ParrotsNovember 11, 2010 – Explore a family tree with more than 350 species. Learn more about these long-lived, intelligent, colorful birds.
Canada GooseMarch 01, 2014 – Canada geese usually graze together in fields, eating grasses, sedges, grains, and berries. Their bills have serrated edges, which helps them cut tough grass stems. These birds also feast on aquatic vegetation. When eating in water, they "tip up," reaching underwater and tearing water plants with their heads beneath the surface and their rear ends sticking up in the air. Male geese fight one another to win a particular female. The winning male gets the female as a mate, and the pair may stay together for life. The female of the pair picks a good spot to make her nest. She finds a place—always near water—which is isolated and a little higher than anything right around it. The female makes her nest of dry grasses, twigs, and other plant material. She uses her body to shape the nest into a bowl. The baby geese, called goslings, take about a month to hatch. Babies are covered with soft feathers called down. They hatch with their eyes open and will leave the nest within 24 hours, following their parents. Goslings can swim right away. In less than two months, the goslings grow adult feathers and learn to fly.
Emperor PenguinApril 01, 2014 – Emperor penguins spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters. They survive—breeding, raising young, and eating—by relying on a number of clever adaptations. These flightless birds breed in the winter. After a courtship of several weeks, a female emperor penguin lays one single egg then leaves! Each penguin egg's father balances it on his feet and covers it with his brood pouch, a very warm layer of feathered skin designed to keep the egg cozy. There the males stand, for about 65 days, through icy temperatures, cruel winds, and blinding storms. Finally, after about two months, the females return from the sea, bringing food they regurgitate, or bring up, to feed the now hatched chicks. The males eagerly leave for their own fishing session at sea, and the mothers take over care of the chicks for a while. As the young penguins grow, adults leave them in groups of chicks called crèches while they leave to fish. There is a reason for the timing of emperor penguins' hatching. By December, when the Antarctic weather has warmed somewhat, the ice the penguins occupy begins to break up, bringing open waters closer to the nesting sites. Now the chicks are old enough to take to the seas and fish for their own food. Check out the book Penguins vs. Puffins for more about these amazing birds! Watch a YouTube playlist all about penguins.
Chinstrap PenguinJanuary 04, 2023 – Find out why these Antarctic seabirds might be the ultimate city slickers.
Fiordland PenguinJanuary 04, 2023 – These seabirds are known for their wild look and sound—no wonder they're sometimes called the rock stars of the penguin world.
Lesser NighthawkMay 04, 2010 – This bird’s trilling twilight call is a familiar spring and summer sound of the desert.
Downy WoodpeckerMay 04, 2010 – This bird is a frequent visitor to North American bird feeders. Learn more about one of the smallest woodpeckers.
Carolina ChickadeeMay 04, 2010 – This bird is quite at home in cities and towns, readily using nest boxes and bird feeders. Learn how to spot this songbird in your backyard.
American Tree SparrowMay 04, 2010 – Learn more about the American tree sparrow, one of the hardiest sparrows in North America.
Chestnut-Backed ChickadeeMay 04, 2010 – This songbird is often found foraging in the canopies of tall conifers. Learn more about the chestnut-backed chickadee.
White-Throated SparrowMay 04, 2010 – This woodland sparrow of the American East frequents feeders or feeds along woodland edges, darting for cover if disturbed.
Ladder-Backed WoodpeckerMay 04, 2010 – This desert woodpecker is a common sight in North America's arid regions.
