Why Do Birds Fall in Love?

Bickering Hummingbirds and Devoted Albatrosses Can Teach Us a Thing or Two About Courtship and Commitment

On Valentine’s Day, our thoughts inevitably turn to the birds and the bees. And as someone who studies birds, I can tell you our feathered friends have much to teach us about courtship and sanity.

Take hummingbirds, for example: If you know anything about them, you might think it would be a pretty cool existence.

Hummingbirds are the only birds in the world that can fly backward. They’re the fighter jets of the bird world. But have you ever watched hummingbirds fight with each other? They’re vicious.

At my home in Oregon, my …

The Bowerbird

He builds a sitting room:
a roof of twigs, a carpet
of purple flowers.
On the floor, fruit shines
and stones make it proper.

Women come by when they feel …

Good Migrations

When the Geese Fly South, the Sacramento National Wildlife Sanctuary Is the Place to Be

“I’ll probably be gone all night,” announced Wally, opening the closet door and reaching for his uniform coat. “Hiller’s been getting reports of late-night duck shooting east of the refuge.”

It …

Now You See What I See (And I’m A Bird)

The Stunning Photographs of EarthFlight

 

For humans, one of the most dependable sights of early spring is a flock of birds migrating north for the summer. But what do the birds see? In the BBC …