Most of the time, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet is neither ruby nor regal. A tiny songbird washed in faded olive-green, the male shows a hint of crimson atop of his head — hardly a ruby crown. But don’t forsake the kinglet for flashier birds. When courting a female or dueling with another male, the kinglet exposes those ruby feathers, and his crown glows with the feathery fireworks that give the bird its name. Now is the time to look for kinglets, as they migrate north across much of the continent toward breeding sites in remote evergreen woods.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
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1:42
Brewer's Sparrow, Sageland Singer
One of the most musical and complex bird songs in the U.S. is that of the Brewer's Sparrow. It's a veritable aria, ringing forth from the sagebrush of Eastern Washington's Columbia Basin. Shrub-steppe is disappearing from the interior west as it is cleared for irrigated crops. The quintessential drylands bird, the Brewer's Sparrow can survive for an extended period of time with no supplemental water, getting all the water it needs from seeds and arthropods.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
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1:41
Pablo Neruda’s Celebrated Birds
Pablo Neruda is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Though the Chilean poet is best known for his writings about love, birds were also close to his heart. He composed more than 20 poetic profiles of birds native to Chile including hummingbirds and albatrosses.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
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1:45
What’s a Field of Grass to a Bird?
Although a field of grass might not seem like valuable habitat at first, many birds have adapted to nest in grassland habitats and nowhere else. In North America, birds such as the Bobolink seek out grasslands to raise their young, deftly hiding their nests within the dense vegetation. Very few grasslands and savannas have been protected compared to the area that’s been lost, making them the most at-risk ecosystem on the planet. That means every acre of grassland remaining is even more precious — to birds, to plants, and to people.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
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1:41
From Bobwhite Coveys to Pairs
Throughout winter, Northern Bobwhites gather in groups called coveys to search for food during the day and share warmth at night. These small quail arrange themselves in a circle, with their tails in the center and heads outward, huddled up like a wreath of plump birds to survive frost and snow. But as spring arrives, the coveys disband and bobwhites seek out mates. Males whistle from shrubs and tufts of grass, hoping to catch the attention of a female.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
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