Tag: american bird conservancy

The Seaside Sparrow(Ammospiza maritima) is a large, dark sparrow, well-named for its preferred habitats of salt and brackish marshes. Although it shares habitat with other shoreline-loving sparrows such as the Saltmarsh Sparrows(Ammospiza caudacuta) and Nelson’s Sparrows(Ammospiza nelsoni), it is noticeably bigger and darker. Sometimes called the “Goldilocks Bird,” this sparrow needs a combination of environmental factors that are “just right” in order to breed successfully.

Ornithologists recognize seven subspecies of Seaside Sparrow, distributed along the U.S. Atlantic Coast south through the Gulf Coast of Texas. Some of these … Continue

The Whimbrel(Numenius phaeopus) is a large shorebird, about the size of an American Crow(Corvus brachyrhynchos).
Like many members of its family, this bird has drab-looking brownish plumage; its most distinctive features are a long, down-curved bill, reminiscent of the closely-related Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus), and a brown-striped crown. Its genus name, Numenius, is Greek for “new moon,” and refers to the crescent shape of the Whimbrel’s bill.

This species is the widest-ranging of the world’s curlews, nesting in Arctic regions across North America and Eurasia. The North … Continue

Here they come! It’s almost springtime in North America, and beloved migratory birds like the Painted Bunting(Passerina ciris), Rufous Hummingbird(Selasphorus rufus), and Canada Warbler(Cardellina canadensis) are returning to North America to breed and raise their young.

But many of the migratory species we all love are disappearing — fast. What if some spring morning we no longer heard the ethereal song of the Wood Thrush(Hylocichla mustelina), or witnessed the incredible aerial acrobatics of a Common Nighthawk(Chordeiles minor… Continue