Winter Birds of Iowa (December, January, February) When winter settles solidly into Iowa, there are good birds to be seen even from the comfort of home. Black-capped chickadees congregate at well-stocked backyard bird feeders. White-breasted nuthatches arrive one at a time. From a window overlooking the feeders, a person can see birds up close that […]
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Fall Birds of Iowa (September, October, November) There are more birds in North America in fall than any other time of the year. Because the populations have swelled with the young hatched in nesting season, fall is the best time to see huge flocks of shorebirds, waterfowl, chimney swifts, swallows, and blackbirds. In several ways
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Summer Birds of Iowa (June, July, August) By the time summer officially begins in the third week of June, migration is over. The dawn chorus has faded. Territories have been won and defended against challengers, and most birds no longer find it necessary to make dramatic displays. Birds are still all around, breeding and nesting,
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Spring Birds of Iowa (March, April, May) At dusk on a March evening, go out to a weedy field with brushy woods nearby, and listen. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a nasal, resonant peent. Shine a flashlight in the direction of the sound, and you may spot an odd-looking, plump bird with an impossibly long
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