Millicent Ficken spent her career studying bird behavior and communication. The first woman to earn a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell in 1960, Ficken authored over 100 scientific papers. She discovered that male hummingbirds have a whole repertoire of songs rather than just one, outlined the linguistic differences between penguin species, and showed that chickadees take turns singing in the morning. She was especially fascinated by how birds play, showing that bird play almost always has a pressing purpose ? they're practicing a skill they need to survive.

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Circling silently above the earth on broad, black wings, vultures need little introduction. We know them as nature's clean-up crew, dining on dead and decaying animals. A unique range of adaptations allows vultures such as this Black Vulture to feast on food that?s off limits for many other organisms. Vultures also appear to have a remarkable immune system. For them, and for many other organisms, one key to understanding their place in nature is understanding their relationship with other elements in their environment.

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In birding lingo, a lifer ? or life bird ? is any species you see or hear for the first time. Birders get very excited about lifers. Some even mark the occasion with a special dessert called lifer pie. The tradition started at a birding festival in northwest Ohio ? called the Biggest Week in American Birding ? where attendees celebrate new life birds at the local tavern over a slice of homemade pie. Any flavor will do! Lifer pie is more about the feeling than the filling ? making it easy for anyone to join in.

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In one of the most iconic founding legends of the Americas, a Golden Eagle devouring a serpent atop a cactus marked the spot where the Mexicas would build Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire. Over the centuries, that ancient metropolis transformed into what we now call Mexico City. Though the mythical eagle is now commemorated on the national flag of Mexico, real Golden Eagles need our help through conservation research and habitat protections.

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Solar panels are a popular source of renewable energy, but large groupings of them ? called arrays ? can take up a lot of space. Chelse Prather, an ecologist at the University of Dayton, wanted to know how wildlife are using the habitats underneath two arrays in Ohio. The first site was a fixed array with panels that are locked in place. The second was a tracking array where panels tilt to follow the sun. Chelse and her students found American Robin nests at both sites, but the tracking array nest looked? weird. In their study published in 2025, the team confirmed that these nests were unusually tall and mounted to the support beams at odd angles. It?s a new example of how birds are adapting to a changing world.

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In this episode of BirdNoir, the Private Eye gets a call from his friend Frank, his eyes and ears in the neighborhood. He?s hearing a Red-shouldered Hawk call, but there?s no hawk in sight. Going through the lineup of usual suspects found in backyards, they examine the surprising talent for mimicry found among common birds and finally put the finger on the trickster.

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To out-sip their competition, Sword-billed Hummingbirds have a distinct adaptation: these birds? beaks are longer than their bodies. Found in temperate forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, these hummingbirds rely entirely on tube-like flowers that other species could never reach. While most birds can use their tongues to clean their feathers, the Sword-billed Hummingbird?s long beak gets in the way ? so they use their legs to scratch themselves instead.

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Male birds are often the larger, flashier sex that courts choosy females, who in turn raise their chicks. But not always. Female phalaropes -- like this Wilson's Phalarope ? challenge each other over territories in which to house a cluster of males half their size. And the males do all the childcare. Other stay-at-home dads include most of the ratites, like ostriches and emus, as well as several species of jacanas.

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Connecticut Warblers nest in the northern boreal forests, migrate through the Midwest, and winter in the rainforests of South America. Even with all that traveling, you rarely see one of these birds. Though their loud, ringing song might be easy to identify, it often seems to emanate from low in a tree when the warbler is perched high in the crown, frustrating birders from Canada to Brazil.

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Most baby birds are adorable little floofs ? but not all of them. The tongue and palate of estrildid finch chicks are strangely spotted and ringed. They display these markings while they beg for food. Most species? chicks have mouth markings in colors ranging from black or white to bright yellow, orange, red or blue. The function of these markings has long puzzled scientists.

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Grammy-winning musician Rickie Lee Jones has performed on stages around the world. At home in New Orleans, she found a new audience: backyard birds! Rickie welcomes wildlife to her yard with feeders and bird baths. She loves watching her feathered friends and learning their calls. You can help songbirds at home by keeping feeders clean, growing native plants, and turning off outdoor lights at night. You can even show your appreciation in song!

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When you go birding, sometimes you?re in the right place at the right time and there are more species than you can count. Other times, not so lucky. Striking out when looking for birds is frustrating. But a bad day of birding can teach you a lot. Try doing some research into the conditions that day and talking to people that know about birds in your area ? they?ll probably commiserate with their own stories about striking out.

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The catchy name ?Jackdaw? belongs to a European bird that looks like a compact crow drawn in shades of light and dark gray. They are comfortable around people, which helps explain their place in folklore. Some cultures saw the Jackdaw as a predictor of rain, others as a savior of crops. Or possibly an omen of death. They flourish in urban landscapes, making them familiar to many people.

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The amazing vocal organ found in most birds, the syrinx, has two sides, with different sets of muscles and nerves controlling each side.  That lets some songbirds sing two separate melodies at the same time. The Veery, a species of Thrush, can even sing a rising melody and a falling melody simultaneously with the two halves of the syrinx!

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Some of Hollywood?s most iconic beasts owe their signature sounds to the squawks, tweets, and even hisses of birds.

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The American Robin and the Baltimore Oriole both have cheery, upbeat songs. At first, you might think there?s no way to tell these two singers apart. But there are a couple of differences. American Robins usually have a longer song, while Baltimore Orioles usually stop after a phrase or two. Plus, Baltimore Orioles sound sweeter and more melodic than American Robins, who can come across a little screechy at times.

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Scientists have long thought that new species took a very long time to emerge. This thinking has now changed dramatically. On an island in the Galápagos, researchers Rosemary and Peter Grant discovered that a hybrid union of two distinct species of finch produced descendants different from any of the island?s known species ? and the speciation happened in just two generations.

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Whistling as they fly, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are gorgeous waterfowl with bright pink bills and legs, chestnut necks and backs, and black underparts. Though most whistling-ducks live in the tropics, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are found in the U.S. along the western Gulf Coast and Florida. But they?re expanding their range and have been spotted nesting as far north as Wisconsin.

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The Bearded Reedling is a wetland songbird that?s enjoying a boom in both population and popularity. Barely larger than a chickadee, the male reedlings are often photographed with their feathers puffed out to near spherical proportions, earning them the nickname of ?the roundest bird in the world?. Reedlings breed across much of Europe and central Asia. But in the United Kingdom ? where they?re called Bearded Tits ? the little birds were nearly wiped out in the 1940s. Thanks to decades of intensive reedbed restoration ? and the bird?s capacity to rear several broods in a season ? there are now more than 600 breeding pairs of Bearded Readlings in the UK today.

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Any hobby or special interest has its own jargon. You?ll pick up on the silly slang that birders use as you go ? like calling the Yellow-rumped Warbler, ?butterbutt.? Still, learning a few basics of bird vocab is useful when you?re starting out. It?ll help you ask better questions when you?re confused. Check out the opening pages of a bird field guide for general info about what to call the different parts of a bird, basics on bird behavior, and birding tips.

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Gulls are notorious for snatching french fries from waste bins and flocking to landfills. But one Western Gull?s devotion to trash reached a new level with an 80-mile road trip aboard a waste transfer truck in California. The gull may have gotten trapped in the truck unintentionally, but it delivered her to 216-acres composting facility. And shortly after returning to her colony, she repeated her trek! It?s the first time scientists have documented such an unusual commute.

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Birds have always been a source of inspiration for writers. Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou, and William Shakespeare, to name a few, have all written about birds. But what is it about them that so captures our literary imagination? Words in Flight is an hour-long celebration of contemporary poetry about birds, and what they teach us about ourselves and our world.

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Great Horned Owls excel at nocturnal hunting, thanks to their acute senses and stealth ? but their feet let them secure squirming prey. The outermost of their four toes can rotate forward or backward, an advantage that most other birds of prey lack, letting them capture animals as large as raccoons. A four-pound owl can take flight with six pounds of prey.

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It's late winter at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida. Many birds have finished nesting, and young birds are everywhere. This morning, wind and tide have conspired to strand schools of fish in backwater ditches. And the birds are taking advantage of it. It's a feeding frenzy! White Ibises, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and American White Pelicans join in. Thanks to the National Wildlife Refuge System, these birds ? and many others ? can thrive in protected habitats.

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There are 15 species of cranes across the globe, found everywhere but Antarctica and South America. During the winter, cranes forage and rest together by the thousands. Listen in to the voices of cranes from all over the world. Nothing evokes the spirit of the wild like the voices of these majestic birds.

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In Mexico City, 73-year-old Catia Lattouf started a hummingbird hospital ? in her apartment! She hosts dozens of hummingbirds as they recover from injuries. Catia, who once ran a French high-fashion boutique, began caring for hummingbirds in 2012, after she survived cancer that was considered terminal. She received her first injured hummingbird, and named him Gucci.

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Boldly patterned in black, white, and silver, Barnacle Geese are stunning birds. In Europe, huge flocks gather in pastures and mudflats where the geese feast on grasses and moss ? but not barnacles. So where did they get that name?

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Found in much of Central America, White-throated Magpie-Jay flocks are family groups led by a dominant female. They include a mate and several female offspring that bring food to the primary female and her young. It?s an example of cooperative breeding, when birds other than the parents help out to raise young.

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Over 130,000 years ago, White-throated Rails migrated across hundreds of miles from Madagascar to the tiny island of Aldabra. Fossil records show that these wayward birds evolved to be entirely flightless, and went extinct when the island was lost to sea level rise. But some 20,000 years later, Aldabra reemerged from the Indian Ocean and a new wave of rails settled in. Today, the Aldabra subspecies of White-throated Rails are flightless once again! It?s a rare example of a phenomenon called iterative evolution.

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Do you ever see flocks of birds in your yard that show up in droves one year, but are completely absent the next? Some nomadic species such as Pine Siskins move based on the availability of food and habitat. It?s called irruptive migration, and it sometimes leads to backyards full of siskins. While these flocks are a delight for bird watchers, the dense groups can easily transmit diseases such as salmonellosis.

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Most bird species in North America mate for a single breeding season. Some may team up again the following year, just because both stay in - or return to - the same territory. Fewer than one-fifth of Song Sparrow pairs are reunited. Hawks, eagles, and ravens have wide territories, thus few contacts with the opposite sex. Maintaining a relationship through the winter may assure breeding in the next season.

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What is it that draws us to a romantic partner? Birds have lots of ways to catch the attention of a mate. Most cranes duet with prospective partners for years before they begin breeding. Crested Auklets of both sexes produce a pungent citrus perfume. And Blue-footed Boobies dance, showing off their feet to each other.

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eBird, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, lets you log the bird species you observe on a smartphone app or on the web. Whether you?re going on a birding trip or enjoying birds near home, you can list the species you found on eBird. Millions of people all over the world help eBird create a detailed picture of bird populations. Data from eBird has helped guide many conservation efforts, from planning new wind farms away from where eagles fly to guiding habitat protection for declining species.

This episode was produced as part of BirdNote?s ?From Love to Action? campaign, an effort to inspire people to take action to help birds. To learn more and to tell us how you?re helping birds, visit this link.

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Over the course of four days in February, the Great Backyard Bird Count gathers heaps of info about birds all over the world ? and helps people connect with their local birds. Anyone can participate with the Merlin Bird ID app. And if you?re familiar with your neighborhood birds, you can submit a checklist of all birds you see or hear on eBird. Learn more at the Great Backyard Bird Count's website.

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Some birds woo a mate by building the best nest. Males of many weaverbird species construct a series of intricately woven nests to impress a prospective partner. A male Red-winged Blackbird can even attract multiple mates if he controls prime breeding territory. Adélie Penguins construct their nests on mounds of stones, and partners often exchange stone gifts during the course of construction.

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Organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project NestWatch is made up of volunteers around the world who monitor bird nests, reporting whether the birds successfully raise their young. Joining the project involves a bit of online training, finding a nearby bird nest, and briefly checking on it every 3-4 days without disturbing the birds.

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Author and illustrator Becca Rowland likes to keep an eye out for cardinals. Her mom loves them and is pretty good at finding them, too. Becca didn?t know how she did it, until they realized their mom was birding by ear! Now Becca has written a new book called, Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make.

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You?ve probably heard the old saying: ?A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.? Well, it?s a very old saying, and it?s gone through some changes over the years. In each era, the pragmatic wisdom is clear: Hold on to the sure thing rather than taking a gamble on something better. The saying even lent its name to a town in Pennsylvania!

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In February, winter still holds sway over much of North America. But in Argentina, it?s summer, and birds are in full voice. Argentina?s national bird, the Rufous Hornero, belts out a rapid trill while the Rufous-bellied Thrush sings its lovely song. In the tropical forests of northeastern Argentina, a male Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, like the one pictured here, booms out its display calls. And the cheerful, bubbly notes of an Ultramarine Grosbeak remind us that spring in North America ? and the arrival of birds like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak ? isn?t too far off.

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Millions of birds from around the world begin their lives in the Teshekpuk Wetlands of northern Alaska. In 2025, author and environment reporter Lynda Mapes visited the region to see how new fossil fuel developments are impacting wildlife in America?s Arctic. In this episode, Lynda recalls spending time with a family of Red-throated Loons.

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Birds have a highly efficient breathing anatomy that powers the exertion of flight. It is driven by large, thin-walled air sacs located throughout the body cavity that operate like bellows. This parabronchial system for extracting oxygen from the air has a far greater surface area than the lungs of a mammal, making sustained flight possible.

This episode is brought to you by Wild Delight Bird Food, which aims to support wild bird populations with clean, nutritious ingredients in every blend. Available at Chewy.com. 

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Flocks of Cherry-headed Conures, a species native to South America, are now found throughout San Francisco. While a local legend claims that a pet shop owner introduced them by burning the shop down, it?s more likely that that a few of these loud-mouths exasperated their owners until they ?accidentally? left a window open. Sadly, wild Cherry-headed Conures are falling ill from rodent poison. A nonprofit, Mickaboo, adopts out healed rescues. 

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Black-footed Albatrosses are masters of the high seas, but their fate is threatened by trouble on land. At their nesting grounds on Midway Atoll in Hawai?i, rising sea levels are washing away albatross nests and eggs. Since 2021, a research team led by Julio Hernández with the Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas has been working to establish a new colony for of Black-footed Albatrosses on Isla Guadalupe in Mexico. Julio explains the island?s native Laysan Albatrosses are stepping in as ?foster parents? to safeguard their Hawai?ian relatives.

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Black Rails are marsh-inhabiting birds, more often heard than seen. Many Black Rails nest in marshes along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Midwest. But in winter they concentrate in the coastal marshes of East Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, areas that face many threats. Sadly, according to the 2025 State of the Birds Report, Black Rail populations are perilously low and continue to decline. In recent decades, the enactment of laws protecting wetlands has improved the bird's prospects.

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In parts of the United States, House Finches overlap with similar-looking Purple Finches. Their distinct songs help us sort them out. House Finch songs are jumbled and have a sharp, buzzy note ? especially during the breeding season. Purple Finches? songs, on the other hand, are smoother and lack the buzzy note.

This episode is brought to you by Wild Delight Bird Food, which aims to support wild bird populations with clean, nutritious ingredients in every blend. Available at Chewy.   

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Photographer Xavi Bou creates incredible images of birds and their movements by combining his love of photography and technology with his love for birds and nature ? as seen in his book, Ornithographies. He?s especially drawn to European Starlings and their movements as a flock, called a murmuration. The starlings fly in a tight, synchronized group, sometimes to avoid a predator.

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A forest in New Zealand rings with the sound of bellbirds, also known as Korimako or Makomako. Many bellbirds sing together, especially in the morning. Pairs sing duets. And a pair may counter-sing with its neighbors, perhaps letting them know that this patch of land is taken. It all builds to a brilliant, ringing dawn chorus.

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No human dreams of relaxing on the shores of Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that?s best known as a Soviet testing site for nuclear weapons. Yet, a growing flock of Pink-footed Geese have begun to make this militarized zone their summer home. Though this region was once too cold for the geese to raise young, climate change ? and increased competition for food ? may have made Novaya Zemlya a compelling alternative to their traditional territory in Svalbard. It?s also possible that the Pink-footed Geese found the archipelago by following other migratory waterfowl, which could prove to be a rare example of cultural knowledge being transmitted between species.

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It might sound strange, but dirt helps birds scrub themselves clean. Birds of all sizes, like the Eurasian Skylark, often scrape a depression in the ground and flick dirt onto their bodies, shimmying to shake it off. Experiments showed that birds use dust to prevent oils from building up on their feathers and to remove dandruff ? much like humans using shampoo in the shower!

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Every summer, millions of birds flock to the Arctic Circle to find mates and raise their young. In a study published in 2025, paleontologists found evidence of the earliest known Arctic breeding colony from fossils uncovered in northern Alaska. The site dates back nearly 73 million years when many prehistoric predecessors to modern birds still had teeth; including the gull-like ichthyornitheans and the flightless, loon-like hesperornitheans. These were among several types of ancient avians preserved as both adults and hatchlings, which suggests the site was used for nesting. Just like today, these birds were likely taking advantage of the abundant food provided by the 24-hours of summer daylight.

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