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Field Notes from the Quabbin: Moose Mamas and Magnolia Warblers
A Magnolia Warbler perches in a shrub. Photo by William Freedberg A late-June morning at the Quabbin Reservoir: Winter Wren songs echo from hollows and wetland thickets. Blackburnian Warblers whisper...
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Wildlife and Birding in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
© David Parish While it’s true that Mass Audubon regularly sponsors outstanding wildlife and birding trips to exotic corners of the planet, the Natural History Travel Program also features domestic...
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Bird Conservation on the Road in Iceland
Hrisey Island © Margo Servison From June 12–21 two members of the Bird Conservation team, Jon Atwood and Margo Servison, were privileged to visit Iceland with a Mass Audubon Natural History Tour. Along...
View ArticleThe Ten Craziest Massachusetts Bird Noises
If you’ve never heard a male Snowy Egret nasally bubble away at a rival, well, you are in for a treat. Using Xeno-canto, an online library of bird sounds to which anyone can contribute, we’ve chased...
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Conservation Success Stories: The Osprey
Ospreys are on the rebound after a troubled past. Despite a history of pesticide poisoning, persecution, and population declines, Ospreys have returned as one of the most abundant raptors of the coast....
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Tips For August Nighthawk-Spotting
Aerobats. Daredevils. Show-offs. The bounding, athletic flight the Common Nighthawk makes for an impressive spectacle in late summer twilight, when groups of these birds swoop to catch insects in...
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Two Poems for Bobolinks: Dickinson and Bryant
Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary: a few miles from where Emily Dickinson was inspired by Bobolinks- which have returned to the property thanks to careful stewardship. References to Bobolinks...
View ArticleThe World’s Funniest Bird Sounds- And How They’re Made
Last month’ post about amazing bird sounds from Massachusetts was so popular, we decided to create a definitive ranking of the funniest bird vocalizations from around the world. How do birds make so...
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How Do Pelagic Birds Find Fresh Water At Sea?
The short answer: they don’t. Seabirds drink ocean water, and excrete the excess salt that would otherwise leave them dehydrated. Specialized glands, located above the beak and just under the eyes,...
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1,027 Bobolink Fledglings Saved This Summer
By The Numbers: The 2018 Bobolink Project We’re tallying up the results of this year’s Bobolink Project, and the numbers look great! The Project protected 932 acres of nesting habitat, up from 512...
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50 Years Of Discovery At Great Gull Island
A Season With The Terns I first visited Great Gull Island as a volunteer in 1980. I was an undergraduate at Southern Connecticut State College, and had friends who worked on the island. I went out for...
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Cities Need Bird-Friendly Buildings
Between 100 million and 1 billion birds die annually from collisions with windows. Glass windowpanes can reflect nearby trees, shrubs, and sky. Birds eyes aren’t able to distinguish clear reflections...
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Studying Forest Structure At Elm Hill
Our bird conservation staff spent the past week collecting data at Elm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, our demonstration site for Foresters for the Birds. Since we’re using this site to show how responsible...
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November Is Western Vagrants Month: 6 Species To Watch For
Every November, most migratory birds of the American West are on their way south, but a handful always end up in New England. While it might seem surprising to find a Western Kingbird along the chilly...
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Join Us In Costa Rica!
A Fiery-throated Hummingbird in central Costa Rica’s Talamanca Highlands. Photo by Will Freedberg. This March, our Director of Conservation Science, Jeff Collins, is leading a group trip to Costa Rica....
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Remembering Kathleen S. (Betty) Anderson: June 15, 1923–August 24, 2018
Betty Anderson receives Mass Wildlife’s Sargent Award on September 10, 2007. Photograph by W. Petersen. The conservation and ornithological communities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—along with...
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Licorice In The Sky: A seasonal gathering of crows
Crows © Craig Gibson An annual late autumn phenomenon in New England is the spectacular crepuscular gathering of American Crows into large nocturnal communal roosts. Felt by many to be large, raucous,...
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Rat Poison Is Killing Birds Of Prey, And People Are Finally Paying Attention
Note: this post contains an image of a dead Bald Eagle that some readers may find graphic. Most rat poisons kill more than rats—they also pose a fatal threat to birds of prey. This topic recently made...
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Evening Grosbeaks Used To Be Common In MA. This year, They’re Back.
Just as ornithologists predicted, 2018 is shaping up to be a banner winter for a number of nomadic finches in the Northeast, especially Evening Grosbeaks. Having steadily declined as winter visitors...
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A Birder’s First Christmas Bird Count
This is a guest post by Nick Tepper. A recent graduate from the University of Vermont, Nick is an up-and-coming expert on New England birds, a lifelong naturalist, and is currently fulfilling an...
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