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How to get started birding

Black and yellow bird perched on top of a fence post.
A yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) perches up on a fence post bordering wetlands near Plumas National Forest, May 29, 2023. (USDA Forest Service photo by Jamie Chambers) Ever marvel at a flash of color zipping across the trail in front of you, then frantically scrolled the internet to identify the winged wonder? You are not…
#Birds, #Birding, #Birdwatching

Avian ambassadors and tribal perspectives

multiple native american dancers speak on stage
 Acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorous) perches on the branch of a California live oak (Quercus agrifolia). (U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo by Cal Robinson).  Birds are our melodic neighbors. They soar above skyscrapers in New York City and nest in coastal redwoods in…
#Birds, #NativeAmericans, #PrescribedFire, #CulturalBurning, #Tribes, tribal, #IndigenousKnowledge

Fighting invasive emerald ash borers with woodpeckers and citizen scientists

Emerald Ash Borer
Invasive non-native insects have been called the “wildfires of the East,” given the damage they cause to trees. One pest, the emerald ash borer, has killed hundreds of millions of rural and urban ash trees.  An arborist injects an ash tree with insecticide. (USDA Forest Service photo by Therese Poland.)…
#EmeraldAshBorer, #Woodpeckers, #CitizenScience, #Birds, #Invasives, #InvasiveSpecies

Surprising habitat of forest birds found with the help of volunteers

Photo of a green warbler perched in a hand.
Dr. Stoleson’s research suggests that after the breeding season, many songbird species like this Black-throated green warbler (Setophaga virens) are abundant in areas recovering from clear-cutting, rather than mature forests.  Photo by Scott Stoleson. “What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes…
#Birds

Pacific Northwest birds discovered wintering in Shawnee National Forest

USFS shield
Red crossbill discovered in December 2020 on the Shawnee National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Mark Vukovich. ILLINOIS—In late 2020, the Shawnee National Forest welcomed an unexpected winter guest—the red crossbill, a type of bird normally only found in the Pacific Northwest.The birds were spotted by Mark Vukovich, a wildlife biologist…
#Birds, #Video