Ask a question

Have a question about wildlife? Email naturalist@maineaudubon.org or stop in and speak with one of our naturalists.

Found an injured bird?

Please note: Maine Audubon does not rehabilitate injured birds or other animals. We recommend you contact excellent local organizations such as Avian Haven and Center for Wildlife.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our naturalists have answered a number of common questions over the years, so our blog archives are full of great information. Here are a few perennial favorites:

• Is it strange to see groundhogs in February?
• Is it okay to feed ducks bread?
• Are you seeing fewer birds in the summer?
• Under attack! Are woodpeckers bothering your house?
• How late in the year should we keep our feeders up to attract hummingbirds?
• It’s winter in Maine! Why do I see robins and bluebirds?
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Ask Maine Audubon
Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox answers reader questions every other week in the Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald. Here are a few of his popular columns that tackle some FAQs:

• When should I put out nesting boxes and birdhouses?
• What is up with squirrels and their nest building behavior?
• What should I do? I found a baby bird out of the nest!
• Is it ever okay to move a nest? And if so, when? (Scroll down; it’s the second question in this column…)

 
Commonly Misidentified Species
Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and behaviors, that can help identify species. Check out these useful posts:
Cold weather Sparrows: All those little brown birds; what is and isn’t a sparrow and how to tell them all apart.
Vireos: Red-eyed, Blue-headed, Philadelphia, oh my!
Diving Birds: Loons are sometimes mistaken for Mergansers, Cormorants, and even Goldeneyes
Plovers: How to tell a Killdeer from a Piping Plover and a Semi-palmated Plover.