Backyard Bird Watching

Charles Schulz never gave Woodstock a species. See which real yellow bird matches Snoopy’s friend best, and how to spot one in your yard.

Blue jays pair for life, so what happens when one dies? What the survivor does, when it re-pairs, and what the “jay funeral” study really found.

White pigeons symbolize peace and hope, but the bird in your yard is likely a lost domestic pigeon. Learn the meaning, the species, and what to do.

State-by-state table of when hummingbirds leave in fall, which species you’ll see, and the date to take your feeder down (two weeks after the last bird).

A gray bird with a red head is usually a male house finch, but it could be a red-bellied woodpecker, pyrrhuloxia, redpoll or even a sandhill crane. How to tell.

Towhees, red-headed woodpeckers, grosbeaks, magpies, lark buntings and more. How to identify a black bird with white on its wings, plus what leucism looks like.

Hawks don’t hunt people. The only real encounters are spring nest defense. What’s actually risky for pets and chickens, and how to stay safe near a nest.

A bird with its mouth open is usually panting to cool off. It can also be begging, threatening, catching its breath or, in cool weather, sick. How to tell.

Robins, bluebirds, catbirds and more lay blue eggs. How to tell them apart by shade, speckles, size and nest, why eggs are blue, and what to do if you find one.

Are pigeons dirty? The birds are cleaner than their reputation. The real risk is built-up droppings. What’s true, how to clean up safely, and how to keep pigeons off feeders.