Terry Rich

A male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) strutting at Deer Island Open Space Preserve near Novato, Marin County, California.

Twenty-five species of birds in North America have “northern” in their names. I’ve never been fond of these generic descriptors. “Western,” “southern” and “common” this or that are similarly colorless.

A lot of people engage in activities that purportedly improve mental sharpness. It’s well established that physical exercise is great for our brains. But activities you can do at the kitchen table might also help. These include crossword puzzles, Sudoku, Wordle and countless variations on these games.

An adult bald eagle sits in its nest along the Boise River with two of its young.

I recently got one of my best photos ever of a male lazuli bunting at close range. When I uploaded the images to my PC, I was struck by how

Vireos likely skate by detection by all but the most dedicated birders. They are mostly colored in dull greens and grays, with some white and a bit of yellow if you're lucky.

Woodpeckers have been stereotyped as birds that pound tree trunks in search of insects and somehow avoid getting headaches. Or we assume they do.

Birds bathe in at least one, and probably two, more things than most people do. Of course, they bathe in water. They also sunbathe, like we do. And they bathe in dust, which I hope is not on your list. And if I can stretch the definition of “bathe” just a bit, some species bathe in ants. I hope I don't have to ask about that one.

An American robin perches on a fence post. This species is the most numerous in the U.S. and Canada.

One of my favorite TikTokers is Matt Lyons, who parodies being an expert in various outdoor activities.