Category: Birdwatching

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

The eye-catching ʻIʻiwi (Drepanis coccinea) was once one of the Hawaiian Islands’ most common forest birds. In Hawaiian mythology, the demi-god Maui particularly loved the native forest birds and painted them in bright reds and golds. Maui made the ʻIʻiwi especially colorful, with a unique call that resonated throughout the forest. Early Hawaiians considered their native birds’ red colors to be sacred and used ʻIʻiwi and other honeycreeper feathers to create elaborate cloaks, helmets, and leis. This garb became a mark of societal rank and was worn only during special

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

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) weighs less than a nickel, and like all hummingbird species, including the Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds, it is a master of flight. Beating its wings 60 to 80 times a second, this tiny sprite creates a blur of motion and a whirring, insect-like sound. At first glance, it’s easy to mistake a Ruby-throated Hummingbird for a large bee!

All hummingbirds share skeletal and muscle adaptations that allow for speedy, agile flight. They have a unique, flexible shoulder joint that allows their long, blade-like wings to

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

The Yellow-winged Blackbird (Agelasticus thilius) is a conspicuous species of the Southern Cone of South America, congregating in colonies in marshes during the breeding season, and forming larger flocks in wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural fields the rest of the year. These birds are also extremely vocal, giving a startling variety of calls, including sharp and percussive sounds, clear and musical whistles, and a range of other rattling, chirping, whining, whirring, and gargling vocalizations. Their song in particular makes use of virtuosic trills, robotic whistles, and mechanical whirring or buzzing sounds,