Bird Calls Blog

Bird Calls brings birds to life on the page with a stream of bird-related stories, tips, perspectives, and more.

An Excerpt from A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds
“A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds” is a book by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal about the story of scientists, nonprofits, wildlife agencies, birders, hunters, ranchers and philanthropists, working to save North America's birds. Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled 25,000 miles across the hemisphere to visit the projects, rescue missions … Read More>>
Saving Habitat, for the Love of Birds
I love birding. It is an escape from the predictability of everyday life, and provides me with a connection to the natural world that is primordially satisfying. It is at once a meditation and a sport, and a way to see the world through a lens that makes a direct connection to nature. It is … Read More>>
Don't Let the Sun Set on Evening Grosbeaks: Take Action Against Collisions at Home!
Sandy had been waiting for her snowy yard to be filled with bright yellow and black colors, reminding her of sunflowers, like the recent local photos she'd seen on Facebook. Every morning she filled her bird feeders with the recommended seed mix, waited, wondered, and watched. One cold morning in late December, as she refilled … Read More>>
Cliff Swallow in flight
Swallows of the United States: Eight Swallows to Know
You've probably seen swallows darting back and forth on fluttering wings, plucking insects out of the air to eat. Swallows — members of the bird family Hirundinidae, which includes 86 species worldwide — are part of a broader category of birds called aerial insectivores, meaning they catch insects on the wing. Swallows are small birds … Read More>>
Patching the Tattered Fabric, One Farm Bill at a Time
I remember being in the outdoors often with my father when I was a boy. My Dad, Zene, was an avid hunter, angler, and unintentional naturalist, and we were in the fields or at the lake nearly daily. Zene was an Iowa farm boy who grew up to be a career military man. Nature was … Read More>>
To Woo Your Valentine, Take a Page From Our Feathered Friends
With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, do you know what you're going to get the bird-loving object of your affection? Here at ABC, we have some suggestions for you to make this Valentine's Day a bird-friendly one:  If the number-one gift to give on Valentine's Day is chocolates, did you know this head-turning, sweetheart of a … Read More>>
Chestnut-collared Longspurs are grassland birds with declining populations.
Prairie Plight: Five of the Fastest Declining Grassland Birds in the U.S.
According to some estimates, around 360 million acres of North America’s original native prairies have already been lost through conversion to croplands, degradation from over-grazing, and the encroachment of woody plants due to fire suppression. Not surprisingly, the birds that rely on this habitat are in trouble.
Grosbeaks of North America: Five Need-to-Know Species
What is a grosbeak? The key to these birds’ identity is in the name. “Grosbeak” (pronounced GROSS-beak) comes from a French phrase that means “large bill.” However, birds with “grosbeak” in their name aren’t necessarily closely related.
Lessons From Indigenous Lifeways and Our Feathered Relatives
Hello, my name is Aimee. I am a Choctaw and Chickasaw woman, and I want to talk to you about the continuance of Indigenous lifeways. In this time of crises — climate change, ecocide, declining biodiversity, social inequity and injustice — many of us are wondering how we can make a difference.
Sowing Seeds for Bird Recovery
In the battle to save declining species, the shovel and greenhouse are a powerful sword and shield. Conservation is when you leave the natural world to its own devices, right? That may be what many people think. Yet as we face invasive species, climate change, and widespread habitat loss and degradation, solutions are not so … Read More>>

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Kirtland's Warbler sitting on a small pine tree branch

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