birds

Bird Files: The Spotted Sandpiper's Secret

While other shorebirds can be difficult to identify, the handsome "spotties" are distinctive in their looks. They also have intriguing social lives.

The Herons Are Alright

In Ohio, a rookery of Great Blue Herons is thriving. They make their homes along a roadside on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and have their own Facebook page.

Bird Files: Palm Warblers—O, Pioneers!

Palm Warblers, the season’s pioneer warbler species at Presque Isle State Park, signal that migrating songbirds are on their way north.

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.

Unlocking the Secret World of the Snowy Owl

In the past two years, there have been major irruptions, or migrations, of Snowy Owls in the western Great Lakes region, and Project SNOWstorm is raising money to track those owls and their movements.

Calling Common Terns Back to Lake Erie

We hear a lot of bad news about the future of birds: they’re threatened by everything from human development to wind turbines to climate change. The Common Tern used to nest in great numbers in the lower Great Lakes region, but in recent decades Common Tern nests have largely disappeared from the region. Some people are trying to encourage their return.