Arguably the most beautiful bird species in the world, resplendent quetzals are found only from extreme southern Mexico to extreme northern Panama. They are birds of the cloud forest, dependent on fruit-bearing trees, especially those in the Lauraceae family, including the wild avocado. The IUCN considers resplendent quetzal as near threatened on its Red List,… Read more »
New River Birding Festival: Repeat Befrienders
Every spring I make the trek to south-central West Virginia to help out guiding, speaking, and performing at the New River Birding and Nature Festival. If you’re a birder who uses social media or reads blogs or birding magazines, you’ve probably heard of “New River.” It’s a small festival—only about 100 attendees total—that doesn’t want… Read more »
What Will Be Your First Bird of the New Year?
My family plays a game every New Year’s Day where we ensure that our first bird of the year is a “good” one. It involves a blindfold. Before you become alarmed, let me do some ‘splainin’. This started back in the early days of Bird Watcher’s Digest (then published in our house on Warren Street… Read more »