This Woodpecker Can Be Bad News for Trees 🌳

In this issue: Watch a Fearless Female Bird Fend Off a Deer, Name That Owl, and How All Birdsong Is Connected

Trouble viewing this e-mail? Try our web version. |  Joy of Birds  August 2026 Photo: Annette Shaff/Shutterstock Can You Name This Bird in 3 Clues?  Fall migration is in full swing, but this owl is here to stay. Using the silhouetted image above and three hints below, can you guess our mystery bird? Clue #1: This bird has one of the earliest breeding seasons in North America, preferring to nest in the winter. Clue #2: This fearsome hunter lives nearly anywhere—from coniferous, deciduous, and swampy forests to deserts, suburbs, and city parks. Clue #3: You can hear this apex predator’s low hoo hoo hoo-hoo-hoo echoing through the woods at dawn and dusk. Here’s a bonus hint: this bird’s four-letter banding code, which researchers often use as shorthand for species' names, is “GHOW.” Click here to learn more about this bird and reveal the answer. Pileated Woodpecker excavating a nest cavity. Photo: Wayne Wetherbee/Audubon Photography Awards Do Woodpeckers Kill Trees? Throughout the forests of North America, woodpeckers are a familiar sight—and sound. But have you ever wondered if they harm the trees they peck on? Most of the time, the answer is no, but there is one type of woodpecker that poses more risk to trees than others. Read on to discover which one and why. Northern Cardinals’ songs feature slow trills. Photo: Mick Thompson The Surprising Science of Birdsong Have you ever wondered why some birds sing the songs they do? This new, landmark study unveils the building blocks that all songbirds use to sing after analyzing 116,000 songs from 3,160 passerine species around the world. Learn what this unprecedented study discovered about birdsongs on a global scale. Nest defense behavior against white-tailed deer at an American Woodcock nest. Still: Kylie L. Brunette Rare Clip: A Tough Timberdoodle Hen Scares Off a Dangerous... Deer? American Woodcocks are famous for their quirky looks and their dance-like movements, but don’t let that fool you. When it comes to defending their nest, these entertaining birds sure can tango! Watch this fearless nesting woodcock fight off a nest intruder many times her size. American Oystercatchers. Photo: Michael Cassella/Audubon Photography Awards Give Birds Something to Chirp About Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter! Because of bird lovers like you, we can protect birds and the places birds need. Help spread the joy by donating now. Did you receive this message from a friend? Get regular email updates from us by clicking here. → CONNECT WITH US National Audubon Society 225 Varick Street New York, NY (844) 428-3826 | www.audubon.org © 2026 National Audubon Society Update your email preferences or unsubscribe