47 posts
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
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
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
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
October 05, 2025
Carolina chickadees often hang upside down to gather berries, seeds, and insects under branches. They may hide, or cache, food for times of scarcity, tucking seeds and insects under bark, or leaves, or even house shingles. Chickadees are known to modify their signature chickadee-dee-de-dee call by adding
September 28, 2025
The northern yellow-shafted flicker is a colorful feast for the eyes with bright yellow feathers under its wings and tail and a body adorned with patches of red, gray, tan and black. The northern flicker is a woodpecker but prefers to forage for ants and beetles on the ground
September 21, 2025
The pileated woodpecker is a relatively common sight in Berea. With a height of about 17 inches, the pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. You may hear their loud and rapid pecking as they excavate their favorite food, carpenter ants, from rotten wood. Once they pair up,
September 14, 2025