Charismatic cactus wrens are once again thriving in a nature preserve near Laguna Beach, their whirring, rattling calls ending years of silence for the species. The wrens were transplanted, complete ...

Lately I have been a “peeping Tom” in a nearby eco-reserve, monitoring the breeding behavior of coastal cactus wrens, a bird whose population is in steep decline throughout Southern California. The ...

A coastal cactus wren on a live cholla. Frequent wildfires have charred the wren’s habitat in southern California. Scientists have built fake cholla, made of PVC pipe and barbed wire, for the birds to ...

When the United States declared independence in 1776, choosing state birds was not high on the priority list. In fact, nearly 150 years passed before Kentucky stepped up and named the first state bird ...