"ABC Birding" is a triannual feature of Bird Conservation magazine that takes readers to birding sites benefiting from ABC and partners' conservation efforts across the Western Hemisphere. Lay of the Land: The Buenaventura Reserve spans 9,947 acres of lower montane cloud forest in the southwestern Andes of Ecuador. This incredibly rich and varied protected area ranges from … Read More>>

ABC made significant strides to ensure birds have the habitats they need – and to make those habitats safer – across the Western Hemisphere. Our results over the last 12 months once again showcase ABC's leadership in bird habitat conservation. Ensuring that birds have the places they need to thrive, we supported improvements on more … Read More>>

Whooping Cranes embody the essence of avian charisma. The tallest of North American birds, they are majestic, awe-inspiring, and world famous. But these qualities — powerful as they may be for bird lovers — proved no match for the devastating effects of habitat loss and, in years past, overhunting. Driven by these potent threats, Whooping … Read More>>

The term “seabird” doesn't refer to a specific family of birds, but rather to any bird species adapted to live and feed in the saltwater environment of the ocean. These resilient birds endure some of the harshest conditions on Earth, and some of them undergo grueling migratory journeys of up to 40,000 miles (more below). … Read More>>

If you're just getting interested in birds, identifying the ones that live in your backyard or neighborhood is a great place to begin. With a little guidance and patience, most people can quickly learn to recognize these common birds by sight and sound. To get started, take a look at the illustrated list below, which … Read More>>

The ornithologist James Welty once said that “birds lead intense lives.” Perhaps no avian group embodies that phrase better than the hummingbirds. With wings beating so fast they're a blur, these tiny birds fuel their super-high metabolisms with sugary flower nectar, then go into torpor to make it through the night, conserving energy by slowing … Read More>>

All birds have wings. Even flightless birds, which are descended from flying ancestors, use their wings for balance, display, and other purposes. The origins of these extraordinary appendages date back to the time of dinosaurs, but the cause of their development remains a mystery. Scientists, however, have some ideas. Some theorize that birds' ancestors may … Read More>>

"ABC Birding" is a triannual feature of Bird Conservation magazine that takes readers to birding sites benefiting from ABC and partners' conservation efforts across the Western Hemisphere. Lay of the Land: The Holywell Recreation Area (also called Hardwar Gap) is the gateway to the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. It sits at about … Read More>>

In South America, the nests and breeding behavior of many secretive species remain shrouded in mystery. This offers exciting opportunities for ornithologists and birders to fill in knowledge gaps. In recent years, a few individual researchers, like Harold Greeney in Ecuador and Gustavo Londoño in Colombia and Peru, have made out-sized contributions, describing numerous species' … Read More>>

“You work on seabird colonies? How can you stand the smell?” That's a common reaction when I mention my work as a field biologist. While it's true that guano can be pungent, it's also a key source of nutrients — and the more researchers tease out seabirds' contributions to both islands and oceans, the more … Read More>>