Birds

July 3, 2020

Adorable “Strawberry Finches” Plumage Turns as Bright as Berry to Find a Mate

Hopping across the grasslands and fields of tropical Asia, the strawberry finch is a delightfully small bird that takes on spectacular plumage during its breeding season. It's also known as the red munia or red avadavat, and their original populations are spread across Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. Now, they can also be found in parts of southeast Asia and several introduced populations flourish in the tropical climates of Hawaii, Fiji, and Malaysia.

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May 18, 2020

These Cute Pint-Sized Birds Perform Expert Splits to Keep Themselves Balanced

Anyone up for a little gymnastics? These little birds are. Measuring just 6.5 inches long, the bearded reedling, or bearded tit, is a stout bird found across Europe. Living in wetlands, they're experts at balancing on the thin reeds that sprout from marshes and perform incredible splits to keep themselves balanced. This songbird, though found in abundance, is actually quite unique and there are no living species that seem closely related to it.

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December 10, 2019

These Photos Capture the Incredible Flight Paths Taken by Flocks of Birds

When most people step outside and admire birds, they're taking in the beauty of a single specimen,—but not Xavi Bou. The Catalan photographer looks at the bigger picture for his series Ornitographies, which takes in the stunning formations that migratory flocks of birds create. From fluttering ribbons to fluffy clouds, the shapes formed from the movement of the birds makes for unforgettable photographs. For Bou, the start of the project was a natural progression.

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August 5, 2019

Perfectly Timed Photo Shows Singing Blackbird Creating Vortex Rings with His Breath

This year, amateur bird photographer Kathrin Swoboda achieved a career-changing shot. Like many photographs of birds, her portrait of a blackbird stars a perched, singing subject. What sets this photograph apart from others, however, is that viewers can actually see his song—an element expertly captured by the strategic photographer. Early on March 17, 2019, Swoboda set out toward Huntley Meadows Park, an island in Virginia favored by nature photographers for its  wildlife-friendly wetlands.

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