The raucous birds of the neighborhood.
Rounding a bend on the Skagit in winter, you see farmland covered in white. Look for swarms of swallows under bridges, under the eaves of barns, or even the side of your house.
Warblers can be hard to spot. These Violet-green Swallows are announcing their arrival from their wintering grounds in Mexico and Latin America.
Birds were some of the first species to return to the devastated area.
Cliff Swallows gather in spring, in nesting colonies. When they first leave the nest, young birds are especially vulnerable to cats.
Precarious as their nest site is, Common Murres are highly successful.
Is it true that a hummingbird migrates by hitching a ride on the back of a goose?
Perhaps the most familiar duck in the Northwest, the Mallard is a large and heavy bird.
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is slightly smaller than its cousin, the Black-capped Chickadee, and the two sound different.
The intricate pattern of color on its wings resembles dappled sunlight on the forest floor. The raucous laughter of the Common Murre rings out from a nesting colony, high on a narrow ledge on a sea cliff.
First, she wedges one strong stick near the main branch of a tree. They are common in almost all habitats and most elevations throughout the state.
The raucous laughter of the Common Murre rings out from a nesting colony, high on a narrow ledge on a sea cliff.
The male performs a flashy wing-waving display that emphasizes his colorful head-tufts and neck.
Robins form monogamous pair bonds that last through the breeding season, and the males are very protective of their turf. Except in winter, when it gathers in loose flocks to move to lower elevations, this shy bird prefers solitude.
Rufous Hummingbirds are highly territorial and defend their feeding territories not only while breeding but also during migration.
The Red-tail is the most common and widespread hawk in North America.
That birds can hear so acutely the fine structure of song allows them to convey much information in a short sound.
To allow chickadees, nuthatches, or wrens into a birdhouse, and to keep aggressive, non-native species out, be sure the entrance hole is exactly one and one-eighth inches. The Osprey suffered great declines in the past century as a result of DDT, an eggshell-thinning pesticide.