by Bridger Donaldson Anyone who spends time birdwatching in high or low elevations of coniferous forests in the Western United States and Canada are likely to see the bold and inquisitive Steller’s Jay. They do well in forests disturbed by humans, such as thinned areas and campgrounds. Maybe you have heard the Steller’s Jay as…
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by Darcy Thomas “There’s an Osprey” I pointed out to my sister as our kayaks sliced through the serene waters of Smith Lake. We stopped paddling and watched as this beautiful raptor circled the shallow waters of the lake scanning for fish beneath the surface. Ospreys have incredible vision. Visual adaptations that allow them to…
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by Nora Kehoe Sitting on the shore of Lower McDonald Creek, sun beating on our faces, and a cool breeze blowing off the fast-running water, I see movement in the rapids. A dark head with a signifying white dot on its face appears. I immediately radio, “Lancaster 181, I think I see one.” Prior to…
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Hardly a Life of Royalty by Karen Nichols Golden-crowned Kinglets are a mystery and a marvel of wintertime survival in the north woods. These grey and olive birds weigh only the mass of two pennies — just bigger than a Rufous Hummingbird. This species is Montana’s smallest permanent resident passerine and it eats insects all…
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by Kat Petersen Their iconic black glistening feathers, generalist beak, and recognizable “caw” makes them easily identifiable to even non-birders: The American Crow. Crows are one of the most common and widespread genus of birds in the world. On a recent trip to Thailand, I was awoken with the familiar call of a crow who…
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by Theresa Ciraolo The Common Merganser, as the name implies, is a common bird. However, their status as common is not a downfall for these adaptive, beautiful animals. In fact, since they are frequently spotted in the Flathead Valley, the Common Merganser was the first bird I encountered in Glacier National Park. I had just…
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by Sneed B. Collard III Scientific Name Picus is Latin for woodpecker, from a legend in which the enchantress Circe turned Picus, the son of Saturn, into a woodpecker; -oides is Greek for “resembling,” so Picoides means “woodpecker-like”. The word arcticusis Latin for northern or arctic. At first glance the newly burned forest looked devoid…
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a little upside-down bird by Darcy Thomas Once called the Canada Nuthatch, the Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis is a common bird throughout North America. The name nuthatch is likely from the word “nuthack”, referring to the nuthatches habit of hacking away at a seed with its bill to open it. For such a tiny bird…
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by Darcy Thomas Sometimes a common bird is so startling it captures our imagination and washes us with a feeling of such pure delight when we take time to observe their beauty and special behavior. One such bird for me is the American Redstart. American Redstarts Setophaga ruticilla are small, lively wood warblers who are…
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