Handbook of Bird Biology Media Library

Companion content for the Handbook of Bird Biology

  1. Chapter 1 - Why Study Birds?

    • Ornithologist Nate Senner
      Conservation
      Birding From Birth, Now an Ornithologist
      video 3:47
    • Ornithologist Taza Schaming
      Conservation
      Becoming a Field Biologist
      video 3:54
    • Female parotia viewing a ballerina dance courtship display
      BehaviorBrains + Senses
      Multi-Cams: Revealing the Female Perspective
      video 5:22
    • Ed Scholes and Tim Laman in the field
      Conservation
      Teamwork: Discovery through Collaboration
      video 5:22
    • Green-rumped Parrotlets calling while still in their nest
      Brains + SensesSongs + Calls
      How a Parrot Learns Its Name in the Wild
      video 5:48

  2. Chapter 2 - Avian Diversity and Classification

    • Wall of Birds Mural detail
      ConservationEvolution
      Wall of Birds
      Interactive Feature
    • Evolution
      Fanciness Lost
      Interactive Feature

  3. Chapter 3 - How Birds Evolve

    • BehaviorEvolution
      A Fancy Experiment
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      How Fanciness Evolves
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      All About Fancy Males
      Interactive Feature
    • A bird becomes fancier through sexual selection
      Evolution
      Natural & Sexual Selection: An Illustrated Introduction
      video 8:29
    • Two species of birds evolve on an island
      Evolution
      Speciation: An Illustrated Introduction
      video 8:26

  4. Chapter 4 - Feathers and Plumages

    • collage of bird photos arranged to create a rainbow gradient Photo: Jeff Szuc
      AnatomyFeathers
      How Birds Make Colorful Feathers
      article
    • Feathers
      Bird Plumage Variations and Abnormalities
      article
    • Feathers
      Iridescence Revealed in the Feathers of an Anna’s Hummingbird
      clip 0:26
    • Evolution
      Fancy Males
      Interactive Feature
    • AnatomyEvolution
      Ribbon-tailed Astrapia: The Three-Foot Tail
      video 2:17
    • photo of a Club Winged Manakin
      AnatomyFeathers
      Meet a Feather Scientist
      Interactive Feature
    • Detail of a dinosaur covered in simple feathers, or dino fuzz
      EvolutionFeathers
      Feathers Through Time
      Interactive Feature
    • roseate spoonbill - flight feathers Photo: Don Bindler
      AnatomyFeathers
      What Feathers Do
      Interactive Feature
    • Bird_Biology-contour_feather_illustration_side
      AnatomyFeathers
      How Feathers Are Built
      Interactive Feature
    • Feathers
      All About Feathers
      Interactive Feature
    • Feathers
      Feather Biology Slide Collection
      download
    • Detail of blue feathers
      Feathers
      Everything You Need To Know About Feathers
      article
    • The colorful Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise
      EvolutionFeathers
      Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise: A Full Spectrum
      video 3:04
    • The iridescent throat of a Magnificent Riflebird
      EvolutionFeathers
      Magnificent Riflebird: Directional Color
      video 1:49
    • The long modified feathers on a King-of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise
      EvolutionFeathers
      King-of-Saxony: Giant Head Wires
      video 2:54
    • Iridescent feathers on a Ribbon-tailed Astrapia
      Feathers
      Iridescence: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 1:25
    • A diagram showing the transformation of the Superb Bird-of-Paradise during courtship display
      Behavior
      Superb Bird-of-Paradise: Psychedelic Smiley Face
      video 4:30
    • AnatomyFeathers
      Color: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 6:40
    • Eastern Screech-Owl hides in a tree hole
      FeathersHabitat
      Eastern Screech-Owl Camouflage
      video 1:59
    • Double-crested-Cormorant-dries-its-feathers
      Feathers
      Double-crested Cormorant Dries its Feathers
      clip 0:37
    • Common-Tern-Chicks
      Feathers
      Common Tern Chicks
      clip 0:53
    • Bumblebee-Hummingbird-Throat-Feathers
      Feathers
      Brilliant Iridescent Throat Plumes of the Bumblebee Hummingbird
      clip 0:50
    • Andean-Cock-of-the-Rock
      Feathers
      Bright Feathers of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
      clip 0:24
    • American-Woodcock-Camouflaged
      Feathers
      Camouflaged American Woodcock
      clip 0:44
    • American-Redstart-Singing
      FeathersSongs + Calls
      A Colorful Male American Redstart Sings
      clip 0:40
    • American-Bittern-Camouflage
      Feathers
      American Bittern Camouflages in the Reeds
      clip 1:13
    • BehaviorFeathers
      Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise Male-Female Plumage Differences
      clip 0:54
    • Preening-Stork-billed-Kingfisher
      BehaviorFeathers
      Preening Stork-billed Kingfisher
      clip 0:55
    • BehaviorFeathers
      Subadult Plumage of the Paradise Riflebird
      clip 1:20
    • Contour-Feathers-of-the-King-Penguin
      Feathers
      Contour Feathers of the King Penguin
      clip 1:07
    • Feathers
      Molting Indigo Bunting
      clip 0:21

  5. Chapter 5 - Avian Flight

    • Behavior
      Golden Eagle Lifting Off and Flying Through the Snow
      clip 0:58
    • Golden-Eagle-on-a-Soaring-Thermal
      Behavior
      Golden Eagle Soaring on a Thermal
      clip 1:32
    • Golden-Eagle-in-a-Hunting-Stoop
      BehaviorFood + Foraging
      Golden Eagle in a Hunting Stoop
      clip 0:41
    • Philippine Eagle in flight
      BehaviorFeathers
      Slow Motion Philippine Eagle Flight
      clip 1:12
    • Philippine Eagle Soaring
      Behavior
      Soaring Philippine Eagle
      clip 1:02
    • Philippine Eagle Landing
      Behavior
      Philippine Eagle Landing on a Branch
      clip 0:38
    • Golden Eagle Landing
      Behavior
      Golden Eagle Landing
      clip 0:29
    • Mountain Bluebird Flying Into the Wind
      Behavior
      Mountain Bluebird Flying in the Wind
      clip 0:15

  6. Chapter 6 - Avian Anatomy

    • AnatomyBehavior
      Built to Peck: How Woodpeckers Avoid Brain Injury
      video 25:00
    • Anatomy
      All About Bird Anatomy
      Interactive Feature
    • Songs + Calls
      Anatomy of Bird Song Slides
      download
    • AnatomySongs + Calls
      How Birds Sing
      Interactive Feature
    • The elongated windpipe of a Curl-crested Manucode
      AnatomySongs + Calls
      Curl-crested Manucode: Unusual Anatomy
      video 3:19
    • Yellow-billed Loon tucks its leg under a wing in cold water
      AnatomyBehavior
      How Yellow-billed Loons Survive in the Arctic
      video 3:06

  7. Chapter 7 - Bird Physiology

    • Cornell University Lab-on-a-Bird project
      AnatomyMigration
      How do You Put a Lab on a Bird?
      video 7:04

  8. Chapter 8 - Avian Food and Foraging

    • BehaviorFood + Foraging
      Boreal Owl Hunting in Daylight
      clip 1:51
    • Flamingos in Bolivia's Altiplano
      Food + Foraging
      Flamingos are Algae Vacuums, Really!
      video 6:42
    • Spoon-billed Sandpiper foraging along the shore
      BehaviorFood + Foraging
      Spoon-billed Sandpiper: Foraging
      video 3:09
    • Acorn Woodpecker stores acorns in a granary
      Food + ForagingHabitat
      Storing Food: The Granaries of Acorn Woodpeckers
      video 3:30
    • Shorebirds forage
      Food + ForagingHabitat
      Shorebird Foraging Strategies
      video 7:02
    • Bleck-necked Stilts foraging in the mud
      Food + Foraging
      Foraging and Flocking: The Black-necked Stilt
      video 2:48
    • White-winged Crossbill foraging
      EvolutionFood + Foraging
      White-winged Crossbill Foraging Adaptation
      video 2:42
    • Yellow-bellied-Sapsucker
      Food + Foraging
      Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Drilling Sap Wells
      clip 0:26
    • Dusky-Scrubfowl-foraging-with-feet
      Food + Foraging
      A Dusky Scrubfowl Foraging with Its Feet
      clip 1:17
    • Akiapolaau-Forages
      Food + Foraging
      Akiapolaau Forages for Insect Larvae
      clip 0:33
    • Cerulean-Warbler-Gleans-Foliage
      Food + Foraging
      A Female Cerulean Warbler Foraging in a Treetop
      clip 0:30
    • Wilson's-Phalaropes-feeding
      Food + Foraging
      Wilson's Phalarope Foraging
      clip 0:29
    • Diving-Ruddy-Duck
      Food + Foraging
      A Male Ruddy Duck in Nonbreeding Plumage Dives for Food
      clip 0:45
    • Roseate Spoonbills foraging
      Food + Foraging
      Roseate Spoonbills Forage
      clip 0:39
    • Purple Gallinule foraging
      Food + Foraging
      An Immature Purple Gallinule Forages for Seeds
      clip 1:32
    • Mallards foraging
      Food + Foraging
      A Couple of Mallards "Dabble" and Feed on Aquatic Vegetation
      clip 1:29
    • Gyrfalcon on the snow
      Food + Foraging
      A Gyrfalcon Hunting in the Snow, Catches a Small Rodent
      clip 0:46
    • Green Heron hunting
      Food + Foraging
      An Alert Green Heron Hunting For Fish
      clip 0:56
    • Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Eats Fruit
      Food + Foraging
      Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Eating Fruit
      clip 0:52
    • Food + Foraging
      Straight-billed Woodcreeper Breaks Down Large Insect
      clip 1:10

  9. Chapter 9 - Avian Mating and Social Behavior

    • Behavior
      Vogelkop Bowerbird Decorates His Bower With Flowers
      clip 0:52
    • Behavior
      Superb Lyrebird Might Be the Fanciest Bird in the World
      clip 1:04
    • Behavior
      Bird-of-Paradise Spreads His Feather Skirt and Dances
      clip 1:15
    • BehaviorEvolution
      A Fancy Experiment
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      Fancy Males & Choosy Females
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      Ways To Be Fancy
      Interactive Feature
    • Evolution
      Fancy Males
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorEvolution
      All About Fancy Males
      Interactive Feature
    • Greater-Sage-Grouse male with females
      BehaviorEvolution
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek: Elite Males
      video 1:59
    • Male Greater Sage-Grouse display
      AnatomyBehavior
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek: The Male Display
      video 3:07
    • Greater Sage-Grouse males fight
      Behavior
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek: It's My Turf
      video 2:05
    • Greater Sage-Grouse Lek
      Behavior
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek: The Busy Lek
      video 1:01
    • Female Greater Sage-Grouse
      BehaviorBrains + Senses
      On a Sage-Grouse Lek: Female Connoisseurs
      video 2:40
    • Sharp-tailed Grouse battle on a lek
      Behavior
      Real Angry Birds: Sharp-tailed Grouse Battle
      video 1:55
    • Ruffed Grouse with wings spread
      BehaviorSongs + Calls
      Thump!: The Ruffed Grouse Mate Attraction Display
      video 2:17
    • The Black Sicklebill transformed during courtship display
      BehaviorFeathers
      Black Sicklebill: The Thin Blue Line
      video 2:51
    • Bird-of-paradise from the genus Parotia performing a ballerina dance
      BehaviorEvolution
      Parotia: Ballerina Dance
      video 3:04
    • Territorial gulls coexist on Appledore Island in Maine
      Behavior
      Keeping the Peace: Threat Signals in Gull Colonies
      video 3:59
    • A young male Paradise Riflebird imitates an adult courtship display
      BehaviorEvolution
      Paradise Riflebird: Practice, Practice
      video 2:33
    • Dance moves of Parotia birds-of-paradise
      BehaviorEvolution
      Carola's Parotia: King of the Dance
      video 5:14
    • A diagram showing the transformation of the Superb Bird-of-Paradise during courtship display
      Behavior
      Superb Bird-of-Paradise: Psychedelic Smiley Face
      video 4:30
    • BehaviorEvolution
      Inspection & Touch: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 5:08
    • Birds-of-Paradise transform their shape
      BehaviorEvolution
      Shape Shifting: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 6:44
    • The diversity of colors in the Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise
      AnatomyFeathers
      Feathers: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 6:16
    • A pair of Spoon-billed Sandpipers courting
      Behavior
      Spoon-billed Sandpiper: Courtship
      video 3:33
    • Male Magnificent Frigatebird inflates his red throat pouch
      Behavior
      Inflatable Throat: Magnificent Frigatebird Mating Display
      video 2:42
    • Male Red-winged Blackbird spreads his wings
      Behavior
      Brilliant Flash: Red-winged Blackbird Territorial Displays
      video 3:13
    • Common Nighthawk dives creating a buzzing sound with its feathers
      BehaviorSongs + Calls
      Zoom!: The Aerial Display of the Common Nighthawk
      video 2:41
    • Banded-Kingfisher-Gives-Nuptial-Gift
      Behavior
      Banded Kingfisher Gives Nuptial Gift
      clip 1:20
    • Satin Bowerbirds at bower
      Behavior
      Female Satin Bowerbird Visiting Bower
      clip 2:19
    • Wire-tailed Manakin
      Behavior
      Wire-tailed Manakin Courtship Display
      clip 1:13
    • Behavior
      Vibrant Red House Finch
      clip 0:28

  10. Chapter 10 - Avian Vocal Behavior

    • Spectrogram of a White-throated Sparrow Song
      Biology
      Avian Vocal Behavior—Sound Visualizations
      page
    • BehaviorSongs + Calls
      Northern Mockingbird Sings Hundreds of Borrowed Songs
      clip 0:45
    • Songs + Calls
      All About Bird Song
      Interactive Feature
    • Songs + Calls
      How and Why Birds Sing
      article
    • Songs + Calls
      Anatomy of Bird Song Slides
      download
    • Songs + Calls
      Bird Song Visualized Slides
      download
    • Songs + Calls
      Bird Song Hero Game
      Interactive Feature
    • Songs + Calls
      Birds Got Swing
      Interactive Feature
    • Songs + Calls
      Practice, Perfect
      Interactive Feature
    • AnatomySongs + Calls
      How Birds Sing
      Interactive Feature
    • BehaviorSongs + Calls
      Songbirds in Action
      Interactive Feature
    • Grey Catbird singing
      BehaviorSongs + Calls
      An Expert Mimic: The Gray Catbird
      video 4:48
    • AnatomySongs + Calls
      Built to Sing: The Syrinx of the Northern Cardinal
      video 3:30
    • Decoding the language of birds
      BehaviorSongs + Calls
      The Language of Birds
      video 9:42
    • King-of-Saxony Bird-of-Paradise sings
      Songs + Calls
      King-of-Saxony: Otherworldly Calls
      video 3:52
    • EvolutionSongs + Calls
      Sound: and the Birds-of-Paradise
      video 6:09
    • American Bittern calling
      Songs + Calls
      Territorial Call of the American Bittern
      video 2:00
    • A calling Common Loon
      Songs + Calls
      I’m Here, Where Are You?: Wails of the Common Loon
      video 2:29
    • Wood-Thrush-Singing
      Songs + Calls
      Wood Thrush Singing
      clip 0:30

  11. Chapter 11 - Breeding Biology of Birds

    • BehaviorNesting
      Cliff Swallows Build Nests From Mud
      video 1:29
    • Behavior
      Black Skimmer Chicks Beg For Food With a Humorous Pose
      clip 2:11
    • BehaviorNesting
      Gentoo Penguins Build Rock Nests on the Antarctic Ground
      video 2:!4
    • A group of young Royal Terns in a colony
      BehaviorNesting
      Tern Colony: A Creche For The Young
      video 1:33
    • Dusky-Broadbill-Nest
      Nesting
      The Dusky Broadbill's Camouflaged Nest
      clip 0:40
    • Blyth's-Paradise-Flycatchers-Nest-care
      Nesting
      Blyth's Paradise-Flycatchers Alternate Nest Responsibilities
      clip 0:46
    • Bluethroat-Broods-On-Nest
      Nesting
      A Bluethroat Feeds and Broods Chicks on Its Nest
      clip 1:12
    • Acorn-Woodpecker-Feeds-Young
      Nesting
      Acorn Woodpecker Feeds Young
      clip 0:54
    • Blue-gray-Gnatcatcher-Tends-Nest
      Nesting
      A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Tends Its Nest
      clip 0:33
    • American-Robin-Builds-Nest
      Nesting
      A Female American Robin Reinforces Her Nest With Mud
      clip 0:26
    • American-Coot-Chicks
      Nesting
      American Coot Chicks
      clip 0:41
    • Wood_Thrush_Feeding_Young
      Nesting
      A Wood Thrush Returns to its Nest to Feed Young
      clip 1:23
    • Rock Ptarmigan on nest
      Nesting
      A Female Rock Ptarmigan Sits on Her Nest
      clip 0:44
    • Red-necked Grebe on nest
      Nesting
      A Red-necked Grebe Sits on Its Nest
      clip 1:01
    • Pileated Woodpecker Male and neslings
      Nesting
      A Pileated Woodpecker Feeds His Two Nestlings
      clip 0:32
    • Nesting
      Olive-backed Sunbird Removing Fecal Sac From Nest
      clip 0:47
    • Montezuma-Oropendola-nest
      Nesting
      The Montezuma Oropendola's Hanging Nest
      clip 0:32
    • King-Penguins-Incubating-Eggs-with-their-Feet
      BehaviorNesting
      King Penguins Incubating Eggs on Their Feet
      clip 0:53

  12. Chapter 12 - Avian Migration and Dispersal

    • Migration
      Birds of the Yellow Sea
      video 12:58
    • A tiny data logger for tracking birds
      ConservationMigration
      Tracking Epic Migrations: Tools of the Wildlife Biologist
      video 4:09
    • A large flock of Snow Geese
      BehaviorMigration
      Massive Noisy Flocks: Snow Goose Migration
      video 3:04
    • A Hudsonian Godwit being fitted with a tracking device
      Migration
      Chasing Hudsonian Godwits Across Continents
      video 16:09
    • Hudsonian Godwits in Flight
      Migration
      Migrating Hudsonian Godwits
      clip 0:25

  13. Chapter 13 - Ecology of Bird Populations

    • Birds flying over the Yukon Delta in Alaska
      HabitatMigration
      Birds in the Ecology of Alaska's Yukon Delta
      video 8:34
    • Birds congregate in the Mississippi River Delta
      ConservationHabitat
      Birds in the Ecology of the Mississippi River Delta
      video 10:33

  14. Chapter 14 - Bird Communities

    • ConservationFood + Foraging
      Clark's Nutcrackers and the Trees They Depend On
      video 08:28

  15. Chapter 15 - Bird Conservation

    • Coffee plants
      ConservationMigration
      Bird Research and Shade-Grown Coffee
      video 4:28
    • Conservation
      How Hunters and Artists Helped Save North America’s Waterfowl
      article
    • Conservation
      Chickadee Study Shows Climate Change Affecting Distribution
      video 2:03
    • Conservation biologist Marita Davison
      Conservation
      Protecting Flamingos in the Andes
      video 5:44
    • Conservation
      Seabird Success Story
      video 6:10
    • A map of the Mississippi River watershed
      Conservation
      Restoring America's Delta
      video 5:59
    • Yula Kapetenakos studies endangered Asian Vulture populations
      Conservation
      Yula Kapetanakos: Asian Vulture Study