32 posts
House finches have been becoming more prevalent in Kentucky in the past several decades after a few were brought from the southwestern United States and released on Long Island, New York in 1940. They quickly spread to all of the eastern states. Males look similar to purple finches but are
December 14, 2025
A male purple finch, in the words of naturalist Roger Tory Peterson, is a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” While found in Kentucky, purple finches have become less common over the past decades as the population of house finches (next week’s feature) has grown. The National Audubon Society’s
December 07, 2025
As winter approaches, the tufted titmouse harvests the last berries of the season and transitions from a summer diet of primarily insects to a winter diet of primarily seeds. Common visitors to backyard birdfeeders, tufted titmice prefer sunflower seeds. They tend to choose one large seed and fly to a
November 30, 2025
Male mallards sport a variety of colors, most notably iridescent green heads. While the mottled brown female mallard is not as colorful, she does typically get the loudest say in the relationship, as quacking is the purview of the female mallards while male mallards make quieter rasping or rattling sounds
November 23, 2025
Unlike many birds that leave the area in the winter, the dark-eyed junco returns to Kentucky in October and November to spend the winter. This sparrow is one of the most common birds in North America. You are likely to see small groups of them foraging for seeds on the
November 16, 2025
Smaller than a chickadee, the energetic ruby-crowned kinglet is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. These birds earned their name because the males have a tiny patch of red feathers toward the back of their large heads. These feathers fan up when males are excited. If you are
November 09, 2025
The barred owl asks the question with its call
October 19, 2025
Great blue herons frequent creeks and marshes all around Berea and are typically year-round residents. With a wingspan of more than 6 feet, and sometimes reaching a standing height of nearly 5 feet, great blue herons are the largest herons in North America. They can hunt during the day or
October 12, 2025
Brown-headed cowbirds were so named because they follow herds of grazing animals, such as buffalo and later cows, eating the insects disturbed by the herd. But today cowbirds are best known for being “brood parasites.” They don’t build nests. Instead, they lay eggs—often dozens of eggs in a
October 05, 2025