Ruddy Duck

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When the male and female Ruddy Ducks meet on their breeding grounds, the male gets right to strutting his stuff. When a female appears, the male raises his long tail and his head, until the feathers on it look like horns. He inflates his neck and, faster and faster, strikes his chest with his bill. These blows force air through the feathers, causing the water to bubble. The male ends his display by jerking his head and tail forward and emitting a low belching sound. Learn more about the Ruddy Duck on BirdWeb.
To see a short video of the duck’s display, click here.

International Migratory Bird Laws

In May, we celebrate migratory birds, including this  Common Yellowthroat. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act  of 1918 gave much needed protection to birds, especially migratory songbirds. In 1940, the US and 17 other countries throughout the Americas signed a pact to "protect and preserve - in their natural habitat - representatives of all species…of their native flora and fauna.”
To find a celebration of International Migratory Bird Day in Connecticut, click here. For celebrations around the country, click here.

Interview with Burt Guttman

Do you know someone who’s ready to start birdwatching, but is uncertain how to go about it? Burt Guttman, Professor Emeritus of The Evergreen State College, has written a book that can help. In Finding Your Wings, A Workbook for Beginning Bird Watchers, Burt explains: Find a good place. Get a pair of binoculars. Buy a field guide and other books, and start to read. Begin a notebook. Best of all, go out and enjoy yourself!
Learn more in Finding Your Wings.

Bobolink Migration

When Bobolinks return to North America from the tropics each spring, they have completed one of the longest migrations of any songbird in the Americas: roughly 6,000 miles—all the way from northern Argentina to the northern states and Canada. You can learn more about the Bobolink’s migration in Miyoko Chu’s book, Songbird Journeys.
Sign up for our podcast and get BirdNote any time you want. Click here.

Do Birds See Color?

Have you ever wondered if a hummingbird can recognize colors other than red, or if other birds see color? Some male birds literally shimmer with brilliant colors—the Wood Duck and peacock, for instance. But color is probably lost on nocturnal birds, which may actually be colorblind. The eye accounts for 15% of the weight of a bird’s head; of a human’s, only 1%. Hummingbirds are thought to be sensitive to ultraviolet light, since the flowers from which they drink display patterns visible only in ultraviolet light. Learn more!