What Do Northern Saw-Whet Owls Look Like? Northern saw-whet owl One of the cutest birds ever, (as voted on by Birds & Blooms readers) is the northern saw-whet owl, and Phil Brown, Bird Conservation Director at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, New Hampshire, agrees. “They are one of the most charismatic species,” he says. The micro sized owls stand around 8 inches tall, roughly the size of a robin. According to Phil, “saw-whets weigh about the same as a stick of butter.” Although they are fairly common, saw-whets are highly nocturnal and rarely seen. Round faces with ..read more

Listen for red-winged blackbird sounds in spring.Winter Bird Sounds Most North American birds including red-winged blackbirds wait until spring or summer to belt their tunes, but there are some exceptions. Pacific wrens and northern mockingbirds in certain regions are two examples of birds that sometimes start warming up in late January or early February. After you finish reading these facts about bird sounds, check out everything you need to know about bird songs. The post 16 Fascinating Facts About Bird Sounds appeared first on Birds and Blooms ..read more

Yellow-Breasted Chat Identification Adult yellow-breasted chat The bright yellow breast of this big-headed bird balances an olive-gray hue on its upper parts. White spectacles and mustache stripes accent its face, and a white lower belly and long tail feathers help in its identification. Males and females are similar in coloring. Is a Yellow-Breasted Chat a Warbler? Seven years ago, an exclusive nationwide committee of appointed senior ornithologists made a rare move—migrating the yellow-breasted chat from the warbler family into its own family based on genetic and physical characteristics. Lo ..read more

Birds of a Feather Work Together Juvenile western bluebirds may stick close to their parents and help raise the next generation. Avid bird-watchers probably notice that some birds are solitary, like the lone hawk perching along the highway. And some are social, like the goldfinches and cedar waxwings that flock to our gardens. We could say that their degree of social bird behavior is part of the personality of each species. But when birds gather, it isn’t just because they enjoy each other’s company. There are practical reasons that explain why some birds flock together and even work together ..read more

Red-bellied woodpecker chick looks out from a tree cavity nest For parent birds, raising a nest full of babies can be a risky project. With predators around every corner, many parents hide their nests among dense foliage or in tall grass for protection. Another approach is to put it inside a tree. This cavity nesting strategy is practiced by all kinds of birds, including some that you can attract to your backyard. Learn about 9 different types of bird nests and how to spot them. New Cavity Nest Builders Red-headed woodpeckers drill into trees to make new nest cavities Left alone, a mature tree ..read more

Easy to grow and useful all year-round, sunflowers are crowd-pleasers. Summer’s bright blooms bring joy to gardeners and pollinators, and naturally dried seeds provide local wildlife with a food source in winter. They thrive in most soil types and climates, as long as they’re in a sunny spot. Follow these proven tips for growing sunflowers. Enjoy 30 stunning sunflower pictures that radiate beauty. Sunflower Care and Growing Tips Sun-loving sunflowers are easy to grow Sunflowers are truly one of the easiest plants to grow, but they do have a few requirements. They need at least six hours of sun ..read more

Which Red Tanager Are You Seeing? When you’re out birding and you see a flash of red, your first assumption might be that your mystery red bird is a northern cardinal. However, if you know you haven’t spotted a cardinal, the ID’s can get a bit trickier—especially when it comes to two similar-looking tanagers. Here’s how to tell the difference between a summer tanager vs a scarlet tanager. Scarlet Tanager Identification Tips Adult male scarlet tanager The bold and brilliantly colored scarlet tanager is widespread in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada in summer. Adult males are red with so ..read more

While other woodpeckers hammer out their meals from trees or buildings, the Lewis’s woodpecker employs a more graceful yet nontraditional technique. “They catch insects on the wing,” says wildlife biologist Kaly Adkins, who works with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. “They are super fascinating because they feed like a flycatcher and fly like a crow.” What Does a Lewis’s Woodpecker Look Like? These woodpeckers behave more like flycatchers as they catch insects in the air. With its slow wing beats and long glides, this 10-to-11-inch-long bird might be mistaken for a crow or jay unt ..read more

American robins start singing very early in the morning. One of the joys of spring and early summer is the sheer abundance of bird songs filling the outdoors. Every kind of bird adds to the chorus with its own particular sounds—often beautiful, sometimes harsh, but always interesting. It’s possible to enjoy this free concert for its musical quality, but it becomes even more fascinating when we know why the birds make these sounds. Bird Songs or Calls: What’s the Difference? Male eastern towhee in plum tree Most common backyard birds make a variety of sounds, including songs and calls. For exam ..read more

Male Costa’s hummingbird Hummingbirds are tiny marvels of nature, fascinating us every time they flutter by. Chalk it up to the speed at which their long, thin tongues draw nectar from flowers (up to 13 times per second) or to their ability to use their sturdy tail feathers to make hairpin turns. Still, one of the most interesting aspects of hummingbirds is not apparent to the naked eye. In fact, it was realized only in the last few years. A recent study published by the National Academy of Sciences called “Wild Hummingbirds Discriminate Nonspectral Colors” suggests that hummingbird eyes see t ..read more