Across North America’s wetlands, lakes, and coastal shallows, the most distinctive white birds with long necks and legs include the elegant herons, egrets, and cranes. A few other species, such as swans, share a similar long-necked silhouette...
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The snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans) is the largest and most wide-ranging member of the albatross family, Diomedeidae, and one of the most iconic seabirds of the Southern Ocean. Renowned for its immense wingspan and its ability to glide for hours...
The most distinctive black birds with red or orange wings are the red-winged blackbird, common and widespread across North America, and the tricolored blackbird, a similar but more localized species of the West. A few other blackbirds occur farther...
Alaska is the heart of North America’s puffin world. Each summer, millions of seabirds return from the open Pacific to breed on the cliffs and islands scattered along the state’s vast coastline, from the temperate fjords of the southeast to...
Pennsylvania is home to a striking mix of blue birds, from the familiar eastern bluebird perched on fence posts to the rarer cerulean warbler high in forest canopies. These species bring flashes of color to the state’s fields, woodlands, and...
Maine is the only state in the eastern United States where puffins nest. Each year from late April through August, thousands of puffins return from the open North Atlantic to breed on a handful of remote islands – Eastern Egg Rock, Seal...
The elf owl is the world’s smallest owl, measuring just 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) in length and weighing as little as 35 grams (1.2 ounces). Close behind are the long-whiskered owlet and Tamaulipas pygmy owl – two elusive forest...
Some birds carry an extra dose of charm, with round shapes, large eyes, fluffy feathers, and playful habits that make them irresistibly endearing. From tiny tits and robins to wide-eyed owls and waddling penguins, these species win affection as much...
Towhees are large, long-tailed sparrows belonging to the family Passerellidae, the diverse group of New World sparrows and buntings. They are placed in the genera Pipilo and Melozone, and are well known for their heavy bills, ground-dwelling habits...
Brood parasitism in birds is a strategy where one species lays its eggs in the nest of another, leaving incubation and chick-rearing to an unsuspecting host. The most familiar examples are the common cuckoo in Europe and the brown-headed cowbird in...