Sometimes I like to nerd out on a specific bird. The challenge is to learn something new, and I always do. Today's focus is the red-winged blackbird, a perfectly named harbinger of spring in northern ...

It’s technically still winter, but spring is already on the move. The song of the red-winged blackbird has long been associated with the start of the season. And those long-awaited “conk-la-lee” ...

As we count every extra minute of sunlight during these transitional months, one Michigander is already singing from the treetops that spring has returned. But don’t get too close. They’re known to ...

Along with the vernal equinox (the first day of spring) on March 20, signs of this new season become more likely. Indeed, late March is the time when we see the first dandelion and crocus in bloom.

From the marshy "squall" of red-winged blackbirds to the bright white stripe of the bobolink among the tall grass, the return of certain birds from their fall migration back to their breeding habitat ...

We go on a lot of walks these days as we work to socialize the wild puppy. Legacy Park, which has enough winding and intersecting paths that it's easy to take a different route each time, and plenty ...

If you're a predator that eats baby birds -- say, an American crow -- eavesdropping on the begging calls of nestlings can be an easy way to find your next meal. Few studies have investigated whether ...

Cold, cruel and unrelenting, February has come and gone. The skating rink that covered our walkway has finally been chipped away. Persephone, the goddess of spring is waiting in the wings, amusing ...

An old, familiar sound jolted me out of a sleepy stupor last Saturday morning. It took a moment to register, but the song was undeniable: conk-la-ree! The first red-winged blackbird of 2022 returns!