And so it’s July, which for this North American birder means a couple of things: 1. southern Australia’s cool winter weather and wonderful birds...

When the American Ornithologists’ Union publishes its annual North American checklist update next month, many birders will be disappointed to see that a proposal...

Let your mind’s eye sweep over the rich expanse of the avian family tree. Revel in its deep, gnarly divisions, its long, slender shoots....

There I was (I’ve been reading Thurber) on board a boat off Baja California, reveling in cormorants (three species!), Brown Pelicans, and the northernmost...

What do you think when you hear the word raptor? Those of us from generation Jurassic Park can’t help but think of the terrifying...

One of the items currently before the American Ornithologists’ Union’s North American Checklist Committee (NACC) is a proposal to split Old World and New...

Year-end lists! Woo! What follows is my attempt to highlight 10 significant changes in world bird taxonomy proposed or formalized in 2010. As you...

Hi, folks! This is the first of what will be my monthly posts on bird taxonomy and systematics. But don’t worry, I’ll do my...