Bird is the Word

They are the most fearless visitor my bird feeders receive. When other birds fly away in a flock, the humble black-capped chickadee remains, hopping about

Pigeons get a bad rap, and not without good reason. They can spread disease through their droppings, they crowd birdfeeders to bully away smaller species,

Peafowl hardly seem to be a fit for the harsh climate of New Mexico. Whereas native birds have adapted to desert conditions with camouflage and

A new visitor is curiously inspecting the bird feeder I’ve just filled. A grayish-blue cloak of feathers beneath a bright indigo cap: it’s not without

The Bald Eagle became the national bird of the United States on June 20, replacing the white eagle that previously adorned the national emblem with

For centuries, from coast to coast, in cities and suburbs, fields and forests, the American Robin has established nests in every contiguous state and filled

I had the opportunity to speak with UNM ornithologist Ethan Linck and his colleague Ryan Terril about how our changing climate is affecting migratory and

Full disclosure: I eat chicken. Perhaps it’s hypocritical of me to do so, given my monthly exaltation of birds, but chicken is nutritious, easily accessible,

When I began writing this column two years ago, I wanted to impart upon my neighbors in the greater Northern New Mexico area the importance

Sporting shimmering green wings that stretch out to a 20-inch wingspan, a ruby-red face and a bright-pink chest, at first glance the Lewis’s Woodpecker almost

In a major win for birds and all wildlife, New Mexico has created the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, a dedicated revenue stream supporting conservation

They’re certainly eye-catching, to say the least: shimmering brown feathers topped with a lemon-colored beak, starlings are very easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, they’re very

By now we’ve all felt the effects of the latest Avian Influenza, or bird flu, pandemic. The cost of a dozen eggs has more than

You’ve seen them circling around in the skies or picking apart a carcass on your commute — black wings that block out all light, with

To ring in the new year, I thought I’d catalog some of last year’s victories for bird conservation. While birds have been losing their numbers,

A new visitor is curiously inspecting the bird feeder I’ve just filled. A grayish-blue cloak of feathers beneath a bright indigo cap, not without reason

A new outbreak of avian flu was first reported in the U.S. in January 2022. By October close to 50-million birds have been affected by

This year’s monsoons were a welcome reprieve from the dry conditions of previous years to both human and avian kind. New Mexico has been in

Yep, despite summer being far from over, several species have already begun their journey to Central America. During this migration season, there are opportunities to

They’re ubiquitous across all of Taos County, and some have even been spotted as far South as Santa Fe. Even when you can’t see them,