American GoldfinchMay 08, 2017 – An American goldfinch soars through the warm spring air, it’s yellow feathers reflecting the sun. Suddenly the bird opens its mouth and chirps a call that sounds like “po-ta-to-chip.” This flier isn’t looking for a salty snack. It’s using this vocalization to communicate with its flock. The bird flies on, continuing its delicious call.
BushtitMay 04, 2010 – These birds are known for the near-constant calling between themselves when moving as a group. Learn more about the bushtit.
Emperor PenguinJune 10, 2011 – Get the story behind these social penguins who breed during the harshest time of year in the most inhospitable region on Earth.
Greater RheaApril 11, 2010 – Discover a lesser-known relative of the ostrich. See how flightless rheas use their legs to outrun trouble.
Brown ThrasherMay 08, 2017 – A brown thrasher moves its long bill back and forth through a pile of leaves like a broom sweeping the floor. Leaves scatter into the air as the bird pokes into the soil and finds a small beetle to eat. It quickly digests the tiny insect and then moves on to the next pile of leaves and dirt using its strong beak to thrash around for more food.
California QuailMay 08, 2017 – Looking for berries and seeds to eat, a group of California quail struts down a dirt road. The floppy black feathers that stick out of their heads quiver as they go. These birds chirp to each other during their search; it sounds like they’re saying, “chi-ca-go, chi-ca-go.” The animals will continue foraging for food throughout the day—meaning this lively bird parade will continue for a while longer.
Whooping CraneFebruary 25, 2015 – You may weigh more than a whooping crane (and if you don’t you better start getting seconds at dinner), but you probably aren’t taller than one! Adults are about five feet tall, which makes them the tallest birds in North America. But even as tall as they are, whooping cranes weigh only about 15 pounds, thanks to their hollow bones. WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Whooping cranes live in wetlands, marshes, mudflats, wet prairies, and fields. They’re not picky about their meals—they have a varied diet and eat small fish, reptiles, and insects, as well as grains, marsh plants, and acorns. CALL OF THE WILD Whooping cranes really like to 'whoop it up' when it comes to attracting a mate. They call loudly and do what might look like a crazy dance to get attention. They flap their wings, shake their heads, jump up and down, and toss around feathers and grass! These birds are endangered, but scientists have used some pretty interesting tricks to help them survive. First they relocated one flock to Florida, but the birds never learned to migrate. Conservationists were determined to help the birds flourish and thrive, so they used a special trick with another Florida flock. Scientists "taught" the younger birds to migrate by having them follow an ultralight aircraft from Florida to Wisconsin. After the birds bred and hatched their chicks, they’d follow the plane back to Wisconsin! In addition to the year-round Florida flock and the one that migrates from Florida to Wisconsin, another flock flies from Texas to Canada and back again each year. These whooping cranes are really spreading their wings! Text by Laura Goertzel /NGS Staff
American RobinMay 08, 2017 – American robins live across North America and in parts of Central America. They can be found in open grassy areas, gardens, and woodlands. This animal is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Eastern BluebirdMay 08, 2017 – An eastern bluebird perches on a branch, patiently watching the ground below. Suddenly it spots a beetle. The bird spreads its bright blue wings, flies to the ground, and gobbles up the small insect. Then the colorful flier returns to its perch to wait for its next snack.
Broad-Tailed HummingbirdMay 04, 2010 – Learn how to differentiate this elegant bird from other hummingbird species.
KilldeerMay 04, 2010 – This creature is well-known by many non-birders for its “broken-wing” display. Find out more about the killdeer.
Atlantic PuffinMarch 01, 2014 – Atlantic puffins are birds that live at sea most of their lives. They fly through the air like most birds, but they also "fly" through the water, using their wings as paddles. As they swim, they use their webbed feet to steer, much as a boat uses a rudder. Puffins eat small fish—such as sand eels and herring—which they hunt underwater. They generally stay underwater for 30 seconds or less, but are able to dive 200 feet deep and stay down for up to a minute. Well adapted for their home in the water, puffins are also speedy in the air. They flap their wings up to 400 times a minute, speeding along in the air at 55 miles an hour—as fast as a car on a highway (How many times can you flap your arms in one minute?) . As a puffin matures, its beak and feet change from a dull gray color to bright orange. In the spring and summer, thousands of puffins gather in colonies on the coasts and islands of the North Atlantic Ocean. They stay in colonies to limit their chances of being eaten by the herring gulls that fly overhead. At the ages of 4-6, pairs of puffins often become mates for life, finding each other at their breeding colony year after year. They show affection by rubbing and tapping beaks. The pair often uses the same burrow they used the year before. Using their beaks and claws, puffins build their burrows between two boulders or in a rocky crevice. They line the burrow with feathers and grass before laying the egg that will incubate for 42 days. A baby puffin is known as a chick or puffling. When it first hatches, it looks like a furry ball of feathers. As it gets older, it will grow sturdy and smooth feathers to help it swim and fly. Born on North Atlantic islands, pufflings leave their burrows after 45 days. They won’t return until it is their turn to lay eggs. A puffling eats so much food that both the mother and father have to supply it with fish. In one day a parent may dive 276 times, bringing back 10 fish each time. The puffling swallows the fish head first and whole. By the time the puffling leaves its burrow, each parent will have dove 12,420 times. Check out the book Penguins vs. Puffins for more about these amazing birds!
Peregrine FalconMarch 01, 2014 – Swoosh! A peregrine falcon can dive up to 200 miles (323 kilometers) an hour to capture prey in flight, striking in midair with its outstretched talons, or claws. Peregrines usually hunt with either a swift chase or a fast dive. Starlings, pigeons, and doves are among their favorite meals. A common bird of prey (a group of hunting birds that includes such birds as hawks and eagles), the peregrine is an adaptable falcon that can be found in almost any habitat. Peregrines live from cold tundra to hot deserts, from sea level to high in the mountains. Their adaptability even allows them to thrive in cities. They live in a greater variety of habitats than almost any other bird of prey. Some peregrine falcons migrate in the winter from their nesting grounds in the Arctic all the way to South America—a round-trip distance of up to 15,500 miles (24,945 kilometers). They make the return trip north when it's time to mate and lay eggs. Peregrines don't build nests. They usually just find a shallow dip in some rocks or scrape a depression in the soil on the ledge of a cliff, or even use the ledge of a building. Female peregrines lay two to four eggs at a time. Parents incubate the eggs for about a month until the eggs hatch. Peregrine chicks stay in the nest for up to six weeks, by which time they've learned to fly. Peregrine falcons in the United States were listed as an endangered species after their numbers dropped dangerously low between the 1950s and the 1970s. Certain pesticides used by farmers—including DDT—harmed the peregrines by causing their eggshells to be dangerously thin—so fragile that they broke when the parents tried to incubate them. Laws were enacted to ban DDT and, fortunately the ban, along with other conservation efforts, led to the recovery of the species. In fact, scientists think there now may be more peregrines in some parts of their range than there ever used to be!
Tundra SwanMarch 01, 2014 – Snowy white tundra swans breed in the Arctic. Young swans have fluffy gray feathers in their first winter. The tundra swan call is higher and more like that of a Canada goose. Tundra swans mate for life and pair up for nearly a year before breeding. They breed in solitary pairs spread out across the Arctic tundra. They can be nasty protectors and are able to fend off predators like foxes. They prefer to nest near wetlands containing pondweed. They line their large, stick nests with moss and grasses. Females lay about four eggs and incubate them for 32 days. These large birds feed by dipping their heads underwater to pluck aquatic plants, roots, and tubers. Their diet consists of mainly submerged plants and roots, but they will also eat some cereal grains, corn, and mollusks, which are a kind of shellfish. The majestic tundra swan is a strong swimmer and can take off from the water with a running start and beat their wings until airborne. Their flapping wings produce a sound that earned them the name "whistling swan." They migrate thousands of miles to enjoy a milder winter in North America's Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, bays, and lakes. Twice a year, they fly 3,725 miles (6,000 kilometers) round-trip between the breeding and wintering locations.
Snowy OwlMarch 01, 2014 – When you see a snowy owl, it's clear how the bird probably got its name: they're snow-white. Males are generally whiter than females. As males grow older, they get whiter. The females never become completely white—remaining brownish with darker markings. These large owls mainly live in the Arctic in open, treeless areas called tundra. Snowy owls perch on the ground or on short posts. From there they patiently watch for prey. Their favorite target is lemmings—small mouselike rodents—but they also hunt for other small rodents, rabbits, birds, and fish. Snowy owls have excellent eyesight, but they obviously can't see their prey when it's underneath snow or a thick layer of plants. To capture those meals, the owl relies on its other keen sense: hearing. In flight, snowy owls generally cruise low to the ground. Once they spot their prey, they approach it from the air, and snatch it up using the large, sharp talons, or claws, on their feet. Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the snowy owl is active during the day, especially in the summertime. They tend to be most active at dawn and dusk. Snowy owl pairs usually mate for life. Female snowy owls lay from 3 to 11 eggs at a time, in a nest built on the ground. When there is plenty of food available, snowy owls tend to lay more eggs than when food is scarce. Lemmings make up the main part of the snowy owls' diet, and lemming population numbers rise and fall naturally. Sometimes, if there is not enough prey around to feed baby owls, the adult pair won't lay any eggs at all until the supply of food improves. The female snowy owl sits on her eggs until they hatch. The male feeds her while she keeps their eggs warm and safe. After about one month, the eggs hatch. Babies are covered in soft white down when they hatch. As new feathers replace the down, the birds become light brown. The young leave the nest less than a month after they hatch. By the time they're about a month and a half old, the young owls can fly well, but their parents take care of them for another ten weeks or more.
