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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't

Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.

Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay

Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay

Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find

Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."

IN GOOD COMPANY

BIRDS OF A FEATHER MAY FLOCK TOGETHER, but what about other collectives of critters-and what do you call them when they do?

YOUR OWN Perfect Prairie

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ON THE MOVE

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Embracing the Darkness

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Cooling Off

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flower power!

These extraordinary Photo Contest entries showcase the subtle and diverse beauty of backyard blooms

SMALL BIRDS, BIG THRILLS

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Clever Cowbirds

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Rustic diy Birdhouse

Whether you're hardcore handy or an everyonce-in-a-while crafty person, you probably have a small pile of scrap wood handy. Grab your tools and turn your extra materials into any house wren's dream nest box.

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