Cornell Lab of Ornithology

09/23/2026

Join us for a free webinar with photographer and author Dudley Edmondson. Dudley has been landscaping for birds for decades. He has created a biodiverse space around his home that is a magnet for regional birds as well as a favorite stopover for migrants along the Great Lakes. As a professional author and photographer he will inspire us with his incredible imagery while sharing stories of his favorite visitors. RSVP here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kYJPZOq9SIeaXXwMDi_ORg #/registration

All attendees will get a copy of the recording after the event.

09/22/2026

QUIZ ANSWER: This week’s quiz bird is unlike any other species in North America. It’s a notoriously difficult species to see, but on the rare occasion when it pops out into the open, the large head, extremely long tail, stubby bill, pale eye, and grayish-brown upperparts identify it as a WRENTIT. Despite its name, this species does not belong to the wren family (Troglodytidae) or the tit/chickadee family (Paridae). In fact, its relationship to other bird species has long confounded ornithologists. It’s long been clear that Wrentit is not closely related to any other North American birds, and it has at times been placed in the babbler family (Timaliidae), the Old World Warbler family (Sylviidae), and its own family (Chamaeidae). Recent genetic analyses now place Wrentit in the parrotbill family (Paradoxornithidae), a group that otherwise occurs only in southern and eastern Asia. To learn more about the enigmatic Wrentit visit All About Birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wrentit/ Thanks to Quinn Diaz for sharing this photo with eBird and the Macaulay Library archive.

09/22/2026

BIRD QUIZ: Here is a bird photographed in California in early September. Do you know what species it is? Leave your answer in Comments and we'll post ours at the end of the day. Thanks to Quinn Diaz for sharing this photo with eBird and the Macaulay Library archive.

09/21/2026

Ever wonder why birds migrate? Kevin McGowen, Bird Academy's Senior Course Developer and Instructor, breaks it down in this short video.

What other questions do you have about migration? Watch the full session with Kevin to learn more about what triggers migration, how birds navigate, and what hazards they face: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/live-event/ask-an-ornithologist-mysteries-of-migration/

09/20/2026

Upcoming Course Alert!📣✨From eagles to falcons, vultures to kites to buzzards and beyond, raptors have some of the most effective hunting and scavenging adaptations in the bird world. They're powerful symbols, important ecological helpers, and truly cool birds! Take a closer look with our newest online course, The Wonderful World of Raptors: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/the-wonderful-world-of-raptors/

Pick up the course before it releases and be among the first to embark on this exciting virtual journey, at a special "early-bird" price!

09/19/2026

Scroll break! Stop for a few moments and get lost in this murmuration of Metallic Starlings in Queensland, Australia.

09/18/2026

From the fastest dive to the largest wingspan, meet some of the exceptional raptors from around the world! 🦅

Get a sneak peek at some of the species featured in our upcoming Wonderful World of Raptors course with this free poster, illustrated by Joel Popp.

Download and print your free copy at the link below:

Do you know the largest raptor? What about the smallest? Explore fun raptor facts from around the world in this free, downloadable poster.

09/15/2026

QUIZ ANSWER: Fall migration is in full swing right now, with millions of warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and other songbirds migrating south from Canada and Alaska to warmer climes. At first glance, this small, yellow-and-gray songbird looks like it could be one of the "confusing fall warblers" that flood the treetops during fall migration. But a closer look shows a stocky songbird with a thick, stubby bill—a better fit for a vireo than a warbler. Nova Scotia regularly hosts four vireo species in September: Blue-headed, Philadelphia, Eastern Warbling, and Red-eyed. Blue-headed Vireo has a prominent white “spectacle” around the eye, a white throat, and two white wingbars. Red-eyed Vireo has white underparts; a long, clearly hooked bill; and a bold pattern of crisp, alternating black-white-black stripes on the face. Philadelphia and Eastern Warbling Vireo are very similar in size and shape, but Eastern Warbling is generally less colorful and specifically lacks yellow on the throat and central breast. In addition to its bright yellow throat and breast, this mystery bird has a clear black lore between the bill and eye—another helpful field mark in identifying it as a PHILADELPHIA VIREO. To learn more visit All About Birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Philadelphia_Vireo Thanks to Heather Michaud for sharing this photo with eBird and the Macaulay Library archive.

09/15/2026

BIRD QUIZ: Here is a bird photographed in Nova Scotia in early September. Do you know what species it is? Leave your answer in Comments and we'll post ours at the end of the day. Thanks to Heather Michaud for sharing this photo with eBird and the Macaulay Library archive.

09/14/2026

Oh the magic of hummingbirds, it never fades! We sent award-winning filmmakers Tim and Russell Laman out to capture up-close looks of 4 groups of birds for the newest set of videos for Wild Birds Revealed. Over the next few months we’ll be premiering each video. Check out this first video that slows down and zooms into the lives of Costa’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds.

These frenetic and almost impossibly small birds are hard to really see with a naked eye or even with binoculars. But Tim and Russell are able to bring us in closer, revealing incredible views and a better understanding of the seemingly chaotic nature of their lives.

Click the to see the full video and learn more about hummingbirds: https://bit.ly/4yjmLCu

Thanks to OM System for making this video possible.