45 posts
Watching a hummingbird can be mesmerizing. With wings that beat more than 50 times per second, hummingbirds sometimes zoom by so fast that you only hear an insect-like buzzing sound. Hummingbirds can fly at speeds exceeding 25 miles per hour, changing direction instantaneously before coming to a midair stop
June 07, 2026
Coastal ring-billed gulls often head inland and south during the winter, and some ring-billed gulls live their entire lives inland, exchanging the salty sea for rural farm fields or urban parking lots with dumpsters. Many ring-billed gulls nest inland near freshwater. Ring-billed gulls are named for
May 31, 2026
Carolina wrens nest in open cavities only a few feet off the ground and are notorious for choosing hanging plants, garage shelves, and mailboxes as nesting sites. Males will start several nests for the female to choose from and then the pair will finish building the nest together. They build
May 24, 2026
Wood ducks nest in tree holes or nest boxes near water. Unlike most ducks, wood ducks have claws for perching in trees. Once the ducklings hatch, they have to jump—often the equivalent of a 4-story building—from the nest to the ground. Male wood ducks are colorful, with
May 17, 2026
American robins typically lay three to five bright blue eggs in sturdy cup-shaped nests they’ve carefully crafted from mud, grass, moss, and twigs. The female sits on the eggs while the male brings her food and defends the nest area. The eggs hatch in about two weeks. While
May 10, 2026
Young barred owlets stay near the nest for several months and usually stay close to one another, often appearing playfully side by side. The owlets can’t fly for several weeks, but they can climb trees using their beaks and talons. In the process of moving from tree to tree,
May 03, 2026
While the female barred owl sits on the nest, the male hunts and brings her food. Barred owls typically hunt after sunset and during the night, but sometimes feed during the day, especially when they have a nesting mate or hungry owlets to feed. The forest habitat offers a broad
April 26, 2026
Barred owls are common in mixed forests with large trees in Kentucky. They nest in large tree cavities, usually about a foot wide, up to several feet deep, and about 20 to 40 feet off the ground. In the spring the female typically lays 2-3 eggs in the tree
April 19, 2026
In the spring, rose-breasted grosbeaks migrate through Kentucky, with a few breeding in eastern parts of the state. Grosbeaks, named for their large conical bills (gros means thick, or chubby in French), are among the largest birds in the finch family. Male rose-breasted grosbeaks are brightly colored with
April 12, 2026