Category: Birds
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Ostrich Cells Used to Make Glowing COVID-19 Detecting Masks
Yasuhiro Tsukamoto and his team of researchers at Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan have developed a mask that helps detect COVID-19 under blacklight using cells from the Ostrich.
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Hairy & Downy Woodpeckers: Spot the Difference
These two little woodpecker species are notorious for their visual similarity, but there are some key differences that can tip you off!
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NEW EPISODE| The Birds of Paradise with Dr Bruce Beehler
Make a donation to our 501(c)3 organization Sign up for our Newsletter! Become a Member-Supporter Follow us on all of our platforms If you’ve ever seen a documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, you’ve almost surely seen the Birds of Paradise. They are a favorite of his, and many others around the world for their […]
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The Wild Life of the Nicobar Pigeon
Order| Columbiformes While it may come as a shock, the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is indeed a Pigeon. It’s also the closest living relative of the now extinct Dodo bird! These birds are named for an island chain of the coast of India where many of them live, though they can be found all the […]
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Get your head out of the sand! Ostriches are actually pretty amazing.
It’s #ThursdayBirdsday! This week, it’s time to bust some myths, bow down in awe, and learn something new about the big birds that look like emus. (Rhyming was the only reason for that last bit and I don’t regret it.) You’re probably wondering why the ostrich in the main image seems so shocked. Well, then […]
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The American Goldfinch
A few days back while at the park with my son, we were sitting beneath a shady cedar tree watching a family of Canada Geese graze in the grass when, from above, came a familiar summer song— po-ta-to chip, po-ta-to chip.
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TWL Hiking Club| Mallards are Actually Really Awesome
It’s #TWLHikingClub Tuesday| Today, we’re kicking off a new series on appreciating the little things—from urban wildlife to the oh so common Mallard.
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Gulls and the Concrete Sea: Why do Seagulls Love Parking Lots?
Most know them as seagulls, a name which implies a proclivity for life at sea. Yet this familiar moniker is neither accurate (scientifically speaking), nor seems to fall in line with a universal observation—gulls love parking lots, whatever their distance from the salty sea
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Golden Eagle or Immature Bald Eagle? Here’s How to Tell
It can be hard to tell. Here are some tips to help you get the right ID.
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Pelicans Are Pretty Fly
How do Pelican beaks work? How much can they fit in their pouch? How do Pelicans hunt? I’ve got the answers to those and more!
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#RandomActOfNaturalism Woodpeckers and Football
Woodpeckers are a peculiar bird, and using their head to solve tricky situations like getting food from hard to reach places is quite literal for them. For a long time, scientists have believed that somehow, woodpeckers are immune to the effects of banging their faces into a tree at 15 miles per hour—repeatedly—-day-after-day, year-after-year for 20 to 30 years. Yet a new report may suggest otherwise, to an extent.
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Ask TWL: The Crested Caracara
The Northern Crested Caracara is a medium-sized raptor, smaller than a goose, but bigger than other birds in the Falcon family like the Peregrine Falcon. The envy of the Bald Eagle, the Crested Caracara is, well, crested—which is sort of a way of describing a bird faux-hawk (pun-intended).
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The Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
Chrissy Bowker of Texas asks, “What’s this animal?” COMMON NAME: Yellow-crowned Night Heron SCIENTIFIC NAME: Nyctanassa violacea; ORDER, Pelecaniformes DIET: Mainly crustaceans, insects, and some types of fish. Occasionally, it may feed on small lizards, rodents, or other small birds. SIZE: Average height, 25 inches; Wingspan, 44 inches WEIGHT: Average weight, 1.65 pounds HABITAT: Wetlands, marshes, bayous, shallow lake shores, mangroves, and […]
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The Northern Cardinal
Species: Cardinalis cardinalis Order: Passeriformes Chrissy Bowker of Texas asks, “What’s this animal?” The bird in the picture above is none other than a young Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis. This one in particular is very young, presumably a recent fledgling from the nest. Hatchlings leave the […]
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The Tree Swallow
Species: Tachycineta bicolor Order: Passeriformes Chrissy Bowker of Texas (who, yes, also happens to be my mother) asks, “What’s this animal?” The bird in the picture above is none other than the Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor. The Tree Swallow is an insectivorous, migratory passerine bird that breeds in […]
