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Explore Birds

Two shorebird chicks in hand
Gambling With Gulls, Beleaguered Bogs, and Other Stories
August 17, 2026 — Shorebird news from Cook Inlet’s 2026 breeding season.
ALASKA Bird Science
Man with backpack on landscape
A Safer Shot: How Copper Ammunition Can Help Protect Alaska’s Birds
August 14, 2026 — When hunters field dress their harvest, nutrient-rich remains are left in the field and are an important food source for birds. However, there is a hidden danger within that resource.
ALASKA Bird News
Rare Footage Shows Woodcock Hens Fending Off an Unlikely Nest Intruder: Deer
August 12, 2026 — White-tailed deer are known to opportunistically eat bird eggs and possibly even chicks—but camera traps in West Virginia showed some female birds are surprisingly fearless in fending them off.
Bird Behavior
Silhouette of a Great Horned Owl taking off from a branch against an orange sky.
How the Stikini, a Terrifying Witch-Owl Shapeshifter, Brought Me Closer to My Seminole Roots
August 11, 2026 — The story of a gruesome half-owl, half-person that eats human hearts is so dreaded that few will even talk about it—as I quickly discovered when I set out to learn more about these creatures.
Arts & Culture
A male Northern Cardinal perched on a branch, singing.
Birds Build Their Songs Using Just Eight Musical Elements, Study Finds
July 23, 2026 — A new analysis reveals that songbirds across the world mix and match the same whistles, trills, and other acoustic motifs to create their diverse tunes.
Bird Science
A Great Horned Owl chick snuggling up to its parent on their nest.
10 Fun Facts About the Great Horned Owl
July 21, 2026 — Fearsome hunters, doting parents, eager breeders—it's easy to give a hoot about these birds.
Bird Questions and Facts
People birding on beach
See you at the next Utqiaġvik Migratory Bird Festival!
July 21, 2026 — The youngest of Alaska’s bird festivals celebrates birds and culture by blending Indigenous and scientific knowledge.
ALASKA Festivals and Events
Close-up portrait of a male Northern Cardinal and a male House Finch out of focus behind him.
Get to Know the Red Birds of North America
July 17, 2026 — Spotted a red bird? 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú's guide covers the most common red birds in North America, from the Northern Cardinal to the Scarlet Tanager. Find yours.
Birding 101
A Pileated Woodpecker sticks its head out of a hole in a fungus-covered tree., throwing bits of bark from its beak.
Wait—Do Woodpeckers Kill Trees?
July 16, 2026 — The charismatic chiselers are built to chip away bark and hollow out holes. Here's why this behavior isn't typically harmful to a tree and can even be beneficial.
Bird Questions and Facts
Yellow-breasted Chat
Ode to the Yellow-breasted Chat
July 09, 2026 — A glimpse into a bird with an endless song
SOUTHWEST Bird News