Terry Rich

For many birders, the biggest prizes in a day of spring birding are warblers. No other family of birds in North America is so colorful. Thirty-nine species of warblers have

One of the things that fascinates me about birds is how many different ways there are to be one. Although we lump species into all sorts of categories, the fact

Continuing the theme of the mad tea party, where we can ask questions that really can’t be answered, and then answer them anyway, why are birds where they are? Starting

No other corvid is as deeply entwined with human culture as the raven, shown here in a totem. Kris Krüg

I recently spent several days birding and camping around Steens Mountain in Oregon. One of the terrific birds in the extensive juniper forests of

On a recent trip to Bogus Basin to escape the heat and check in on the still active mountain bird community, I was attacked by a ruffed grouse.

A yellow warbler feeds a young brown-headed cowbird that it has raised as its own. Mike Strzelecki

The olive-sided flycatcher is among bird species that can be found in forests after a fire. Ceredig Roberts

I’ve borrowed the title of this column from Geoffrey E. Hill, who wrote the book “Bird Coloration” (2010). In the chapter with this title, he dissects the many factors leading to why different species, males vs females, and young vs old birds, have the plumages they do. As usual in nature, it’s complicated.

The term “corvids” is short for the family name Corvidae, which includes the crows, jays and magpies of the world. It’s a fascinating group, full of both colorful species and those with deep cultural ties to humans. There are currently 130 recognized species, scattered across 23 genera.