Julia Zarankin

2 weeks ago | bluedotliving.com | Julia Zarankin

The fiery orange throat of a springtime Blackburnian warbler is a showstopper. With a black-and-white back, a dark triangular cheek patch outlined in bright orange and a light belly elegantly striped on his sides, a male Blackburnian warbler sighting in breeding plumage is always cause to celebrate. The female has a more subdued color palette and her throat is often a buttery yellow, but she has the same distinctive dark triangular patch on her cheek.

1 month ago | bluedotliving.com | Julia Zarankin

An early spring arrival from the southern U.S., the American Woodcock is a phenomenal oddity, a master camouflage artist that blends perfectly with the forest floor. Although technically a shorebird, the plump, football shaped loner prefers the forest and fields to water, and goes by several nicknames, including timberdoodle, bog sucker, night partridge, and Labrador twister.

1 month ago | bluedotliving.com | Julia Zarankin

The high-pitched song of the killdeer is one of the first signs of spring, even when the city is still snow-covered in late February and it feels like winter will never end. Named in honor of its insistent, plaintive kill-dee call, the killdeer is a curious shorebird that spends at least as much time on dry land — on lawns, fields, and even parking lots and construction sites — as it does by the water.

Dec 16, 2024 | cottagelife.com | Julia Zarankin

Some of our hardiest North American birds thrive in the coldest months of the year and brighten the skies with their colourful plumage. Bright red, yellow, orange, deep raspberry—and frankly flamboyant—winter finches are spectacular. These nomadic finches are irruptive migrants (in other words, unpredictable) and when their fuel source on their boreal wintering range is low, they venture south in search of cone and berry crops.

Dec 3, 2024 | cottagelife.com | Julia Zarankin

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more. Looking for the perfect gift for the avian enthusiast in your life? Look no further than our Holiday gift guide for bird lovers, a collection of five great ideas that go beyond the seed bells and binoculars. These are guaranteed to make the bird lover in your life flutter with happiness.