The bird you see here is a Ruddy Duck. Whether you find it in California, North Dakota, or Massachusetts, the powder-blue bill, white cheeks, chestnut body, and cocky sprig of a tail will tell you it’s a male Ruddy Duck. Every field guide, online database, and state hunting guide you consult will agree on its…
Month: September 2025
The Crucible on Laysan Island
To a human, Laysan Island is one of the most isolated locations on the planet. The tiny atoll, measuring only a mile square, barely peeks above the vast Pacific Ocean. The island is about 2,800 miles from Japan and 2,900 miles from California, with precious little in between. Kauai is the closest inhabited island, and…
Bird Law: 19th-century sportsmen tried litigating their way to bird protection. Would it be enough to save wildlife?
When you took American History in high school, you probably learned that the country’s conservation movement began in 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone National Park. If you learned about conservation in college, you might have read that organized conservation work didn’t really start until 1887, when Theodore Roosevelt founded the Boone and Crockett Club…