Roger J. Lederer, PhD

How to

Tell the Sex of a Baby Duck

Figuring out the sex of a baby duck can be surprisingly difficult when they're young and generally you won't be able to tell by looking at them until they're much older. As such, there are specific methods experienced du...

How to Identify a Male or Female Duck using Appearance and Behavior

Sorting the drakes from the hens in Mallard and other duck speciesWhether you’re spying them through binoculars or pairing them up to brood, sorting the males ducks (or “drakes”) from the females (often called “...

How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Robins

Identify male & female American, Australian, & European robinsThe robin is a beautiful migratory songbird that many believe brings tidings of the spring season. Robins are quite common throughout Europe and North Americ...

How to

Tell if Duck Eggs Are Dead or Alive

Maybe you are raising duck eggs in an incubator so they can develop into baby ducklings, but you are not sure if your eggs are dead or alive. Or perhaps you stumbled upon duck eggs in the wild and are wondering whether t...

How to

Attract Crows

Crows are very bright creatures, one of the most intelligent animal species, and a group of crows, called a "flock" or a "murder," can be a useful addition to your yard. A small flock can keep plants free of insects and ...

How to

Make Emergency Baby Bird Food

Seeing a hungry baby bird can certainly pull at your heartstrings. Ideally, feeding a wild baby bird should be left up to his parents or to the experts at a wildlife rehabilitation center. However, you may need to feed a...

Nighttime Chirping: Why Do Birds Do It?

All the reasons why you're hearing birdsong after darkBirds are famous for chirping at sunrise, but they sleep during the night—right? Hearing midnight chirping can be a little unnerving since most of us don't expect i...

How to

Create an Egg Incubator for Wild Bird Eggs

If you want to hatch some wild bird eggs that you've found but don't have the money for a professional incubator, you can easily create one from household items. Once you've assembled the incubator, you'll be ready to pr...

How to

Help a Baby Bird That Has Fallen Out of a Nest

When you see a baby bird that has fallen from the nest, your first instinct may be to help it. However, most well-meaning people do more harm than good when they attempt to rescue baby birds. Before you act, it’s impor...

How to

Tell the Age of a Budgie

Figuring out the age of a budgie can be easy! You can tell whether a budgie is a baby, an adolescent, or an adult through several telltale signs. Start by looking for striped or clear cap feathers. Then look at the bird�...

How to

Hatch Turkey Eggs in an Incubator

To hatch healthy turkeys use an incubator. Incubators keep the eggs at a controlled temperature. They also have a trough you fill with water to provide humidity the young turkeys need to stay healthy. Eggs need to be tur...

How to

Tell if a Bird Egg Is Infertile

Whether you're looking to ensure your bird eggs are viable for breeding or just out of curiosity, checking to see if an egg is infertile can be quite easy. In most cases, it's possible to ensure your eggs are do not grow...

8 Expert-Backed Explanations Behind Birds' Early Morning Singing

There’s more to a bird’s chirping than being your personal alarm clockThe sound of lovely birdsong trills outside your bedroom…but your clock is only reading 5 am. As you lie awake listening to the chirping, you�...

How to

Feed a Baby Sparrow

If you find a baby sparrow that appears abandoned, you can take it into your home and feed it. Many wildlife refuges and concerned people care for injured and orphaned sparrows until they are old enough to fly. Before at...

How to

Care For a Bird That Has Hit a Window

According to the Bird Conservation Network more than 100 million North American birds die every year from window collisions. These accidents are most common during spring mating season. It is illegal to keep a wild bird ...

How to

Find and Take Care of Wild Bird Eggs

Caring for wild bird eggs is best left to wild birds, but sometimes we can help. Follow these steps if you find a wild bird egg that looks abandoned.

How to

Make a Bird Nest

A bird's nest makes a wonderful mantelpiece decoration, and can make use of almost anything you find along a nature hike, or in your front yard. Wild birds usually prefer to make their own nests, but you can lure many sp...

How to

Tell if Your Bird Has Mites

Birds are susceptible to external parasites like mites, and if a mite infestation is not treated, it can spread to human hosts and lead to serious illness or death for your bird. Certain bird species, like parakeets, par...

How to

Keep Birds Off Your Porch

Birds are bound to fly into your yard, but they can leave a mess if they make themselves at home on your porch. If you're tired of cleaning up after birds, deter them with objects from your home or with store-bought spik...

How to Buy Binoculars for Your Favorite Outdoor Hobby

Pick the best size, magnification, and features for your price rangeBinoculars are fantastic tools that make activities like bird-watching, star-gazing, concerts, and sports more enjoyable. However, not all binoculars a...