Bird-Brained: Insult or Compliment?
By Kari Zelinskas
[from spring 2026 newsletter]
Derogatory expressions such as bird-brain, crazy as a loon, and dumb as a dodo imply birds lack intelligence or common sense. But modern research has debunked that idea…
Did You Know? Flock Names
By Kari Zelinskas
[from winter 2025 newsletter]
Did you know there are different names for the flocks of birds? You might see a blush of Robins, a charm of Finches, or a confusion of Warblers.
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.
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.