The Pine Siskin is a unique finch with a unique name, at least in North America; the name originates from Eurasia where there are many siskin species. Though probably onomatopoeic to some degree (they make many metallic noises in their chattering songs that are close to “sisk”), the name came to …
Birds
Numbers are in for Maine Audubon’s 40th Annual Loon Count
(Above photo: This striking photo was taken by Elizabeth Payne, an annual loon counter; used by permission) And just like that we have 40 years of loon count data for the state of Maine! On July 15, 1503 volunteer loon counters headed out to 374 lakes to gather important data, allowing Maine …
Backyard bird of the month for December: American Robin
The American Robin, or kwikweskas in Abenaki, is one of the most widespread and beloved backyard birds in North America. They are often easiest to locate by their sputtering calls, from which their onomatopoeic Abenaki name is derived. While these large, charismatic songbirds are heralded as a sign …
Let’s go birding this winter — virtually
This winter, join us virtually to improve your birding from the comfort of home, with Virtual Birding, a free online program taking place every other Monday evening, December through February. Through the magic of live-streamed bird feeder cameras, I will guide viewings of birds in Maine and …
BirdSafe Maine – Fall 2023 Season Summary
October 31 was the final morning for our Fall 2023 BirdSafe Maine route in Portland. It marked the end of another successful season, but in that somber way that these seasons are "successful": we once again proved that migratory birds are dying against glass windows in Portland and around the …
Summer Summary: Record breeding plover pairs but lower fledgling numbers
Another summer, another record-breaking year: For the sixth consecutive season, in 2023 we saw a record high number of breeding pairs of Piping Plovers on Maine beaches. Maine was home to 157 breeding pairs this nesting season, with some pairs nesting in places never before occupied or that had been …
Singing in the Rain with the Maine Loon Restoration Project
One of Maine Audubon’s most visible projects is the Annual Loon Count, where more than 1500 volunteers go out, on the third Saturday in July, to count loons and give us a snapshot of the loon population. But we’ve also got a major project aimed at increasing loon nesting success and survival, called …
From the Interns: Spending a Summer with the Piping Plovers
The Coastal Birds project hires seasonal biologists, technicians, and interns every summer to help with Piping Plover and Least Tern conservation on the beaches from York to Georgetown. Every summer, we are fortunate to have energetic students who are willing to do whatever it takes! Here, they …
Where are the birds?!? (post Hurricane Lee Edition)
It is that time of the year again, when a combination of factors can cause a decreased detection of birds, especially at bird feeders. Some years this is more noticeable than others, and based on the number of phone calls and messages we've been getting recently, there are a lot of people asking …