Posts by author
David Bird
Counting Crows…
And gannets and swallows and sparrows and… A new study suggests there are 50 billion birds on the wing in the world. Some are plentiful, other species have dwindled to…
Q&A With Avian Expert David Bird
Thanks to COVID-19, the number of folks deriving pleasure from the birds in their yards has increased exponentially. Not only are these backyard birders watching their feathered neighbours, they also…
Birds in the Hand?
Is it OK to feed a feathered friend in your palm? Our resident expert says yes, but only in the right circumstances. It is well known that certain bird species…
Winged Victories
From cuckoos to godwits, here’s some record-setting journeys . Thanks to GPS, tracking these and other long-range migratory birds is more detailed than ever In 2019 a Manx shearwater (Puffinus…
Bird Brains: Which Are the Smartest Birds, Crows or Parrots?
Ask any birder which birds are the smartest on our planet and you’ll get one of two answers — corvids (i.e., crows, ravens, magpies and jays) or parrots. I have…
Master Impressionists: The Mockingbird
Why do mockingbirds mimic other birds’ songs? To boast? To befuddle? Some scientists think it’s to attract and impress potential mates Each night as daylight transcends into darkness over the…
Naturally Spectacular: When Nature Makes a Spectacle of Itself
There are phenomena in the realm of birds when nature makes a spectacle of itself. Those moments bring people and communities together. Among the great pleasures in a bird-watcher’s life…
Bitter Harvest
Among European birds, mechanized olive harvests are a serious threat. They are dying in the thousands The next time you reach for that bottle of olives for your martini or…
