White-breasted Nuthatches are one of the most charismatic backyard birds. They frequently visit feeders, digging through the seeds and tossing aside undesirable selections until they find a good one. They will often take seeds away and cache them in crevices of trees to save for later. They will …
Birds
Commonly Misidentified Species: Cold Weather Sparrows
It’s not always easy to identify Maine’s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of “is it this, or is it that?” Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and …
Installing Bird Safe Windows at Gilsland Farm
Maine Audubon and our partners are continuing to spread the word about bird safe architecture through our BirdSafe Maine program. An essential part of that work involves displaying different bird safe window treatments, especially on the many windows of our Gilsland Farm headquarters in Falmouth, to …
Commonly Misidentified Species: Nuthatches
It’s not always easy to identify Maine’s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of “is it this, or is it that?” Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and …
Changes may be coming to Maine’s Endangered Species Act
The Maine Endangered Species Act, or MESA, has been instrumental in protecting imperiled species in Maine since 1975. The Act is implemented by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW), and currently provides special protection to 26 endangered and 25 threatened birds, mammals, …
Backyard Bird of the Month for October: House Sparrow
House Sparrows are a common sight in many backyards. Their constant presence and invasive designation makes them easy to overlook, but they can be an entertaining study, especially going into the fall as they change their appearance. Most of our native species need to molt (or replace) their …
Keep hummingbirds happy with native plants
Late summer is a wonderful time for observing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds foraging in the garden, and an even better time for planning fall plantings to benefit your visiting hummingbirds next summer. There are many native plants that hummingbirds utilize for food, and providing a variety of these …
Commonly Misidentified Species: Vireos
It’s not always easy to identify Maine’s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of “is it this, or is it that?” Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and …
Commonly Misidentified Species: Diving Birds
COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED SPECIES: It’s not always easy to identify Maine’s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of “is it this, or that?”. Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, …