The Institute for Bird Populations
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instbirdpop.bsky.social
The Institute for Bird Populations
@instbirdpop.bsky.social
5.1K followers 690 following 1.3K posts
Since 1989, The Institute for Bird Populations has enabled science-based conservation of species and habitats by studying the abundance, demography, and ecology of birds and other wildlife.
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Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
tinylongwing.bsky.social
Little 1-hr Resplendent Quetzal portrait sketch, off @kulindadromeus.bsky.social 's dinosaur prompt list #DrawDinosDaily (link to list in reply)

Phew yay I will finally have time to do some of these!

🎨🪶 #BirdArt #SciArt
Digital portrait sketch of a male Resplendent Quetzal. He has a bright yellow beak, big black eye, and then a big fluffy spiky green and turquoise crest and beard of feathers in all directions around his head. On the breast, the colors turn toward blue, with a small patch of red near the wrist of the wing.
February 9, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
foxfeather.bsky.social
If a door gets left open here for any length of time it summons the elusive but impressive garage peacock.
A pied peacock fanning its tail, standing centee inside the dark of an open garage door.
February 9, 2026 at 8:07 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 The answer to this week's #BitOBird quiz is....Tufted Titmouse! Congrats to our winners
Gene Moseby and Dr. Dinnertime who tied! Don't worry if you missed it this week, we'll post another quiz next Monday at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT.
Photo of a Tufted Titmouse at a feeder by Rob Kleine
February 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
Here's the clue for this week's #BitOBird game! Can you ID this bird from just this little bit? (Note: we stick to North American birds, if not we’ll tell you.) 1st to reply w/ the correct answer gets bird nerd bragging rights. If you're stumped, we'll post the answer in 2 hrs 🪶
The clue for the #BitOBird game: a close-up photo of a portion of a bird.
February 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🦉🏈 Have fun watching the Superb Owl!
Graphic with a photo of an Osprey by Andy Morffew with a graphic of a football in it's talons added. A smaller Burrowing Owl graphic with a football helmet on, musical notes and "Ba Da Ba, Ba Da Ba. Ba Da Ba, Ba Da Ba! BAA BAA Da DAAAH!" (NFL theme music). Text on the graphic says "Hope you have fun watching the Superb Owl! Sorry to our friends who are fans of the Patriots-but we're always going to root for the birds!"
February 8, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
oregonzoo.bsky.social
Egg-cellent news! The first California condor eggs of the season have been laid at our wildlife conservation center, and more could be on the way.
February 6, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
aba.org
If you can, be nice to yourself and go birding this weekend.
February 6, 2026 at 5:38 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 Enjoy your snacks and have a great weekend!
Photo by Sandy/Chuck Harris on Flickr of a female Hooded Oriole with orange pollen on her face.
February 6, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
langurlover.bsky.social
🪶
Ancient bird routes mapped via plant diversity
It's not what they intended to do or expected to find. They're not even all that interested in birds. When Andre Naranjo and his colleagues began work on a new study published in the Botanical Journal...
phys.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:10 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶
Photo of a Bohemian Waxwing flying with a berry in its mouth by Sunny on Flickr. Text on the graphic says: Unsolicited Bird Fact- Bohemian Waxwings live up to their name. These fruit-loving birds go Unsolicited Bird Fact wherever the serviceberries, crabapples, mulberries, etc. are abundant. They travel in large flocks and do not defend territories during the breeding season. Bohemian Waxwings have a variety of vocalizations, but since some ornithologists distinguish songs from calls by song's function in territoriality, they argue that Bohemian Waxwings don't have a song. Thankfully Freddie Mercury wrote one for them. (We're kidding but it's fun to think of the waxwings singing it.)
February 6, 2026 at 1:41 AM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶Register for the A Wolfe-Ryder-Pyle (WRP) Workshop: practical applications for your banding data presented by IBP's MAPS Coordinator, Danielle Kaschube, on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada). Important registration info in thread (1/3)
Photo of a bird bander extending a bird's wing to examine feather age.
February 5, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
rabihalameddine.bsky.social
Charley Harper, "Darwin's Finches", from "The Giant Golden Book of Biology", 1961
January 20, 2026 at 2:57 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 With help from from @tracyaviary.bsky.social and @longpointbirds.bsky.social we revived the MoSI International Internship this past fall.
February 4, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
tinylongwing.bsky.social
This little Black-throated Blue Warbler isn't gonna get used for her original intended purpose so here she is for Warbler Wednesday! 🎨🪶 #BirdArt #SciArt
Rough little mini digital illustration of a female-type Black-throated Blue Warbler perched on sort of a hovering disembodied branch segment. She is a soft turquoise blue, greener at the head and richer blue on the back and tail, with a thin pointy black beak, white eyering, white belly, and black legs. The white patch on the primaries is a key identifying mark for this species regardless of age or sex.
February 4, 2026 at 7:22 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
IBP scientists are presenting their research at The Wildlife Society's Western Chapter meeting in Monterey, CA this week. 🪶🐝. This thread is a list of their presentations. Check it out! 1/7
Photo of a Cassin's Finch by Frank D. Lospalluto and text that says: Avian Population Trends In Pacific Northwest National Parks Suggest Resilience To Recent Climate Change That Is Not Explained By Elevational Range Shifts presented by Dr. Chris Ray
February 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 The answer to this week's #BitOBird quiz is....Long-tailed Duck! It was a tie! Congrats winners @keyless.bsky.social and naomi ! Don't worry if you missed it this week, we'll post another quiz next Monday at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT.
Photo of a male Long-tailed Duck in non-breeding plumage by Fyn Kynd on Flickr.
February 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
Here's the clue for this week's #BitOBird game! Can you ID this bird from just this little bit? (Note: we stick to North American birds, if not we’ll tell you.) 1st to reply w/ the correct answer gets bird nerd bragging rights. If you're stumped, we'll post the answer in 2 hrs 🪶
The clue for the #BitOBird game: a close-up photo of a portion of a bird.
February 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
I'm sorry I forgot to post #BitOBird. I was trying to idenitfy the hawk I just saw.... Belated #BitOBird headed your way at 12pm ET/11am CT/10 am MT/9am PT!
evelynjlamb.bsky.social Evelyn Lamb @evelynjlamb.bsky.social · 7d
Sorry I'm not prepared for our meeting. I was trying to identify the hawk I just saw.
February 2, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
evelynjlamb.bsky.social
Sorry I missed our meeting. I was staring out my window hoping the hawk would come back.
February 2, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
evelynjlamb.bsky.social
Sorry I'm not prepared for our meeting. I was trying to identify the hawk I just saw.
February 2, 2026 at 2:36 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 Cedar Waxwings have been seen in 49/50 states this month (sorry Hawaii.) If you head outside this weekend, maybe you'll see one. Hope you find something beautiful.
Photo, by Jerry Hiam, of a Cedar Waxing hanging upside down from a twig to eat a dried crabapple.
January 30, 2026 at 7:43 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶 Imagined Bird Conversations
Photo by Jerry Hiam of 3 Cedar Waxwings sitting in an apple tree with half-eaten fruit on its branches. The upper bird has its beak open with a speech bubble saying: "I'm so glad you mentioned that Olivia! Because people used to think that the Honeycrisp was a cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold but actually...." The next bird has a thought bubble that says: "Oh no, here he goes..." the third waxwing has a speech bubble that says: "Oh really?" and a thought bubble that says: "I've made a terrible mistake and I'm so hungry"
January 29, 2026 at 9:08 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
🪶House Finches don't get a lot of ❤️ because they're common, but these familiar birds have a cheery song (listen to video below) that you'll start hearing a lot more soon. Male House Finches sing year-round, but not as much from Oct to Feb. We're starting to hear them sing again when the ☀️ shines.
January 28, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Reposted by The Institute for Bird Populations
rosemarymosco.com
Cockatoos like to dip boring food in tasty yogurt www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Cockatoos show appetite for dips when eating bland food, find scientists
Birds observed going to lengths to flavour food, with particular penchant for blueberry-flavoured soy yoghurt dip
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 4:01 PM
instbirdpop.bsky.social
Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶
Photo by Ingrid Taylar of an Americn Robin with a beak full of worms. A thought bubble above the bird's head shows blue eggs and says: Martha laid some mighty blue eggs! Those babies are worth some extra worms! Text on the graphic says: Unsolicited Bird Fact: In a 2010 study, scientists found that male American Robins brought more food to their offspring if they hatched out of bluer eggs. The sexually selected egg color hypothesis proposes that egg shell color may signal the quality of a female, & males may adjust their parental effort in response. The blue pigment in Robin's eggs comes from biliverdin, a valuable antioxidant. Presumably healthier females can put more biliverdin in their egg shells & since healthier mom = healthier babies, they are worth more of the male's investment. A cold calculus for sure but nature is rough sometimes.
January 28, 2026 at 12:23 AM