Tree swallow nests across Pennsylvania are being collected for an investigation into the patterns that the common, fast-flying, cavity-nesting birds might incorporate into their nest construction.

SAUKVILLE – Prairies are rich wildlife habitats. They are so bountiful, in fact, sometimes they even host species that evolved to breed elsewhere. For proof we need only look at two restored ...

Journal of Avian Biology, Vol. 44, No. 4 (JULY 2013), pp. 305-310 (6 pages) The nest environment can have important influences on incubation behavior and nestling development in birds. Nest thermal ...

On a murky day toward the end of February, I went with a friend on the Boy Scout Camp Trail. Rain and warm temperatures had turned the snow to unpleasant deep slush and puddles in some places. As ...

Birds are usually very choosy about where to put their nests. Some species prefer a site right next to a tree trunk where the nest is supported by small side branches, while others favor the ends of ...

Recently, I had the pleasure of going birding at Brazos Bend State Park with friends. One of our first sightings of the day was a flock of what had to be at least 500 tree swallows congregating on a ...

When going for walks in late July, much of the route is spent looking at summer wildflowers; many still in bloom while others have gone to seed. New ones are seen each day. In the woods, more moisture ...

Placement, construction, shape and material are essential nest considerations. Each species meets its own needs with its own style, developed over eons. Many bird species employ feathers in their ...

PEN New England Award–winner and naturalist Heinrich (Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death) again translates his painstaking fieldwork into a fascinating narrative. Heinrich became interested in ...

The swallows have started to gather on Plum Island and they will reach their peak by mid-August. Along the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, they feed on the bayberry on the dune side of the road, and the ...