Category: Birdwatching

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

A bird that drinks blood? The aptly named Vampire Ground-Finch fills the bill — literally! Like other sanguivorous animals, including mosquitoes and leeches, this bird gets vital nourishment from blood. Although they may seem gruesome, the Vampire Ground-Finch’s taste for blood is actually a clever adaptation to its arid environment.

Researchers theorize that its blood-slurping behavior evolved from the Vampire Ground-Finch’s habit of cleaning parasites from the plumage of the larger seabirds, such as boobies, that nest on its home islands. Pecking at parasites with its long, sharp bill eventually

_{This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.}

The Northern Bobwhite’s whistling call was once common across its range in eastern U.S. and Mexico. A popular game bird, this icon of North America’s grasslands and forest edges was once found even in suburbs. Watch this American Bird Conservancy webinar for some “quaility” information on the Northern Bobwhite from conservation experts who know these birds best. You’ll learn about bobwhite behavior, habitat, threats, and conservation efforts — including what YOU can do to help bring bobwhite back.