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Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia Bill Rowe Sparrows don’t seem to get much respect—or at least they don’t elicit oohs and aahs of admiration as do the brightly-colored warblers, tanagers, and buntings. Yet their patterns are often intricate and handsome in a…

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea Bill Rowe A first view of a male Indigo Bunting, especially through a scope, will reliably stun people who have never seen one before. Nearly the whole bird is an intense blue, although the tone varies from…

Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis Bill Rowe Elegant and classy, Mississippi Kites wheel over rivers, woodlands, and suburban yards and parks in their daily search for prey, which mostly consists of large insects like grasshoppers, dragonflies, and cicadas, although they will also…

Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus Bill Rowe Shorebirds are a diverse and fascinating group, but many are somewhat obscure, hard to spot and hard to tell apart as they chase around on mudflats. Not so the Black-necked Stilt: it stands out at…

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Bill Rowe It’s hard to get familiar with Yellow-billed Cuckoos; they seem a bit retiring and standoffish as they steal through the foliage, giving you a partial view here and there. But if you persist, you may…

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris Bill Rowe Hummingbirds surely possess the most Guinness Book awards: as a group, they are the smallest birds in the world, have the fastest wingbeat and highest metabolism, build the tiniest nests…and the list goes on.…

American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla Bill Rowe What is a warbler? A birder from the U.S. or Canada will tell you that it is one of about 50 small insect-eating species that breed north of Mexico, a captivating group with the most…

Great Egret, Ardea alba Bill Rowe The handsome Great Egret, our second-largest heron after the Great Blue, is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, reflecting its early achievements (over a century ago) in securing protection for this species and other…