Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

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

It can take hours to find the well-hidden nests of migratory birds on the Northern Great Plains

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?

A sanderling, Aldrin, is one of the shorebirds being cared for by the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Bird House team.

Is the Secret to Saving Migratory Birds in the Meal Prep?

Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail and a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared.

Meet Tasi, a Little Bird with a Big Purpose

The Peruvian tern's desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what our research team set out to do. It would take us four months to survey more than 1,851 acres for the bird, battling sandstorms, stifling heat and impossible landscapes inside Paracas National Reserve — terrain that the tern has mastered.

Searching for the Invisible, Invincible Peruvian Tern

A 28-day-old female Guam kingfisher chick at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Raising One of the World's Rarest Birds

A 41-day-old Guam kingfisher chick at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. With fewer than 140 Guam kingfishers left in the world, all living in human care, every chick is precious.

Growing Up Guam Kingfisher

Animu and Giha’s male Guam kingfisher chick at 23 days old.

Winging It: A Parenting Test for Guam Kingfishers

One of the common species Bird House keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo are working to better understand is the wood thrush — the official bird of Washington, D.C.

Continuing the Legacy of Bird Conservation

Head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Scott Sillett.

Birds Connect Our World

Female Guam kingfisher Giha at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Guam kingfishers are extinct in the wild, but scientists are working to change that by breeding the species for release in the near future.

Some Egg-citing News and a Few Love Bites

A female Guam kingfisher at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2012.

Guam Kingfishers: A Truly Rare Breed

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A Rare Look Inside the Nests of Declining Prairie Songbirds

A Day in the Life of a Conservation Biologist in Search of a Rare Songbird’s Nest

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