Bird

A birdwatching enthusiast reported spotting a Darwin's Hornetbird together with a Masked Zsa-Zsa, both perched in the same bush during an afternoon of birdwatching and gardening. The unusual bird names and the so-called chlamydia bush suggest the sighting may be tongue-in-cheek, but fellow nature watchers are enjoying the colourful encounter and the photographs shared with it.

Birders are sharing sightings of a scarlet tanager in the Ramble, the wooded section of Central Park in New York. The brightly colored migratory songbird was photographed there on September 13, drawing attention from the birding and wildlife photography community during fall migration season, when the park is a well-known stopover for passing species.

Photos of an all-black king penguin, the result of a natural mutation, are drawing attention online. The usual black-and-white colouring helps camouflage the birds while swimming, so a fully dark individual stands out — and is more visible to predators. People are joking that the bird is a fashion trendsetter rather than a rarity.

Illinois State University tennis players opened the Redbird Invitational with three Redbirds moving on in the singles draws on day one of the home event. The university athletics program reported the results as the tournament continues, with the remaining players looking to bounce back in later rounds.

A parakeet found only in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has been photographed in its mountain habitat. The species lives between 2,000 and 3,500 metres altitude, and seeing it required an early start and a difficult drive up a rough mountain road. Wildlife enthusiasts are sharing the sighting, celebrating the rare bird unique to this isolated range.

The Bird Alliance property on 82nd Avenue in Portland's Montavilla area has had a solar array installed. Local coverage highlights the organization's move toward renewable energy at its site, part of broader community interest in sustainability projects on the east side. Further details on the array's size or cost were not provided.

A Clemson University student is using drones to place audio wildlife recorders in remote wetlands that are otherwise difficult for researchers to reach on foot. The approach lets biologists collect sound data on birds and other species in hard-to-access terrain, drawing attention as a low-cost way to expand wildlife monitoring across South Carolina's wetland habitats.

BirdFest & Bluegrass returns to Ridgefield, Washington on October 3, combining wildlife activities, art displays and all-day bluegrass music. The annual festival celebrates the area's birds and natural surroundings, drawing visitors to the community near the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge for a day of outdoor, family-friendly programming.

Chilean golfer Cristobal Del Solar made a 24-foot birdie putt on the third hole during the Compliance Solutions Championship on the PGA Tour. The long-range conversion gave him an early highlight in the tournament round, drawing attention from golf fans following his progress at the event.

Two self-described novice gardeners in Illinois have converted their ordinary grass lawn into a thriving wildlife oasis, replacing turf with native plants that attract pollinators, birds and other animals. The couple shared their story and images of the transformed yard, drawing attention to how homeowners can rewild conventional lawns to support local ecosystems.

New research suggests songbirds communicate with other species while in flight, possibly exchanging navigation information during migration. The findings challenge the long-held view that migratory birds travel and orient largely on their own. The report was shared alongside a call to protect birds and boycott palm oil, linking habitat destruction to threats facing migratory species.