Image: The Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown Graphic featuring images of David Sibley and H. Jon Benjamin

Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!

Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Shows With Contributions by Conor Gearin

A Common Grackle perched on branch high in a tree with the blue sky in the background

Taking the Bus for Birds

By carrying more people in a single vehicle, mass transit can use less energy than cars. Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help the hundreds of bird species put at risk by climate change. Not to mention, you can do a little birding on the commute – on the way to the bus…
A Northern Saw-whet Owl's wing seen under UV light.

Glowing Feathers

When a Northern Saw-whet Owl spreads its wings, many birds can see something our human eyes can’t: the owl’s flight feathers glow with ultraviolet light. It’s invisible to humans without the help of a UV blacklight. While the glowing feathers on parrots might help them attract mates, the…
A pair of Scarlet Macaws perch on a branch with their backs to the viewer, and their colorful wings outstretched

World Rainforest Day

Tropical rainforests are stunning places. Despite covering a small part of the Earth’s surface, they support half of the world’s biodiversity. The variety of lifeforms stands out visually in stunning color, and in sound through the strange and beautiful calls of birds. Today is World…
A Purple Martin flies up to a birdhouse mounted on a pole

Studying Climate Change by Watching Bird Nests

Organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and by Birds Canada, volunteers for Project NestWatch observe local nesting birds and track whether they’re successful in raising their young. Because the nest-watching volunteers monitor birds over a huge area, they cover way more ground than a…
A wide view from above of a rainforest in Colombia, vivid green tree tops stretching to the horizon of hills and clouds

Building Nature Trails Accessible to Blind People

When Juan Pablo Culasso spends time outside, he often encounters people thinking he doesn’t belong out there as a blind person – despite the fact that he’s a renowned nature recordist. He helped design nature trails in Colombia with features that make them more accessible for people who…
Un grévol engolado posado en el bosque.

Aves venenosas

El mundo está lleno de criaturas venenosas. Algunas mariposas, escarabajos y ranas usan colores vivos para advertir a las aves y otros depredadores de que están llenas de toxinas. Pero quizás te sorprenda saber que algunas aves también son venenosas. El pitohui bicolor ( Pitohui dichrous)…
Two humpback whales breaking the surface while feeding, surrounded by seagulls including Great Shearwaters

The Link Between Whales, Seabirds, and a Tiny Fish

In shallow waters off the coast of Massachusetts, ocean predators come from far and wide to hunt. Humpback whales join Great Shearwaters and many other seabirds in pursuing sand lance, a tiny fish that these top predators rely on for sustenance. But sand lance are vulnerable to climate…
A female Wood Duck swims across smooth water, her soft brown plumage accented by blue feathers on her wings

Music of a City Lake

A city lake is one of the most prized places in a fast, growing environment. It’s also often difficult to distinguish all of the bird calls from each other. With a splash of a beak, a glide of a wing, and an eye of a predator — listen closely, and then again to sharpen your bird ear. This…
A Tennessee Warbler perches upside down on a branch looking for food

Tennessee Warbler, Nectar Thief

Tennessee Warblers love drinking nectar, but they do it without helping to pollinate flowers. By tapping a hole into the base of a flower, these warblers enjoy an easy meal while bypassing the flower’s pollen. But they give back to their ecosystems in other ways – such as eating countless…
A group of birders, some holding binoculars, pose together in a field, smiling at the person taking the photo

Birding for a Better World

Molly Adams co-founded the Feminist Bird Club to try to make birding safer and more inclusive. Along with co-author Sydney Golden Anderson, Molly wrote a book titled Birding for a Better World that welcomes newcomers to birding and offers ways to make events more inclusive and accessible…