Author: David

Birds

Enjoy your redpoll ticks while they last

June 14, 2015 by David 2 Comments

All the world’s redpolls probably represent a single species, and redpolls probably look different in different places more because of environmental influences on how...

Birds

Manhattan’s first nesting Common Ravens

June 10, 2015 by David 6 Comments

Common Ravens have, it seems, finally nested in Manhattan, the densest metropolitan area in the nation. The photo above depicts three fledglings I encountered...

Birds

NYC mystery warbler: Odd Blackpoll, hybrid, or Carbonated Warbler?

May 17, 2015 by David 3 Comments

It was birdy this morning on the banks of the Hudson River in lower Manhattan. I’d seen nine warbler species, Baltimore Orioles, a brilliant...

Birds

The origins of tanagers, warblers, and sparrows are coming into focus

January 25, 2015 by David 6 Comments

A new paper out this month attempts to paint the most comprehensive picture yet of the origins and diversification of the American sparrows, wood-warblers,...

Birds

Purple Swamphen: Supertramp or superspecies?

December 28, 2014 by David 5 Comments

The colorful Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) lives in wetlands from Portugal and Senegal all the way east to New Zealand and the Samoan Islands,...

Birds

Here’s the new bird family tree. It’s amazing.

December 21, 2014 by David 8 Comments

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in...

Birds

Save the Painted Bunting, y’all: Keep wonder alive

November 30, 2014 by David 15 Comments

Everyone, the Painted Bunting needs your help. There’s a new proposal before the American Ornithologists’ Union’s North American Classification Committee to split Painted Bunting...