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