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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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Ten Turkey Facts to Gobble Up This Thanksgiving

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Tiny Backpacks Reveal the Secret, Sometimes Circuitous Migrations of Small Songbirds

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Museum Specimens Help Solve a Century-Old Mystery in Hawaiian Bird Evolution

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Practical Tips for Anyone Currently Raising Nine Flamingo Chicks at the Same Time

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Eight Fascinating Facts About the Whooping Crane, the Tallest Bird in North America

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The Hidden Architecture Behind a Wildlife-Friendly Garden at the Zoo

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Why Do Shorebirds Stand on One Leg?

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The Love Lives of Ducks Make for Great Drama

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How Do Birds Handle the Heat?

A male Guam kingfisher bird wearing a transmitter on its back is held gently in an animal keeper's gloved hand

Scientists Are Using 3-D-Printing Technology to Ready Guam Kingfishers for Reintroduction to the Wild

Horned lark chicks camouflaged in their nest on the ground in the Northern Great Plains

A Rare Look Inside the Nests of Declining Prairie Songbirds

Long-billed curlew in flight

GPS Tracking Technology Allows Scientists to Fly With Curlews on Their Epic Migrations

In the eastern part of North America, purple martins rarely use natural nest cavities. Instead, they rely on artificial “condominiums” and groups of plastic gourds hung by bird enthusiasts.

Purple Martin ‘Landlords’ Manage a Different Kind of Tenant

Bald eagles are native to the United States, but caring for them is a unique and rare opportunity. Every bald eagle in human care, including Annie pictured here, is a rescue.

Meet Rescued Bald Eagles Tioga and Annie

Caribbean flamingos

10 Things You Didn't Know About Flamingos

In late April, scientists and the public noticed a surprising number of birds in the mid-Atlantic region were exhibiting strange symptoms, often sick or dying. Smithsonian scientists need your help to figure out why.

Mysterious Bird Deaths in the Mid-Atlantic Region

The coast on the island of Curaçao

Connecting Ocean Conservation from Sea to Sky

A 17-year Brood X cicada.

Will 17-year Cicadas Be a Buffet or Big Disturbance for Birds?

Common yellowthroats, like the one pictured here, spend their winters in coffee growing regions in Latin America.

Birders Want You to Rethink Your Morning Roast

A female ruby-throated hummingbird sips nectar from a flower.

How Do You Weigh a Hummingbird?

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