Sitting pretty

We often consider male songbirds more beautiful and striking than females, since their feathers are usually showier and more colorful. Yet Smithsonian published an article last year about some fascinating research, which now reveals that Drab Female Birds Were Once As Flashy As Their Male Mates. [A great, short read!] The authors describe new studies […]

The pretty little ‘Butcher Bird’

Although their range covers almost the entire southern half of North America, I had never seen a Loggerhead Shrike before last spring. Over the past two weeks, though, they seemed to be everywhere, sitting atop scrubby perches, surveying the landscape for some tasty prey. Also known as ‘Butcher Birds‘, Loggerhead Shrikes are unusual in that they […]