Highest Flying Posts

The American Robin is an icon of birding and modern culture. Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin have all adopted it as their state bird and it is a common sports mascot. The irony is of course, that it is actually a thrush, not a robin. In this post we will investigate all those birds called robin…

Are there hawks in Texas? If so, how many? Are they resident or migratory? Do they all eat the same thing? In this post, we are investigating hawks in Texas and trying to answer all these questions. State of Texas The Lone Star State is in the southern area of central United States on the…

Is a goshawk the same as a hawk? What is a Buteo? How many hawks are there in Georgia? Well, in this article we try to answer those tricky questions about the Accipitridae family that you have always wondered about. The State of Georgia The Peach State of Georgia is so named for the quality…

The House Sparrow is one of the most common birds in the whole world. Originally from Europe and Asia, it is now found in every country, except for the cold tundra of the Arctic and Antarctic. It is often overlooked, viewed with contempt or discounted, but really it should be celebrated as one of the…

The ABA (American Birding Association) lists 7 species of Chickadee in the United States. In this article we will be looking in more detail about this tiny but charismatic bird. What are the different species? Where do they live? What do they eat? And most importantly where do they nest and how to they build…

When we see the word pigeon, we generally think of feral birds that are a pest in urban areas. But those pigeons are actually related to Rock Doves. Are there other pigeon or dove species in the U.S.? Are they as unpleasant as the feral variety? In this post, we investigate what a pigeon is,…

Ohio has a lot of offer for birders, with Lake Erie to the north, the wilds of West Virginia to the south and the forests of Michigan to the north west. There are many habitats suitable for birds. In this post we will be trying to find 10 yellow birds in the state. State of…

There are several factors that determine how long a baby bird stays in its nest. Evolution, habitat, predation threats, food sources and weather to name a few. It is in the parents interest for chicks to leave as soon as possible but the reverse is also true. Who hasn’t heard the plaintive whines of young…

The phrase bird on a wire has come to mean many different things in popular culture. For some, it references the symbolic freedom of birds and for others, it means being detached and having a wide viewpoint or metaphor for the dangers of life. Whatever your viewpoint, small birds sitting on power lines is a…

There is a huge range of bird feeders available to buy. They tend to be quite expensive and often elaborate. But you might be wasting your money if you do not know what type of bird they are likely to attract. In this post we review the different types of feeder available and how to…

When most people are asked about ducks, they think about mallards in the local duck pond and probably can’t name more than a couple of different species. Even seasoned birders may be tempted to view them with some contempt, unless they are looking at a rare and striking species. In this post, we have chosen…

There is some debate about when feeders should be used to supplement the diet of birds. In this post, we will be looking at that, as well as good use of feeders – when, where and how to use them. In particular, we will consider the best feeder to use to attract orioles. Why use…

Are birds with red heads common? What causes birds to have red heads? In this post we will be reporting on the birds with red heads in the United States and beyond. Also, we will try to answer questions about them. What causes red feathers? Birds are not naturally bright in color. There are several…

Today, my goal is to find 10 species of birds that are brown with an orange chest. I can only think of a couple offhand and am fairly certain we will have to look beyond the United States to find more. Let’s start by considering why birds need colored feathers at all. Why do birds…

Colorful birds metabolize carotenoids in plants and berries and that gives them vibrant feathers. Blue feathers? There is actually no such thing. Read on to find out why that is and explore our list of 15 black birds with blue heads found across the globe. How are Blue Feathers made? Carotenoids in plants and berries…

Owls are amazing birds that are typically active during the evening and night. Being silent, noctural fliers, you are very lucky if you see them in the air. The ABA (American Birding Association) lists 23 species of owl in the United States and they are all carnivorous. In this post, we will be looking in…

The unique environment in Florida means it is a mecca for large water birds. The extensive coastline, the Everglades and the proximity to the Caribbean means that there are potentially hundreds of species either resident or passing through the state. In this post, we will be reporting on big bird species seen in Florida. State…

I make no bones about it – this post is all glamor. I have chosen the most interesting, colorful and unusual birds to review. Talk about spoilt for choice, Mexico has an incredible number of species to choose from. We will definitely need a part 2. Mexico Mexico is a land of extremes. There are…

In this post, we are moving away from the big and bright birds and going into the undergrowth to find those secretive, camouflaged brown birds. Some, of course, are a bit showier and it is good to see how brown birds can be stunning. Here are our ten of the best brown birds in Florida.…

There are many yellow or partly yellow colored birds in the world and in this post we are searching through each of the 99 ABA family groups of birds for them. For each family, we have chosen one bird for our list. We have included any with the term ‘golden’ but have excluded exotic, feral…