FAQs & Common Problems

FAQ: Changes to Eponymous Bird Names

Macaulay Library Macaulay Library: Help & Resources

Can a Hawk or Owl Pose a Threat to a Small Dog or Cat?

How can I adjust my binoculars so I don't see blacked-out areas?

eBird How Do Scientists Use eBird Data?

K–12 Education K-12 Free Webinars for Educators

K–12 Education Cornell Lab K-12 Education

On a visit to Ithaca, New York, I saw a crow with large, red tags on each shoulder. Is this one of your projects?

Do young birds recognize their parents after they've grown up?

Questions about Studying Birds at Cornell

A bird keeps flying into my window or car mirror, on purpose. What should I do?

Bird Cams Bird Cams Chat Guidelines

I found a baby bird. What do I do?

How Can I Share My Bird Photos With the Cornell Lab?

I’m getting a little tired of winter—What are some of the first spring birds to arrive, and when will they get here?

I often see birds on telephone wires while I’m driving—how do I figure out what they are from such a short glimpse?

Why Birds Hit Windows—and How You Can Help Prevent It

Why do woodpeckers like to hammer on houses? And what can I do about it?

What do small birds do in a storm?

What's the best book or field guide for bird identification?

Why Do Birdwatchers Need Close Focus in Binoculars?

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: California Condor Nest

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Red-tailed Hawk Nest

After birds leave a nest box, can I clean out the nest for future use?

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Great Horned Owl Nest

Are Cardinals Redder in Winter?

BirdCast Birdcast: Bird migration forecasts in real-time

Living Bird Magazine These Female Hummingbirds Masquerade as Males

Living Bird Magazine Do Birds Have Eyelashes?

You're seeing fewer hummingbirds at your feeder. Should you worry?

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Barred Owl Nest

I’m seeing fewer birds in my yard. Is something affecting their populations?

Macaulay Library The Shape of a Bird’s Beak Is Determined by More Than Diet

FAQ: Facebook Fundraisers

How do hurricanes affect migrating birds?

eBird Getting Started with eBird Mobile

eBird How Do You Count Birds at a Feeder?

FAQ: Outdoor Cats and Their Effects on Birds

What do I do if I find a sick, injured, or dead bird?

NestWatch Nesting Birds: Is it Legal to Move a Nest or Raise Nestlings?

What Is Taxonomic Order and Why Is It Used for the Sequence of Birds in My Field Guide?

Courses Home Study Course in Bird Biology - Frequently Asked Questions

eBird eBird: Help & FAQ

Project FeederWatch How Can I Stop Blue Jays From Chipping the Paint on My House?

How can coffee help or harm birds?

There's a hummingbird at my feeder in the dead of winter. Will it be okay?

NestWatch NestWatch: Help & FAQ

Planned Giving at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Merlin Merlin Help & FAQ

There's a bird in my yard I've never seen before. How can I find out what it is?

Great Backyard Bird Count Great Backyard Bird Count—Help & FAQs

Merlin Merlin Bird ID App: Frequently Asked Questions

eBird How to Enter Christmas Bird Count Sightings Into eBird

Project FeederWatch Do Birds Get Hurt by Tick Bites?

Project FeederWatch If Birds Eat Uncooked Rice, Can It Swell Up in Their Stomachs and Kill Them?

Project FeederWatch Can Birds Choke on Peanut Butter?

Project FeederWatch Can a Bird's Feet Stick to Metal Perches?

NestWatch How to Find Nests

Project FeederWatch Birding and Feeding Tips From FeederWatch Participants

Project FeederWatch I Only See the Same Few Birds in My Citizen Science Project. Do You Really Want My Counts?

Project FeederWatch Why Does FeederWatch Season End Just as All the Summer Birds Are Starting to Come Back?

Project FeederWatch Gallery: View or Submit Photos of Sick or Diseased Birds

Project FeederWatch Gallery: Browse or Submit Photos of Unusual Birds

Project FeederWatch Color Variants, Deformed Bills, Bald Birds, and Other Unusual Birds at Your Feeder

Project FeederWatch Do Bird Feeders Spread Disease?

Project FeederWatch What Are the Costs and Benefits of Bird Feeding?

Project FeederWatch What Is an Irruption?

Project FeederWatch Why Do I See Robins in Winter—Don't They Migrate South?

Project FeederWatch My Feeders Are Attracting Rats. What Can I Do?

Project FeederWatch Do Tube Feeders Contribute to the Spread of House Finch Eye Disease and Other Diseases?

Project FeederWatch Can Harmful Bacteria or Germs Survive on Feeders in Winter?

Project FeederWatch How Do I Clean My Feeders in Winter?

Courses Spring Field Ornithology: Help & FAQ

Celebrate Urban Birds Celebrate Urban Birds: Help & FAQ

How do birds survive in very cold temperatures?

Birds of North America Birds of the World Online: Help & FAQ

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Laysan Albatross Nest

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Great Blue Heron Nest

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Barn Owl Nest

Bird Cams Bird Cams FAQ: Snowy Owl Nest

Do partridges occur in pear trees?

How can a tiny Winter Wren sing so many sounds so loudly?

If I don't pick up a baby bird, will my cat or dog kill it?

How long do birds incubate their eggs and how long do chicks stay in the nest?

If I handle a baby bird, will the parents abandon it?

Can I raise a baby bird I found?

What can I do about a bird that sings all night long outside my window?

Do Birds Have Teeth?

I have wasps in my birdhouse. What should I do?

How do I keep herons from eating the fish in my pond?

It sounds like there are birds stuck in my chimney. What should I do?

I’m getting married next month. Is it true that rice causes birds’ stomachs to explode?

In your opinion, what bird species is the most beneficial to mankind?

How long do wintering Snowy Owls stay with us before they return to their breeding grounds?

Why do migratory birds crash into buildings and how can it be prevented?

Why do migrating Canada Geese sometimes fly in the "wrong" direction?

What's good nesting material to offer birds?

Where can I go to watch hawk migration?

I found a nest with eggs in it and no adult birds seem to be attending to it. I think it's abandoned, or I scared the parents away. What should I do?

I found a nest near my house and want to observe it but I am worried about disturbing it. Can you give me any advice?

Is it possible I've heard a whole flock of swans migrating overhead late at night?

How can I protect the baby birds in a nest from predators including snakes, cats, and other birds?

Can you really use weather radar to see migrating birds?

How do birds prepare for long migrations?

I found a songbird nest with two different types of eggs in it. What is going on?

Do backyard birds return to the same spot year after year?

Is it unusual to see American Robins in the middle of winter?

There's a bird nesting near my house. What should I do?

What is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?

Do hummingbirds migrate in flocks?

Are Whip-poor-will populations declining? What can we do about it?

I've just upgraded my optics. What should I do with my old binoculars?

How can an owl catch a mouse underneath a foot of snow in total darkness?

Why don’t birds collide when they are flying close together in tight flocks?

Why do female Belted Kingfishers have an extra rust-colored “belt” that the males don’t have?

What's the difference between shade-grown, organic, fair-trade, and Bird-Friendly coffee?

Is drinking shade-grown coffee good for birds?

How are coffee and birds related?

What should I do to report a rare bird?

Do hawks flock together?

Why are some species found out of their normal range more than others?

What can cause birds to show weird color variations?

I saw a House Finch that was orange or yellow instead of red. What happened to it?

The goldfinches at my feeder are starting to look dull and patchy. What's happening to them?

Yesterday evening around dusk I watched hundreds and hundreds of birds flying over my house. What were they?

I saw a black-and-white bird at my feeder with a red triangle on the breast. What is it?

How do I keep the squirrels in my yard away from my feeders and bird seed?

How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

What are owl pellets?

Why are loons chasing each other across my lake?

Do birds store food for the winter?

Why don't birds get cold feet?

How can Bald Eagles survive in northern areas after all the lakes have frozen?

How much do birds eat each day?

I believe that the same blue heron has been perching on my dock for 28 years. What is their life span?

I live in a high-rise apartment in the city. How can I attract birds?

Do vultures find dead animals by smell or by tracking predators or scavengers on the ground?

What should I do if I find algae in my birdbath?

Why can't penguins fly?

Do all birds have gizzards?

I've been hearing beautiful bird songs every morning since spring, but suddenly I'm not hearing birds at all! What happened to them?

A hawk has started hunting the feeder birds in my yard. What can I do?

Should I stop feeding birds in fall so they can start their migration?

Why do I see fewer hummingbirds in midsummer?

Who is the "Lincoln" that the Lincoln's Sparrow is named for?

Should I use red food coloring in hummingbird food?

What's the best recipe for hummingbird nectar?

Where did the domestic turkey come from?

Why are Blue Jays far more noisy in fall than earlier in the summer?

What is the difference between a beak and a bill?

What is the most beautiful bird song in North America?

Where can I find a list of all the birds in the world? And how do I find out a bird's "official" name? For instance, is it "Canada Goose" or "Canadian Goose"?

Do bird songs have frequencies higher than humans can hear?

Do parent and baby birds recognize each other's songs or calls?

My feeders are being overrun with starlings and blackbirds. What can I do?

How do you pronounce a scientific name? What's the proper pronunciation for this bird species, Tympanuchus phasianellus?

Why do birds have such elaborate and varied courtship rituals?

What's going on when I see little birds going after a big bird?

If Brown-headed Cowbirds are reared by other species, how do they know they are cowbirds when they grow up?

Should I take my feeder down when the weather starts to warm up?

Do birds play?

I've seen a bird with an overgrown or otherwise deformed bill. What is wrong with it?

Do birds sleep?

Why do hummingbirds fight so much?

What can cause an adult bird to die inside a birdhouse or nest box?

I have a bald bird at my feeder. Is it sick?

Why do some birds stand on one foot?

I saw a little bird feeding a much larger bird. Is it rare to see two different species feeding each other?

Will birds use nest boxes to roost in for warmth during the winter?

I've seen a sick House Finch with red, swollen, or weepy eyes. What's wrong with it?

How can I tell if a sick bird has West Nile Virus?

Why do birds leave the nest before they can fly?

Which birds are the best mimics?

Why do some birds mimic the sounds of other species?

How can I keep birds from hitting my windows?

I found some abandoned eggs. Can I take them to a rehab center to raise them?

I found a pigeon or dove that seems tame and has colored bands on its legs. What should I do?

A woodpecker is putting rows of holes in my tree. Will it hurt the tree?

There's a huge starling roost near my house and they're driving us nuts! What can we do?

How Many Eggs Does a Bird Lay?