The birds of the north are moving to their winter headquarters in more hospitable parts of the hemisphere like the southern and southwest U.S., valleys and coastlines, all the way down to parts of South America. They move south in the winter to escape the cold that will soon envelop their breeding habitat and …
California changed the name of its Department of Fish and Game to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some hunters and sports store owners were opposed to this, because they fear that the Humane Society will have influence and that the department will care more about “tweety birds.” Well, I think the name change is fine; …
Birds, songbirds as well as all others, have a tough time surviving. See my latest book, Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs for fascinating details. Science can help save many birds but it’s hard to protect them against the idiotic behavior of some of our human species. I read in the news about two law students …
I have led hundreds of bird walks. It’s rewarding to me to tell people about birds, how to identify them and some interesting life stories about them. It’s a real pleasure to see kids get a kick out of identifying birds because it gives me hope that they might become adults who see the importance …
I have had the pleasure and privilege over the past 15 years or so to serve as a guest lecturer on cruise ships. I talk about birds, natural history, geology, and sometimes history and culture and in return I and my wife have been able to cruise the world without spending a fortune. One …
HANGING VULTURES Residents of one Bridgewater, New Jersey neighborhood counted at least 100 Black Vultures roosting in a group of pine trees, leaving behind foul-smelling and acidic droppings on lawns and roofs. So the neighbors chipped in and tried to hire a wildlife specialist from the United States Department of Agriculture to hang a dead …
There’s been some controversy about the banning of plastic bags in our town. One side says it’s silly and the other says plastic is harmful to the environment. Some of the opposition says that reusable bags, if not washed regularly, carry harmful bacteria. So I started to watch what happened in the grocery checkout line. …
THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION TO MY NEWEST BOOK Look outside your window, take a walk, go fishing, watch a video or do anything else that allows you to see birds in the wild. You may get the impression that birds are blithely going about their business, happily chirping, singing, scratching among the leaves, flitting from …
You have heard of the Big Year and the Big Day where birdwatchers compete to get the most number of species by running, driving, flying, and whatever to find new birds. For those of you who don’t have the ambition, energy, ability, or interest in moving around to put checkmarks in your bird list, how …
I often get asked, “what’s your favorite bird?” I don’t have one. They are all fascinating, from the common European Starling to the rare Kagu. Some have striking coloration, others display complex or bizarre behaviors, and some are just impressive for their size. Some are ugly. But they are all cool. Another question, though, is …
