You’ve done it—you created the perfect outdoor oasis. Now lilting birdsongs are your alarm clock; your double-decker birdhouse seldom has a peak-season vacancy; and “the restaurant”—otherwise known as the feeding station—practically requires a reservation. Things couldn’t be better. Then disaster strikes: a cat with a tuft of feathers dangling from its mouth. How can you protect your backyard birds from such an untimely end? Our expert ornithologist Steve Kress covers everything you need to know.
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Here’s, how it works, from the National Audubon website:Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally—all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day. They primp, they preen, and they even make their feathers blush to catch they eye of potential suitors. Flamingos make themselves prettier by dabbing oil rich in carotenoids, compounds that make their plumes even pinker, on their feathers to attract mates, solving a mystery that confounded scientists.Researchers at Spain’s Doñana Biological Research Station saw . . . → Read More: Flamingos Go for Cosmetic Appeal Monarch butterfly (Image: U.S. Fish & Wildlife) How much do you know about animal migration? Scroll past the image for the answers. 1. Birds migrating between North and South America typically follow flyways. How many of these corridors cross North America? (Bonus if you know what path each covers.)2. True or False: Because of its . . . → Read More: Animal Quiz: How Much Do You Know about Migration? Plunge deep into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, follow the path of reindeer in Norway, sleep in a solar-powered tent on St. John, go whitewater rafting in Honduras, bird Nebraska’s Platte River. These are among the exciting green travel destinations featured in Audubon Magazine. Here are 10 great escapes to inspire your . . . → Read More: 10 Great Eco-Travel Escapes |
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Cedar waxwing. Image by Ingrid Taylar, Wikimedia Commons. Between now and January 5, 2011, birders across the country and North America will get out their binocs (if you need a pair, check out this handy guide we ran last year), open their guides books, and start tallying up the birds. It’s not as simple as writing down every bird that crosses your path during this two-week period.