Benjamin Hack

Reporter, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú magazine
About

Ben Hack is a former editorial intern for 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú magazine. A lifelong birder and conservationist, his work has previously appeared in Living Bird and Birding.

Articles by Benjamin Hack

A young Great Horned Owl regurgitates a slimy looking brown pellet while its sibling watches.
What Is an Owl Pellet? (It’s Not What You Think)
October 30, 2026 — Owl pellets aren't poop, and they're not vomit either. Here's what's actually inside those furry nuggets, how they form, and what you need to know to dissect them.
Bird Questions and Facts
A landscape of expansive prairie and distant lakes under a colorful purple sunrise.
Visit These Prairies for Grassland Birds and a Glimpse of the Past
June 17, 2026 — Although most of America’s historical prairies have been plowed under, these remnants are big enough to make you feel small.
Destinations
Three Scarlet Macaws perch in a leafy tree full of green fruits.
Do Birds in the Tropics Have a Breeding Season—or Do They Just Mate All of the Time?
April 28, 2026 — You might think that the neotropics are one big mating party, but even in places that stay green and vibrant year-round, raising chicks comes with trade-offs.
Bird Nests and Breeding
This Roaming Raptor Has Been Surprising U.S. Birders—and More Could Be on the Way
January 07, 2026 — Limited to Central and South America until a few short years ago, Yellow-headed Caracaras are turning heads from California to Delaware as their range expands northward.
Bird News
Clear liquid trickles out of a hummingbird hovering in midair.
Do Birds Pee? Hummingbirds Do—a Lot
April 23, 2025 — Unlike most other avians, hummers urinate in a stream much like mammals, releasing liquid waste often and out of necessity.
Bird Questions and Facts
An aerial view of a snowy St. Matthew Island with a tiny spec of a human in the distance.
The Search for One of North America's Rarest Birds
March 31, 2025 — Scientists must journey to remote islands in the middle of the Bering Sea, braving uncertain conditions, to reach the breeding grounds of McKay's Buntings.
Photo Essay
A Loggerhead Shrike with colorful leg bands held in someone's hand.
‘Shrubs for Shrikes’ Strives to Save Indiana's Butcherbirds From Going Extinct
March 25, 2025 — A state-run program pays farmers to help beleaguered Loggerhead Shrikes rebound by putting more shrubby habitat back on the modern agricultural landscape.
Conservation News
Two Bald Eagles stand on a branch looking down at a juvenile hawk who is looking up at them with its mouth open.
A Teen Photographer Captured a Raptor Rarity: Bald Eagles Raising a Red-tailed Hawk Chick
September 03, 2024 — Fresh off a win in the 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Photography Awards, Parham Pourahmad shares how his fast-growing passion for photographing wildlife led him to document the unusual avian adoption.
Bird Behavior
Two warblers stand in shallow water next to logs and rocks.
A New Study Reveals Migration Isn’t a Solo Affair—It’s the Social Event of the Season
August 26, 2024 — Migrants face myriad challenges. That's why certain songbird species choose to travel (and possibly even work) together, according to research drawing on a trove of bird banding records.
Bird Migration
Two hummingbirds on a small branch fighting with each other.
Why Do Hummingbirds Fight So Much?
August 21, 2024 — For hungry hummers in need of nectar to fuel their high-speed lives, territorial disputes can get ugly.
Bird Questions and Facts