Tag: american bird conservancy

Persistent scratching sounds amid thick shrubbery and a shrill call, “towhee!” reveal the presence of this striking New World sparrow. The dapper Eastern Towhee(Pipilo erythrophthalmus) and its western relative, the Spotted Towhee(Pipilo maculatus), were once considered one species — the Rufous-Sided Towhee — but were split into distinct species in 1995. The two species sometimes hybridize in the Great Plains, where their ranges meet.

One way to tell an Eastern Towhee from its Spotted relative is by its dark back, marked only by a small white patch at … Continue

Birds are telling us that the health of our environment is at stake. Regardless of where you live, birds are asking for your help!

The 2025 State Of The Birds report finds birds from almost all habitats continue to decline. The worst losses are among grassland birds (down by 43% since 1970), but forest birds have been hit hard too. Even waterfowl, which had been improving, are showing steep declines since 2022. It’s time to act to bring birds back.

ACTION: One way you can help is by spreading … Continue

Smallest of the world’s four godwit species, the handsome “Hudwit” is an uncommon sight, as it lives most of its life at the extreme ends of the Americas. Its English name is a reference to this bird’s remote breeding grounds in northeastern Canada and Alaska.

The Hudsonian Godwit’s genus name, Limosa, derives from the Latin word for mud – limus, and refers to this bird’s feeding habits and habitats. The species name, haemastica, derives from the Ancient Greek word for “bloody”, a nod to the dark red … Continue

When you hear the word “cardinal,” you probably think of one of the most widely recognized and beloved birds in the eastern U.S. – the Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis). This beautiful red bird is the official state bird for seven states, not to mention the namesake of many sports teams! But did you know there are other cardinals in the Americas? Some are in the same family as the Northern Cardinal and others are cardinals by name only.

The Pyrrhuloxia(Cardinalis sinuatus), for example, graces deserts in … Continue

The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a chunky, distinctive songbird found throughout western North America. The male’s black head and contrasting black and white wings set off a bright cinnamon nape, back, and underside. The center of his belly shades to lemon yellow, then becomes white on the lower belly and undertail. The female Black-Headed Grosbeak lacks the male’s dark head and is patterned in quieter shades of buff and brown, with fine striping along her flanks. Both sexes have yellow wing linings that are most conspicuous in flight, and the … Continue