Q&A: Feeding Bread

June 2, 2025

Articles, Birds

[from summer 2025 newsletter]

Question: Is it OK to feed bread to birds?

Answer: No! Please help us spread the word that birds should not be fed bread, popcorn, crackers, chips, cereal, and most processed foods. Bread leads to malnutrition, and stale bread with mold can cause illness. Feeding bread to waterfowl like ducks and geese can cause a condition called angel wing, where wings twist and deform because a diet of bread causes feathers to grow faster than bone structure, making them unable to fly. Uneaten bread left on the ground or floating in rivers and ponds can also be problematic for the ecosystem.

Jun 5, 2025

Birds, Events

“More Birding” Update

By Mary Leigh

Below are highlights from recent outings:

Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area
A group of 7, led by Bob Walton, went to Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday morning, 6/3/25. Trumpeter Swan including 6 young were a highlight.

Feb 10, 2025

Articles, Birds

Q&A: Gravel Roads in Wintertime

By Tony Moline
[from spring 2025 newsletter]

Question: Why do birds flock to gravel roads in the wintertime? Answer: Because they have no teeth! Instead, birds have a gizzard, a muscular part of their stomach that helps them grind up food. Small rocks and sand (or grit) are ingested by birds to create “teeth” in the gizzard.

Jan 31, 2025

Articles, Bird Counts, Christmas Bird Count

2024 Christmas Bird Count Follow-up Interview

Sharing Link to Science Friday Interview

With 2024 being the 125th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count, Science Friday did an interview in early January titled "What Scientists Have Learned from 125 Years of Bird Counts."

Jan 10, 2025

Articles, News

Q&A: Birdfeeders & Avian Influenza

Question: Should I be taking down my birdfeeders to avoid spreading avian influenza?
Answer: No. At this point, the increase is in waterfowl. Since early December, Iowa has seen a sharp jump in affected waterfowl, mostly north of Interstate 80.

Dec 30, 2024

Articles, Birds

Starling Murmuration

By Marty Corfman
Dubuque Audubon Society President

I will never stop being awed by this phenomenon, called a murmuration, when birds fly in synchronized patterns. This time of year, these formations can be seen most often toward dusk, when birds are looking for a roosting site, but they can be seen throughout the day as well.

Dec 12, 2024

Articles, Birds

Q&A: American Robins

By Mary Leigh
[from winter 2024 newsletter]

Question: Do American Robins remain in the Midwest all winter?
Answer: Yes! Although American Robins are regarded as a sign of spring in the Midwest, they are here year-round.

Dec 12, 2024

Articles

2024 eBird Taxonomy Update

By Mary Leigh
[from winter 2024 newsletter]

I noticed recently that my eBird life list bird count increased by 1 when I hadn’t added any new species. The explanation was the annual taxonomy update! Every year, based on new insights by ornithologists, species are split, lumped, and renamed.

Oct 12, 2024

Articles, Birds

Magic – Chimney Swifts

By Marty Corfman
[from fall 2024 newsletter]

My husband and I were driving past Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque at dusk, and I heard and saw many swifts hunting insects in the sky. I said, “Pull over, honey! This is gonna be cool!”

Oct 12, 2024

Articles

Birding Ethics

By Bob Walton
[from fall 2024 newsletter]

All sports have rules to follow, and birding should be no different. It is important that the welfare of all our birds be respected, resulting in little or no disturbance to the birds. The American Birding Association (ABA) has developed a Code of Birding Ethics that promotes respectful, enjoyable, and thoughtful birding.