You are browsing the archives of 2005 January.

It’s been known for some time that birds are descended from dinosaurs, with Archaeopteryx representing one strong link between avians and antiquity. However, researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered definitive proof that birds existed alongside dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago. Their newly released  research even established this prehistoric bird as a [...]

We recently received a interesting question from Alice of 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera. After buttering us up with compliments, she posed this query: I am not aware of any magpie that can be found on the Atlantic coast of North America, but my friend says that her (ninety-something-year-old) grandmother speaks of the magpies she [...]

This winter, we’ve been blessed with an abundance of owls. In 2003, a veritable horde of Common Redpoll invaded the U.S. It seems that, every year, another bird species floods our forests and feeders, carried on the wings of an irruption. But what kind of bizarre volcano spits out birds? Our birding word of the [...]

The people of Auburn, NY have long felt besieged by American Crows. Small wonder, considering that this city of roughly 29,000 (where, coincidentally, Core Team family Seth and Christine got married) has to contend with, at last count, over 63,000 crows. In February 2003, they initiated a population control effort, less euphemistically termed a good, [...]

Some decisions have been made recently that will have serious ramifications for the future of the Greater Sage-Grouse. The wrangling of politicians, conservationists, and special interests warrants discussion, but first, we should consider the bird itself. The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a handsome bird in the family Phasianidae. Distributed throughout 11 western states and [...]