South Africa is known for producing fine wines. But at the Vergenoegd Vineyard in Stellenbosch, the winery’s grape vines are at great risk from non-native pests called White Dune Snails. Instead of using poisonous bait to kill the snails, though, the vineyard employs Indian Runner Ducks —…

This winter, volunteers will tally birds in more than 2,000 locations as part of the annual Christmas Bird Count. In the U.S., birders will venture forth at the very extremes of the country’s geographic reach. At Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, a few hardy souls will count birds in deep twilight…

Some birds stay put all year. Some migrate with the seasons. And some, like this Glossy Ibis, are dispersing across new regions. Glossy Ibises breed on all the continents except Antarctica. But they were almost unknown in the US, even in the 19th century. Glossy Ibises crept slowly into…

The Northern Bobwhite -- many call it just the Bobwhite -- has an unmistakable call, which is also the source of its name. The species is native to the US, east of the Rockies. But Northern Bobwhites have been released into the wild as game birds in many locales in the West. Is there a…

Waterfowl must swallow hard particles so their gizzards can grind up hard foods, like grains. Unfortunately, they can't tell a lead pellet from a small pebble. Beginning in 1991, waterfowl hunters were required to switch from lead shotgun pellets to pellets made of non-toxic metals. The…

Cape May Autumn Birding Festival, October 20 - 24, 2016! Cape May lies on a peninsula at the southernmost tip of New Jersey, and it's one of the most famous birding destinations in the US. October may be the most exciting month of all to watch birds there. It's hawk migration! Because most…

The Surfbird - nothing like the "Surfin' Bird" of 1960s Trashmen fame - makes its home along the Pacific Coast. An oddly constructed sandpiper, the Surfbird forages on rocky jetties along the coast. The bird's winter range ranks among the longest and narrowest of any bird, from Kodiak…

Ravens are crafty! BirdNote listener Gary Cummins tells a story about the intelligence of ravens. When he worked at Grand Canyon National Park, Gary had a Siberian husky named Tasha. When two ravens saw her with a tasty bone, they teamed up on her. One raven acted distressed, hopping…

Relatively few gull species are common nesters in the Lower 48. But in October, both the variety and number of gulls increase dramatically. Gulls that nested in Alaska or Canada fly south to spend winter in more temperate climates. Western Gulls are present in the West all year, mostly…

In the southeast corner of Arizona, the roads are dusty, the mesquites scraggly. But in the middle of it all is a dense grove of trees with lush, green foliage. It’s an oasis of sorts, made possible by what in the Southwest is called a tank – short for stocktank or watering tank. A rickety…