News Blog

Downy Woodpecker

Birds On Alert

Why Feeder Birds ‘Freeze’ or Scatter. Danger can lurk in the backyard, and birds are always on the alert for signals that put them on the defensive.

House Finches

Finches Spread Like Wildfire

Their beautiful, year-round song led to their appeal as caged birds, but they’ve emerged as the ultimate survivors.

December 2011/January 2012

Birding Areas of the Falkland Islands, with Michael Prokosch, retired research chemist, 3M – December 8, 2011 | Wild Turkeys in the Twin Cities, with Karl Tinsley, U of Minnesota, Conservation Biology Program, PhD Candidate – January 12, 2012 | Forming a New SPAS Speakers’ Bureau | 2011 Annual Fund Drive | Annual MOU Paper Session – Saturday, December 3 | St. Paul Christmas Bird Count – Saturday, December 17 | Great Backyard Bird Count – February 17-20, 2012 | Autumn Reports – Chimney Swift counts and Prairie reclamation | Book Review – 12 Owls by Laura Erickson

black-capped chickadee

Perky and popular

Would chickadees be on most people’s “favorite bird” lists if they were half as bouncy and endearing?

October/November 2011

Are Minnesota Moose Another Victim of Climate Change?, With Mark S. Lenarz, Research Biologist, Minnesota DNR – October 13, 2011 | Purple Martins in Minnesota: bring back our backyard Friends, With Kelly Applegate, Wildlife Biologist and Director, Purple Martin Working Group – November 10, 2011 | The Great Audubon “Fall Classic” Get-together – Saturday, November 12 | Hawks in the Galapagos – Friday, October 21 | Help Restore Two Sites – October 8 and 15

Brown thrasher

The Miracle Called Migration

Most of our summertime birds will soon be gone, winging their way southward in an awe-inspiring annual ritual.

American goldfinches

“Dog days” are prime time for birds

Late summer is a time for birds to kick back a bit and catch their breath before it’s time to start preparing for winter.

August/September 2011

Join Tara Harris, Director of Conservation at the Minnesota Zoo, on Thursday, September 8th for her presentation on Namibia’s critically endangered black rhino and the vulnerable Hartmann’s mountain zebra | Audubon Minnesota’s third Annual Chimney Swift Sit | A Note from Our New President | Monthly Morning Walks | Spoonbilled Sandpiper in Danger

catbird feeding chipping sparrow

Feathery Foster Care

Some bird behavior is driven by instinct, some is learned through experience, and some just seems plain quirky.