In the summer of 2026, conservation photographer Gerrit Vyn visited a remote wilderness called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. He spent much of June at Teshekpuk Lake, just 6 miles south of the Arctic Ocean. The vast wetlands in this region are critical for millions of birds that…

With their excellent sense of smell, pigs are renowned for sniffing out truffles, a fungus that grows underground and is prized for its taste. But it turns out that some bird species can also find their way to a truffle treat. Researchers working in the Patagonia region of Chile had…

Em De Blas has years of experience leading bird outings with Chicago BIPOC Birders, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and The Urban Birding Festival. But their birding journey first started when Em was 19 years old and visiting family near San Luis Potosí in Mexico. In this episode, Em…

In this episode of BirdNoir, Private Eye Michael Stein helps a lakefront resident get to know the avian neighbor that’s been flying by each day.

Nothing says summer like a day at the beach. Whether you’re lounging by a lake or enjoying a seaside vacation, listen to this episode to learn five things you can do to share the shore with birds. BirdNote is supported by Jim and Birte Falconer of Seattle, Washington — and generous…

When they migrate, tiny songbirds that spend most of their lives on land fly hundreds of miles over the ocean at a stretch – and they get tired. Research suggests that birds migrating over busy shipping routes in the Mediterranean Sea may use the decks of sea vessels as places to catch…

Just off the southern coast of Iceland, the Westman Islands are home to many of the country’s several million Atlantic Puffins. When puffin hatchlings, known as pufflings, get confused by the lights of the city, volunteers of all ages search for wayward pufflings on the street and bring…

Lark Buntings are migratory sparrows that live in grasslands from south central Canada to the northern plateaus of Mexico. For most of the year, the buntings are brown, white and streaky. They spend the winter traveling in large, nomadic flocks in search of seeds and insects. But as spring…

If you’ve already done things around the home with birds in mind, consider one more action that might be less obvious. Turning the thermostat down a degree or two in the colder months and up a degree in the warmer months might seem more about personal preference or energy bills than birds…

Osprey are birds of prey with a wingspan more than 5 feet across. These large raptors construct huge stick nests that get up to 6 feet wide and 12 feet tall! While the Ospreys only occupy the upper portions of this structure, other birds have been observed taking up residence in the nooks…