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Bee hotels are everywhere right now… but are they actually helping pollinators? 🐝 For Colorado Pollinator Month this June, we wanted to dive into the science behind insect hotels and butterfly houses. The answer turns out to be more complicated than many people realize. In our newest blog, we discuss: 🐝 Why some bee hotels can support native pollinators 🪵 The hidden risks of poorly maintained hotels 🦋 Whether butterfly houses are truly useful 🌿 Simple ways to create healthier habitat naturally One of the biggest takeaways? Just like bird feeders, insect hotels require maintenance and thoughtful design to truly benefit wildlife.

The Bee Feud Needs to End — Honeybees Aren’t the Heroes We Imagine or the Villains We Fear. The Future of the Planet (and the Bees) Is Up to Us.

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt Late last year, I attended the Colorado Pollinator Summit, where I learned so much about pollinators and how we can support them at both the individual and institutional levels. One talk that really stayed with me was Dr. Sam Ramsey’s. He spoke about bees; both Honeybee and Native Bee species, and shared a coexistence-focused message: that we don’t have to pick…

#bees #Colorado Pollinator Summit #conservation #Honeybees #Honeybees vs Native Bees #Native Bees #pollinators

Not all clean energy looks the same — and geothermal might be one of the quietest success stories in the renewable world. We're diving into what it means for birds, habitats, and the future of energy. Head over to the blog to read the full piece. 🌍🐦 https://wildbirdwarble.wordpress.com/

Prairie Dogs: Keystone Creatures of the Plains and Why Our Birds Depend on Them

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt When you walk through Colorado’s grasslands in early spring, you’re stepping into one of the most intricate ecosystems in North America. At the heart of it all is a surprising hero: the prairie dog. These energetic little mammals are far more than familiar roadside silhouettes. They form the foundation of life for many of the birds we love, including the Burrowing…

#birds #Black-footed Ferrets #Burrowing Owls #conservation #Grasslands #how to help birds #Prairie #Prairie Dogs #Prarie Conservation

The Wonderful, Whimsical World of Bird Collective Nouns

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt Birds don’t just inspire poetry with their songs and flight; they also bring some of the most charming, quirky, and downright delightful collective nouns in the English language. These traditional (and sometimes modern) terms capture the spirit, behavior, and legends surrounding different species. Many date back to the Middle Ages! Here are seven of my favorites! 1.…

#bird #bird names #birding #birds #collective nouns #why we love birds

Still Waters Run Deep: Hydropower, Dams, and the Birds Caught in Between

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt In this year-long blog series, I’ve been exploring how different forms of green energy interact with the birds, wildlife, and lands we love. So far we’ve looked at solar and wind. Today, we’re diving into what might be the most complicated one yet: hydropower. Water has powered human civilization for millennia, and today hydropower is responsible for roughly 16% of…

What Earth Day Really Means for Bird Conservation

Hot take incoming: The Brown-headed Cowbird doesn't deserve its bad reputation! 🐦 I know, I know — hear me out. Before you write off this much-maligned bird as lazy, a cheat, or nature's deadbeat parent, consider this: what looks like a flaw is actually one of the most finely tuned survival strategies in the avian world — millions of years in the making. Did you know cowbird chicks never eject eggs or kill their nestmates? Or that new research shows parasitized nests may actually be better fed than unparasitized ones? There's so much more to this story than its reputation suggests. Head over to the Wild Bird Warble blog to read the full case for the cowbird's defense 👇 🔗 https://wildbirdwarble.wordpress.com/

What’s in a Name? Explorer‑Era Naming and Colorado’s Wildlife

#Abert’s squirrel name origin #bird name origins #colorado birds #Colorado mammals #Colorado natural history #Colorado wildlife names #explorer era science #explorer named species #Fremont cottonwood #Gunnison’s prairie dog #history of scientific naming #Indigenous knowledge and wildlife #Pikes Peak name history #Steller’s jay name #why animals are named after people #Wild Bird Warble #wildlife naming conventions

Solar energy is expanding rapidly, but its relationship with wildlife is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Our latest post in a year-long series on green energy and bird conservation examines the science honestly — from concentrated solar facilities and the lake effect on migratory birds, to the manufacturing footprint of panels and the growing end-of-life recycling challenge. There's also a genuinely encouraging story about agrivoltaics and what thoughtfully managed solar farms can do for biodiversity. Read the full post at wildbirdwarble.wordpress.com

#Audubon Society clean energy #birds #blog series #how to help birds

Why Are Bees at My Bird Feeders? Understanding Early-Spring Visitors (and How to Help Them)

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt As the days warm and our early spring birds return, many backyard bird lovers notice another visitor showing up at their feeders: bees. Honeybees, native bees, and even the occasional wasp may gather around seed ports, suet cages, or nectar feeders – sometimes in surprising numbers! It’s a common question in the store every year: “Why are bees all over my bird…

#backyard birding tips #bee safe bird feeding #bees #bees and hummingbirds #bees at bird feeders #bees in early spring #bird feeder problems #early spring nectar shortage #helping pollinators #how to keep bees off bird feeders #hummingbird feeder bees #pollinators and bird feeders #spring bird feeding tips #why bees visit feeders #Wild Birds Unlimited Colorado Springs

Nature’s Master Builders: Amazing Bird Nests You Have to See to Believe

By Heather Weber-Langvardt Birds are some of the most extraordinary architects in the natural world. From woven chambers suspended like ornaments to skyscraper-sized communal dwellings, their nests reveal stunning ingenuity, engineering, and creativity. Here’s a look at some of the most impressive nest builders, from backyard favorites to global wonders. Weaver Birds: Masters of Knotwork and…

Where Colorado Birds Like to Nest: A Look at Their Favorite Homes

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt When spring arrives in Colorado, birds get busy. Really busy! Before the chicks and the flurry of feeding trips back and forth, every bird has one critical job: find or create the perfect place to nest! From the shortgrass prairie to alpine forests and cozy suburban backyards, Colorado’s birds take advantage of nearly every nook and cranny the landscape offers.…

Wind Power & Wildlife: What Science Really Says About Birds, Bats, and Turbines

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt In this year-long blog series, I promised to explore the environmental impacts of different forms of green energy. Today, we’re diving into wind energy, one of the fastest-growing sources of clean power in the world. Wind plays a major role in reducing carbon emissions and slowing climate change. But like any large infrastructure project, wind farms can also create…

What Are Pronghorn Running From? The Answer Is 12,000 Years Gone

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt If you’ve ever driven across the open grasslands of eastern Colorado, you’ve probably seen Pronghorn; those tan-and-white, deer-like mammals with big eyes, elegant black horns, and a knack for appearing and disappearing across the prairie in the blink of an eye. They’re beautiful, charismatic animals… and impossibly fast. Pronghorn are the fastest land animals in…

Birding Is Everywhere: How Birds Took Pop Culture Flight

Clean Energy and Birds: An Honest Look at the Choices We Face

By: Heather Weber-Langvardt As bird lovers and conservationists, we all share a common goal: a healthier planet and a safer future for wildlife. Clean energy is one of the most important tools we have to protect that future, but the reality is more complex than simply calling something “good” or “bad.” Every energy source, even the most climate-friendly, has trade-offs. Some solutions provide…

#biomass and bird conservation #bird conservation education #bird mortality myths #bird-safe energy solutions #bird-safe technology #clean energy and birds #clean energy trade-offs #climate change and birds #Colorado bird conservation #electric vehicles environmental impact #environmental education series #fossil fuels and birds #hydropower environmental impact #renewable energy and wildlife #solar farms bird habitat #sustainable energy choices #transmission lines bird safety #wildlife-friendly energy #wind turbines bird impact

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