DEPE Links

02/27/2026

The bird in the image is a *Violet-backed Starling* (male), also known as the _Cinnyricinus leucogaster_. It has a striking purple upper body and white belly.

02/26/2026

Desert Hunter of Nevada | American Kestrel 🌄🦅

02/26/2026

The bird in the image is a *black-crowned waxbill* (_Estrilda nonnula_), also commonly called a black‑crowned sparrow‑weave or simply waxbill.

02/26/2026

Goldfinch aerial duel.

02/26/2026

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is one of the most recognizable birds in the world and serves as the national symbol of the United States. Despite its name, the bird is not actually bald—the word “bald” comes from an old English term meaning white-headed. Adult bald eagles are easily identified by their striking white head and tail, dark brown body, and powerful yellow beak and talons. These birds can have wingspans reaching over 7 feet (about 2.1 meters), making them among the largest birds of prey in North America.

Bald eagles are expert hunters and are especially known for their fishing skills. They typically live near large bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and coastal regions where fish are abundant. Using their sharp eyesight—estimated to be several times stronger than human vision—they can spot prey from high in the sky before swooping down at impressive speeds to grab fish with their curved talons. Although skilled hunters, bald eagles are also opportunistic and will sometimes steal food from other birds or feed on carrion.

These birds build some of the largest nests of any bird species. A bald eagle’s nest, called an eyrie, is usually placed high in tall trees or on cliffs and can grow larger each year as the pair adds new material. Some nests have been recorded at over 9 feet wide and weighing more than a ton. Bald eagles often mate for life, returning to the same nesting area year after year to raise one to three chicks.

The bald eagle’s story is also an important conservation success. By the mid-20th century, populations had drastically declined due to habitat loss, hunting, and especially the pesticide DDT, which weakened eggshells. After strong environmental protections, including the banning of DDT and protection under conservation laws, bald eagle numbers rebounded dramatically. In 2007, the species was officially removed from the U.S. endangered species list, becoming one of the most celebrated wildlife recovery stories in history.

Today, bald eagles can be found across much of North America, from Alaska and Canada to parts of the continental United States and northern Mexico. Seeing one in the wild is often considered a special experience because of its size, grace, and symbolic importance. Their recovery reminds people that conservation efforts can successfully protect wildlife when communities and governments work together.

02/26/2026

The bird in the image is a *Glistening-green Tanager* (_Chlorochrysa phoenicotis_), a bright green passerine with black wing patches native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

High in the cool, windswept mountains of Central America, this charcoal-and-silver wanderer flickers through stunted shrubs and páramo grass. It feeds on seeds, berries, and small insects, moving in tight, lively groups across misty ridgelines. What makes it extraordinary is its bright signal of gold — vivid yellow thighs flashing in flight against cloud-draped slopes. Living where air thins and weather shifts without warning, it helps disperse hardy alpine plants across fragile highland ecosystems. A spark of yellow in the mountain hush, yet a resilient keeper of the heights.

Yellow-thighed Finch 👇

02/26/2026

The bird in the image is a *Red Avadavat* ( _Amandava amandava_), also commonly called the *red munia*.

02/26/2026

The bird in the image is a *Black-billed Shrike-tyrant* (_Agriornis montanus_), also commonly referred to as a black-and-white shrike-tyrant.