The Corn Crake is a migratory species of rail that breeds across temperate parts of Eurasia and winters in southern Africa. When they return to their breeding grounds in the spring, male Corn Crakes call out to establish territory and to attract a mate. The call sounds like this:

This may not be the most melodious song, but it is remarkable due to the fact that it can be heard from up to a mile away and repeated more than 20,000 times a night! That's a lot of sound coming from an 11-inch tall bird. The Corn Crake (also known as Corncrake) was added to Birdorable on August 21, 2012. If you love these little loudmouths -- er, loudbeaks -- be sure to check out our collection of cute Corn Crake t-shirts and gifts!

Bohemian Waxwings are on the move this winter! A poor berry crop in their northern range may be driving them outside of their usual winter haunts. Flocks have been seen around southern Lake Michigan and individuals have been reported in many northeastern states in the U.S. The birds have also been reported in the Netherlands, where they rarely make an appearance.

Bohemian Waxwings aren't the only northern birds showing up further south this winter. Evening Grosbeaks, crossbills, Red-breasted Nuthatches, redpolls and other finch species are irrupting all over. Have you had any special winter visiters at your feeders so far this season? The Bohemian Waxwing was added to Birdorable on November 13, 2012. If you love these beautiful birds, be sure to check out our fun and cute Bohemian Waxwing t-shirts and gifts!

American Redstarts are migratory warblers found across parts of North America. They winter in the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. These little cuties are named for their tails. Wait, what?

In Old English, the word for tail was steort, or start. Though the American Redstart's tail feathers are more orange than red, we can at least understand from where the 'start' part of the name comes. There is an entire family of birds found in the Old World known as redstarts. These are flycatchers, not warblers. American Redstarts are warblers, but they feed mainly by flycatching. Confused yet? If you were an insect, you might be. American Redstarts flare their tails to flash, startle and confuse potential prey items (insects). Both males and females do this, as you can see in the below photos.

American Redstart [male] by Wildreturn

American Redstart (female) by Jeremy Meyer

The American Redstart was added to Birdorable on October 18, 2012. If you can't get enough of these flashy little warblers, be sure to check out our great collection of American Redstart t-shirts and gifts!

Leach's Storm-Petrels live a remarkably long life for being so small. A lifespan of up to 36 years is not unheard of for this pelagic (sea-dwelling) species. This is about 25 years longer than would be expected for a bird this size! Why is this? Telomeres are pieces of DNA that alleviate cell division and oxidation. Longer telomeres usually occur in younger living things; telomeres typically shorten as aging occurs. However, the telomeres in Leach's Storm Petrels appear to actually grow with age. Does this mean that Leach's Storm-Petrels are immortal? In theory, maybe. But the birds still die. Their remarkable cell structure is an interesting source of study for scientists. Leach's Storm Petrel was added to Birdorable on October 13, 2012. If you can't get enough of this cute, little, and possibly immortal pelagic bird, be sure to check out our range of Leach's Storm Petrel gifts and apparel! Further reading:

• Living the pelagic life: of oil, enemies, giant eggs and telomeres (petrels part II)
• Wikipedia: Leach's Storm Petrel
• How Telomeres Work

For 22 days we're adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2012. We're counting up to our 400th species! We proudly kick off our Bonanza 2012 with a beautiful species native to the Americas: the Rose-breasted Grosbeak!

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are small songbirds that breed across the Northeast of the United States and across much of Canada. These migratory beauties head south in the fall, spending the winter in Central and northern South America. Males have a shock of red on the chest, for which the species is named. Females look very different; they are sometimes mistaken for sparrows.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak by Putneypics

Did you know ...

• Most birds keep quiet while incubating eggs to avoid attention from predators, but male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks sing quietly to each other when they exchange places on the nest, and the male sings his normal song while near or even on the nest;
• Rose-breasted Grosbeaks love moonlit nights and sometimes sing all night long when the moon is shining;
• In areas where their range overlap, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks may cross-breed with Black-headed Grosbeaks. Babies can look like either parent, or have a mixed pattern;
• Its nest, which is built from twigs in treetops, is often so thinly constructed that the eggs can be seen from below;
• Birdhouses built for bluebirds may also be used for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks;
• Their large beaks allow them to eat large grasshoppers and other insects that have tough exoskeletons;
• Rose-breasted Grosbeaks love sunflower seeds and will be attracted to hopper feeders containing striped or black-oil sunflower seeds.

Tomorrow's bird is endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Can you guess what it will be?

Today marks the official introduction of the Evening Grosbeak as the American Birding Association's Bird of the Year for 2012. It also marks the official introduction of our brand new Birdorable Evening Grosbeak!

American Birding Association (ABA) President Jeffrey A. Gordon calls Evening Grosbeaks "avian firecrackers" for their conspicuous nature, their colorful appearance, and their gregarious, noisy manner.

Gordon continues, "the ABA Bird of the Year program is all about birders being more conspicuous, and drawing attention to the excitement of birding and the fellowship of birders." Birdorable is proud to support the ABA by offering Evening Grosbeak apparel and merchandise with 25% of sales going directly to the organization. All Birdorable Evening Grosbeak designs are participating in this promotion; soon we will offer more styles featuring the ABA Bird of the Year 2012!

Be sure to visit the ABA's Bird of the Year page to learn how the Evening Grosbeak will be celebrated in several BOY events occurring throughout the year. And if you'd like some to have some Evening Grosbeak coloring fun, check out our new coloring page which features the ABA Bird of the Year 2012.

We recently added two new species of oystercatcher to Birdorable: the Black Oystercatcher and the Eurasian Oystercatcher. These join our updated American Oystercatcher.

Oystercatchers are a fascinating family of conspicuous, large shorebirds, boasting several intriguing characteristics and a wide range of species. Here are some captivating facts about these remarkable birds:

• Currently, there are 11 recognized species of Oystercatchers still living in the world. These birds are spread across various continents, each adapting uniquely to its environment.
• The Canarian Oystercatcher is a notable species that unfortunately went extinct in the early 1900s, highlighting the fragility of shorebird populations.
• In the Americas, four distinct species of Oystercatchers can be found: the American Oystercatcher, Black Oystercatcher, Blackish Oystercatcher, and Magellanic Oystercatcher. Each of these species has its own unique traits and habitats.
• Australia and New Zealand are home to five Oystercatcher species: the Sooty Oystercatcher, Pied Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Chatham Oystercatcher, and South Island Oystercatcher. These regions provide diverse environments for these birds to thrive.
• The remaining two extant species are named after their geographical ranges: the Eurasian Oystercatcher and the African Oystercatcher.
• Oystercatchers, across all species, have a stocky shorebird build, adapted for their shoreline habitats.
• While all Oystercatcher species have black feathers, some species feature black on top with white feathers underneath, showing diversity within the family.
• A striking feature of Oystercatchers is their large bills, which are either bright orange or bright red, aiding in foraging and feeding.
• Contrary to what their name suggests, Oystercatchers do not exclusively feed on oysters. They have a varied diet, and each species has a slightly different bill shape, specialized for the type of food they primarily consume.
• Nesting habits of Oystercatchers involve creating scrapes on the ground, with most species nesting at or near shore habitats, taking advantage of their natural surroundings.
• The Eurasian Oystercatcher stands out as the lightest species, averaging around 526 grams, while the Sooty Oystercatcher is typically the heaviest, averaging about 833 grams.
• The Eurasian Oystercatcher's ability to inhabit both coastal and inland areas is unique among its kind.
• The national bird of the Faroe Islands is the Eurasian Oystercatcher, a testament to its cultural significance in the region.
• Variable Oystercatchers are named for their plumage variations, ranging from all-black to pied black-and-white, demonstrating remarkable diversity within a single species.
• The South Island Oystercatcher, endemic to New Zealand, is also known as the South Island Pied Oystercatcher, or SIPO, highlighting its distinct regional presence.

These fascinating facts about Oystercatchers offer a glimpse into the diverse world of these shorebirds, each species bringing its own unique qualities and behaviors to the ecosystems they inhabit.

Here are ten facts about the Eurasian Curlew:

• The Eurasian Curlew is the largest wading bird found in Europe;
• In Scotland it is known as the "Whaup";
• The birds can be found from central and southern Europe and Asia to parts of Africa;
• Curlews are migratory, but are present all year in the milder climate of the British Isles and the adjacent European coasts;
• Within its range the Curlew is most similar to the Whimbrel, but the latter is smaller and has a shorter bill that is less smoothly curved;
• They eat mostly worms, crabs and invertebrates, which they find by touch using their long curved bill to probe soft mud;
• Its name is derived from its 'curloo-oo' call;
• The female is larger and has a longer bill than the male, but the different is not always distinct;
• A group of curlews is called a "curfew", "salon", or "skein" of curlews;
• The species is threatened due to loss and fragmentation of moorland and grassland habitats.

The Eurasian Curlew is the 360th bird species on Birdorable. Check out our Curlew t-shirts and gifts and other Birdorable Plovers & Shorebirds.

We recently added the Double-barred Finch to Birdorable. This cute little bird is also known as the Owl Finch because its facial markings resemble the disc-like appearance of some owl species. Owl Finches will visit feeders and bird baths in their native range over parts of north and east Australia, where they feed on seeds. They also eat insects. They are gregarious in nature, so Australian back yard birders may have a flock of several birds invading a feeder or bath at the same time. Check out our Owl Finch t-shirts and gifts and other Birdorable Finches.

This week we added the Humboldt Penguin to Birdorable. Humboldt Penguins live along the Pacific Coast of South America. They feed on small fish and krill which they hunt as they glide effortlessly through the water. The conservation status of the Humboldt Penguin is considered vulnerable; destruction of habitat is a major culprit.

These beautiful medium-sized penguins are found in zoos around the world. A pair of male Humboldt Penguins at the Bremerhaven Zoo made headlines back in 2009 when they raised a baby penguin together. The same-sex couple "adopted" an egg that was abandoned by its parents and successfully raised the chick from incubation through feeding and finally independence. Prior to this incident, several of the zoo's Humboldt Penguins displayed same-sex preferences (which caused a stir back in 2005), but it was not until 2009 that a couple actually raised a baby together. Check out our Humboldt Penguin t-shirts and gifts and other Birdorable Penguins.