Animals

It’s day 21. I’ve made it to day 21.
I just have to let that sink in for a moment. Because I’m kind of surprised—I didn’t think I would last this long. When I started this Bird-A-Day Challenge on New Years Day (click here to learn more), I wasn’t even sure I would last two weeks. (I expected 14 species of birds would just about sum up how many I could see during my day-to-day life—especially in winter.) But, much to my amazement, I do see at least 14 species. (Here’s the list from my first 14 days). In fact, I see many others. What’s more, I even see some less ordinary birds, at least when I’m looking for them. Here's my strategy:

Nest of an 11-year-old black kite. At this age, the birds typically decorate their nest exuberantly. Photo by F. Sergio
 
When it comes to decorating color schemes, black kites prefer white. It’s long been noticed that the raptors adorn their nests with white plastic. But these baubles are more than ornamental—they’re a signal of sexual prowess and serve as a “No Trespassing” sign to potential rivals, researchers report today in Science.

New McDonalds commercials show bears leaving the wild in search of the company's fast food. Anthropomorphism aside, the ads loosely reflect recent changes in bear behavior.

A male (left) and female (right) splendid fairy-wren in Australia. Photo by Mitchell Walters

The trick is as old as the movies: Take your date to a horror flick, then wait until she gets a fright and she’ll snuggle in close. This “scary movie effect” may also be a strategy some birds use to get lucky.

Along the Florida-Georgia border are 80 quail hunting plantations that make up 300,000 acres of accidental nature reserve. Each year scientists and land managers burn tens of thousands of acres and use various other means to mimic natural conditions, preserving a wealth of biodiversity, including the embattled bobwhite quail. Eddie Nickens and photographer Rob Howard Investigate.

I’ve been watching birds rush, tackle, and pass all weekend. Well, NFL players whose teams bear the name of a bird. Baltimore Ravens. Atlanta Falcons. Today the Seattle Seahawks face the Chicago Bears. The football frenzy has got me wondering what species these avian ambassadors might be. (Photo: US FWS)

Ryan Berkley

What good is monogamy anyway? In the January-February issue, Wayne Mones reviews Bernd Heinrich's new book, The Nesting Season: Cuckoos, Cuckolds, and the Invention of Monogamy.

Today I did something I have never done before. I went birding by myself. Just before dusk, I grabbed my binoculars and a bird guide, then bundled up the baby and loaded him and the dog into the car. We headed for Croton Point, a park close to where I live in New York’s Hudson Valley. There, I scanned the river for ducks, peered up under the pines in hopes of finding a Long-Eared Owl, and drove right past a “Do Not Enter” sign in an effort to get a little closer to the water. I thought some waterfowl might be hiding in the cove. Alas, nothing. Then I drove over toward the Croton train station, where a little inlet is a popular winter hangout for Bald Eagles...

I am not a “lister.” I just want to be upfront about that. Yet, here I am on Day 14 of a strange new quest that has me, yes, listing birds. Many serious and even casual birders keep lists of the birds they’ve seen: life lists, year lists, state lists, backyard lists, and on an on. But this is a different type of list. I’m listing a bird for every day of the year—just one bird a day. The goal is never to repeat a species, nor to go a day without seeing a new one...Find out more. 

This week's roundup of incredible and amusing environmental news includes: identifying a mysterious hairless creature (above); a $200,000 pigeon; and gripping footage of flooding in Queensland sweeping cars out of a parking lot.