At Mole National Wildlife Reserve in northern Ghana, wildlife abounds! An elephant breathes. An aardvark’s home is plainly visible. A Blue-breasted Kingfisher calls. Zakariah Wareh, a park ranger, says, “Watch the sky. You’re going to see something you will never forget.” Suddenly, an…

Jessie Soder is bringing nature into her classroom. Students in her 4th and 5th grade classes in Gustavus, Alaska, are studying the birds of their region. They’ve designed a yearlong scientific study to identify plant communities with the most birds – and why. Students collect data on…

As the sun sets on a northern Midwest forest, an American Woodcock walks slowly from the cover of the forest to a nearby clearing. Then, the woodcock takes off on a courtship flight. At the apex of its flight, the woodcock circles, then descends in a slow spiral, putt-putting like a tiny…

American Kestrels are the smallest falcons in the country. But they're such colorful and charismatic little birds -- they make up for their size with their attitude! In the last 50 years, American Kestrel populations across North America have declined by almost half. The lack of nesting…

Teens hone their birding skills as part of a nature camp run by the American Birding Association. One camper, Anya, says about birds: "They’re beautiful, they’re full of life, and you can see them basically anywhere.” At home in New York City, Alexandra got hooked on a Red-bellied…

What an amazing noise! Whistles and trills, squeaks, rattles, and gurgles that suggest an orchestra of birds tuning up in the urban forest. You look around – not a bird in sight. The sounds waver in intensity, but with no clear pattern. Perplexing, but strangely wonderful! Suddenly, a…

The emphatic hoots of Barred Owls resonate in the still of a winter's night. These owls initiate their vocal courtship in winter. Their signature hooting sequence has been memorably described as "who-cooks-for-you?! who-cooks-for-you-all?!" Watch for them at dawn or dusk, as they fly low…

Tropical biologists Alexandra and Ben Freeman are in Papua New Guinea, documenting the effects of a warming climate on birds that live on the slopes of a remote mountain. Birds like this King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise. Often, their research puts them in touch with unexpected beauty…

Scoter populations in South Puget Sound have declined by 69% since 1995. Other seabirds -- like this Barrow's Goldeneye -- have not fared well, either. Suspects include heavy metal contamination, a drop in herring populations, derelict fishing gear, and the destruction of shoreline habitat…

In the remote Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea, tropical biologists Ben and Alexandra Freeman are inventorying birds on Mount Karimui. The Freemans want to know which birds are living where, and why -- birds like the Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise and the King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise…