Celebrate Summer with the Joy of Birds! ☀️

Gulls in Parking Lots, Baby Puffins, and Hummingbird Pee

                                                               

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Joy of Birds | June 2025

Who's That Bird? Guess with 3 Clues! Hello, summer! Cool off with a fresh round of "Who's That Bird!" Using the silhouetted image above and the three hints below, can you name this bird? Clue #1: This bird belongs to the family Mimidae, an assortment of songbirds known for their mimicry. Clue #2: Both sexes of this berry-loving bird have a rusty patch of feathers hidden under the base of their tail. Clue #3: This mystery bird gets their common name from their distinctive mewing call, which can sound like a familiar pet to some ears. Here's a bonus hint: this bird's four-letter banding code, which researchers often use as shorthand for species' names, is "GRCA." Click here to learn more about this bird and reveal the answer.

Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren/Flickr CC BY 2.0

Watch Live: A Puffin Couple and Their Two-Week Old Puffling Atlantic Puffin pair Willie and Millie became proud parents (again) a few weeks ago! Welcome precious puffling, Burfle, to the flock and watch the family live at the Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge anytime on explore.org. Puffins grow up fast, and our new friend should fledge by the end of August! Tune into our nature cam now.

Still: Courtesy of explore.org

Unlike Most Birds, Hummingbirds Actually Pee—Why? While most birds expel their liquid and solid waste together in the form of those white droppings we all strive to dodge, hummingbirds pee more like mammals. How and why did hummingbirds develop such a different behavior? Keep reading to find out why hummingbirds pee.

An Anna's Hummingbird chick expels liquid waste from the nectar slurry hummer parents regurgitate to feed nestlings. Photo: Soo Baus

The Surprising Reason Gulls Hang Out in Parking Lots One thing remains constant across the country: gulls in the parking lot. What gives? If you guessed food, you're on the right track, but researchers have discovered a somewhat surprising twist to this common query: people they call "dedicated feeders." Discover the surprising answer to why gulls loiter around parking lots.

Ring-billed Gulls biding their time in a parking lot in Ohio. Photo: Tom Uhlman/Alamy

It Takes a Flock to Bring Birds Back We hope you enjoy this month's Joy of Birds newsletter! With friends like you, birds are better off. With your support, our science powers the best path forward to help more birds survive at this critical time. Will you join us in protecting birds with a gift? Donate now

Limpkins. Photo: Irina Pigman/Audubon Photography Awards

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