Prothonotary Warblers should be known, in my opinion, as the field mark appropriate, easier to remember & pronounce, Golden Swamp Warbler. This is another example of obscure 18th century conceitful naming. Prothonotaries are papal clerks that wear yellow robes. Yellow being the only common characteristic & certainly not a connection known by common folks, especially […]
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Rusty Blackbirds are the Poster Birds for North America’s declining bird populations. In the last 40 years their populations have declined 75% across their range & plummeted 85-99% in some localities. This is even more rapid than their cousins in the Grasslands category of species that is leading the decline in North American bird populations. […]
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I’ve been fascinated by Loggerhead Shrikes since I first saw one. Their Butcher Bird nickname, earned by impaling their prey on barbed wire and other sharp objects, certainly contributes to the fascination. They quite literally fight above their weight using interesting behaviors & a little mechanical engineering. They use their Tomial “tooth”, a beak feature […]
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