A pathogen for bird pink eye remains viable on bird feeders in winter conditions much longer than in summer conditions without losing any of its severity, according to a recent study. “In colder temperatures, birds essentially have a much longer window of time — up to seven days — to encounter this pathogen on a
Cold Temperatures Promote Spread of a Bird Pink Eye Pathogen at Winter Feeders Read More »
Featured photo at top by Alex Eberts. Editor’s note: Wow! Ohio has been graced with a number of avian rarities this autumn and winter. Gerry Brevoort and her husband John were amazed to discover that their passion for growing native plants and feeding hummingbirds would lead them to hosting a state-record male Anna’s Hummingbird. And
by Rob Thorn They’re the birds that seem to fascinate everyone. Owls. Perhaps it’s their forward-facing eyes, maybe its their mysterious nocturnal lives, but most folks will stop to look for owls. I used to think that they could never be more than a rare curiosity in Columbus, with the Barred Owl families of Blacklick
Tales from the CBC: Columbus’ Fickle, Furtive Owls Read More »
By Elise Mahon Birds make sounds to communicate, whether to find a potential mate, ward off predators, or just sing for pleasure. But the conditions that contribute to the immense diversity of the sounds they make are not well understood. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have conducted the first-ever global study of the factors
Why Do Birds Make So Many Different Sounds? A New Study Gets at the Underlying Factors Read More »
The ground held a faint trace of snow as we wandered through Killdeer Plains that morning, looking for winter specialties. Raptors were already on our radar, with lots of Red-tailed hawks and Kestrels, but a slender buteo hawk sitting on a tiny sprig out in a field caught our eye. Just by the behavior alone,
A new study from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) shows environmental conditions in migratory birds’ winter homes carry over to affect their ability to survive spring migration and the breeding season. While scientists have long known that the quality of winter, or non-breeding, habitat influences migratory birds’ migration timing and reproductive
Drier Winter Habitat Impacts Warblers’ Ability to Survive Migration Read More »
