Bird Files: Turkey Vulture Has Cast Iron Stomach
Turkey Vultures, nature's clean up crew, are on their way back from winter vacation. Just in time.
Bird Files: Northern Cardinals Cheer Up Winter
The Northern Cardinal, with its bright red plumage, spiky crest and upbeat lively song, is a welcome sight particularly on a cold winter day.
Bird Files: Ordinary Juncos, the Researcher's 'Rock Star'
You’re out taking a winter walk along a country road and a small flock of dark gray birds flies up in front of you—they utter a few sharp chip notes and you notice that they flash white on the edges of their tails as they flit away in all directions. They're Dark-eyed Juncos.
Bird Files: Romantic Stylings of the Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted Mergansers populate Lake Erie and other bodies of water in winter. They're easy to identify by their curious "hairstyles," and these ducks have quite a courtship ritual.
Bird Files: Smart, Social Crows Come to Roost
During November and December, people in many U.S. cities notice large flocks of crows congregating in raucous urban roosts. They have their own way of communicating, roosting, and visiting around the holidays.
Bird Files: Rufous Hummingbirds' Cold-Weather Journey
Hummingbirds are braving the cold and snow in growing numbers in late autumn and early winter in our region—especially a rust-colored bird known as the Rufous Hummingbird.
This Halloween Owl Visitor to PA is a Frightening Predator
At a mere seven inches in height, the northern saw-whet ranks as the smallest owl in the eastern United States. But as a predator, it packs a much bigger punch.
Bird Files: Yellow-rumped Warbler a Smart Forager
If someone calls you a butter-butt, that may sound like an insult. But it turns out that the butter-butt, the colloquial name for the Yellow-rumped Warbler, is one smart cookie. We let you in on the strategic eating habits of this little warbler.
Bird Files: Nighthawk Vacuums Insects in Sky
RS3d6f.jpg?itok=h3g0SWk2 "Flying Female Common Nighthawk. Photo: Alex Lamoreaux")
Common Nighthawks are preparing to leave North America for their wintering grounds in South America. But as October begins, you still might get to see the bird with the thick white bars under its wings and hear its distinctive "peent" call.
Black-throated Green Warbler a Little Sinatra
For the bird enthusiast, the two simple words ‘wood warblers’ evoke flashes of fiery reds, luminescent yellows, and opalescent blues. Warblers are also quite the little Sinatras, and the Black-throated Green Warbler could be the most musical of all.
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