FAQs & Common Problems

On a visit to Ithaca, New York, I saw a crow with large, red tags on each shoulder. Is this one of your projects?

Are Cardinals Redder in Winter?

Living Bird Magazine Elusive Cinereous Owl Gets Species Status in 2021 Taxonomy Update

BirdCast Birdcast: Bird migration forecasts in real-time

Living Bird Magazine These Female Hummingbirds Masquerade as Males

Macaulay Library The Shape of a Bird’s Beak Is Determined by More Than Diet

eBird How Do You Count Birds at a Feeder?

How can coffee help or harm birds?

Do partridges occur in pear trees?

Do Birds Have Teeth?

What is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?

Are Whip-poor-will populations declining? What can we do about it?

How can an owl catch a mouse underneath a foot of snow in total darkness?

Why don’t birds collide when they are flying close together in tight flocks?

Why do female Belted Kingfishers have an extra rust-colored “belt” that the males don’t have?

What's the difference between shade-grown, organic, fair-trade, and Bird-Friendly coffee?

Is drinking shade-grown coffee good for birds?

How are coffee and birds related?

Do hawks flock together?

Why don't birds get cold feet?

How can Bald Eagles survive in northern areas after all the lakes have frozen?

How much do birds eat each day?

I believe that the same blue heron has been perching on my dock for 28 years. What is their life span?

Do vultures find dead animals by smell or by tracking predators or scavengers on the ground?

Why can't penguins fly?

Do all birds have gizzards?

Who is the "Lincoln" that the Lincoln's Sparrow is named for?

Where did the domestic turkey come from?

What is the difference between a beak and a bill?

Where can I find a list of all the birds in the world? And how do I find out a bird's "official" name? For instance, is it "Canada Goose" or "Canadian Goose"?

How do you pronounce a scientific name? What's the proper pronunciation for this bird species, Tympanuchus phasianellus?