BirdNote is a two-minute radio show that combines rich sounds with engaging stories, to illustrate the amazing lives of birds and give listeners a momentary respite from the news of the day.
After breeding on Arctic cliffs and tundra hillsides in summer, Rough-legged Hawks winter throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Open country is their ideal territory, where the small rodents they depend on are usually so plentiful that the hawks have enough to eat. But the rodents are cyclic
Some Harlequin Ducks migrate from the Pacific Coast all the way to the Teton Mountains in northwestern Wyoming to breed in the summer. White markings on both drakes and hens help them disappear amidst turbulent white water and rocks. Predators, like Peregrine Falcons, have a hard time
By the time November rolls around, the bird songs of summer can seem a distant memory. But there’s always something to listen for. Small birds like chickadees and kinglets, including the Golden-crowned Kinglet pictured here, often mix in flocks while foraging. Geese can be heard overhead
A fledgling Great Horned Owl calls to be fed. Judging from the young bird's persistence, the parents seem to be responding only with calls, not with food. These entreaties can go on for weeks. Both parents let the fledgling know that it's time for him to feed himself. They've been bringing
New Yorkers may think they hear owls hooting outside their apartment windows, but it’s more likely the coo of a Mourning Dove. There are owls in the city, but they prefer to live in more secluded areas, like Jamaica Bay in South Queens. Don Riepe has been building and installing nest boxes
This Northern Pygmy-Owl appears to have eyes in the back of its head. But why? One theory is that large false eyes may create the illusion that the owl is much bigger than its 6 and 3/4-inch size. A more current theory is that the false eyes help protect the pygmy-owl's true eyes. Small
