Of the 149 birds of North America that have honorific names, all of them are named after white people. Whether they were named after the “discoverer” of the birds (Wilson’s Warbler, for example, named by Alexander Wilson) or in honor of someone else (like Franklin’s Gull, named in honor of the leader of a scientific expedition), these birds were all named in a time and place where only white men were allowed to be in these positions of power and privilege.
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On January 2, 2021, Portland held our 95th annual (and first “Covid-safe”) Christmas Bird Count, under wet and windy conditions. The weather was the last and least of this year’s challenges.
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We all know and love the Chapman Vaux’s Swifts. Here are the observations from staffer Candace Larson on how they are behaving in the midst of the smoke.
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During late summer the plumages of young birds are fresher and not overly worn. Adults on the other hand show dull, worn feathers. In the fall adults have a full molt including the wings and tail feathers. Juveniles have a full body molt in the fall a month or so later than the adults, but retain their tail and primary and secondary wing feathers.
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In the world of birding, woodpeckers are easy fan favorites. They’re boisterous, easy to find and observe, and have amazing adaptations that aid their industrious lifestyle.
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“How old is he? Does he have a website?” My dad interrogated me in Mandarin Chinese.
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This week, we will look at two cavity nesting swallows. They are just finishing up the breeding season and fall migration is just weeks away.
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We had 77 reports submitted in the tenth week of the Backyard BioBlitz. We have summarized the data so that you can see what other folks are seeing.
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We had 72 reports submitted in the ninth week of the Backyard BioBlitz. We have summarized the data from the first nine weeks below so that you can see what other folks are seeing.
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We spoke with Kassandra Ford, Armand Cann, and Nicole Jackson, three of the founding members, about birding, racism, and how the birding community can come together to make nature a safer and more inclusive place.
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