabirds return from the open Pacific to breed on the cliffs and islands scattered along the state’s vast coastline, from the temperate fjords of the southeast to...
Pennsylvania is home to a striking mix of blue birds, from the familiar eastern bluebird perched on fence posts to the rarer cerulean warbler high in forest canopies. These species bring flashes of color to the state’s fields, woodlands, and...
Maine is the only state in the eastern United States where puffins nest. Each year from late April through August, thousands of puffins return from the open North Atlantic to breed on a handful of remote islands – Eastern Egg Rock, Seal...
The elf owl is the world’s smallest owl, measuring just 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) in length and weighing as little as 35 grams (1.2 ounces). Close behind are the long-whiskered owlet and Tamaulipas pygmy owl – two elusive forest...