Image: The Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown Graphic featuring images of David Sibley and H. Jon Benjamin

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Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!

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Shows With Contributions by Grrl Scientist

A Kea seen in profile, beak open, showing its glossy olive green plumage

Playful Keas

Keas are large alpine parrots from New Zealand. Intelligent and social, they have olive-green plumage, a red rump, and a long, curved beak. Keas produce a distinct warbling call, a “play call,” that sounds — and functions — much like a human’s contagious laughter. Scientists made…
Two tiny songbirds sit very close together on a branch. The female (to viewer’s left) is light brown and the male (to viewer’s right)

Fairy-Wrens - To Duel or Duet?

The Red-backed Fairy-Wren, a tiny songbird living in the Australian scrublands, is highly territorial and promiscuous. The male can’t be sure the eggs in his nest are his own. One way to help avoid this problem? The male may rough up a rival who approaches his territory. But research shows…
Zebra Finch facing the viewer, showing its gold-orange cheek feathers, bright red beak and softly black and white striped breast

Birds, Nests, and Camouflage

Bird nests can be hard to find, often hidden in plain sight. Is the clever camouflage simply the result of using building materials that the birds happen to find? A Scottish research team used birds popular in the pet trade, Zebra Finches, to try and find out. The team gave nesting Zebra…
A pair of Ancient Murrelets floating on smooth water

Ancient Murrelet Migration

We're used to birds migrating north to south and south to north. But the Ancient Murrelet migrates east to west and back across the North Pacific. These plump seabirds nest in colonies in old-growth forests, in burrows and rock crevices. But where do they go in winter? After breeding, many…
Mexican Jay choosing from among several unshelled peanuts. It is holding one peanut in its beak.

Jays Identify Good Nuts by Shaking Them

Some birds stash unopened seeds for use later. But how do they know which seeds are worth the trouble, before expending the energy to open them? A team of scientists from South Korea and Poland may have an answer. As part of a series of experiments, the scientists observed the behavior of…
Vivid scarlet red finch with black head and beak, perched on a branch and looking to its right

How Birds Become Red

Most birds have the capacity to make red feathers, even those that lack red plumage. This discovery was revealed by scientists who studied Red-factor Canaries — a “hybrid” bird that is part canary, part Red Siskin, like this one. Both species have the “redness gene.” But Red-factor…
Gray Jay perched on snowy branch

Canada Jays Save Food for Later

While camping in the mountains, you might see this Canada Jay (formerly known as the Gray Jay — but before that, as the Canada Jay!), boldly swooping into your camp. This handsome jay’s big, black eyes seem to miss nothing — especially food. But the one food Canada Jays don’t eat is…
Palm Cockatoo

Palm Cockatoo Gets the Girl

The male Palm Cockatoo uses his enormous beak to break off a stick or seedpod from a tree. The bird then fashions it into a sort of drumstick. Clutching the stick in his left foot, he beats on a hollow tree or dead branch. Most animals that use tools do so to get food. But these cockatoos…