Slavonian Grebes are distinguished by their golden ear tufts and red and yellow eyes that look like a Category 5 hurricane on weather radar.
Tag: birds
Red Tails, Sandy Talons
During a June vacation at Isle of Palms, S.C., I saw firsthand how Red-tailed Hawks adapt to natural and man-made differences in their environment.
The Cardinal and His Admirer
Northern Cardinals, among the larger songbirds and visually distinctive, are widely admired by humans. And maybe also by some smaller bird species.
Hunting for Hawks out Hunting
Red-shouldered Hawks are the raptor I most often encounter when I’m out hunting for hawks out hunting.
Pileated Woodpeckers: The Original Headbangers
I don’t know how their heads can take such a pounding. But all the head-banging does produce a quick, protein-rich meal with a built-in syrupy treat.
Our Winter Birds
Whenever the weather turns our yards white, we can count on certain winter birds staying home with us.
Behind the Junco’s Dark Eyes
After seeing other birds’ eyeballs lit by sunlight strong enough to discern the colored iris, I’ve wondered what the junco’s dark eyes are hiding.
When Herons Fly!
How do Great Blue Herons learn to fly? Their bodies seem perfectly adapted for shoreline feeding but look too ungainly for flight.
Learning Not to Fly
Seeing a bird with a 10-foot wingspan learning to live in a fenced enclosure—learning not to fly—is a bittersweet experience.
Cowbirds vs Cardinals
This male Northern Cardinal was unusually aggressive toward this male Brown-headed Cowbird, a species increasingly turning up at our birdbath.