Today's new Birdorable species is a small New World sparrow: the Chipping Sparrow!

Chipping Sparrows have a widespread range across much of North America, and into Central America. Chippies are migratory through much of their range; some birds in Central America appear to be year-round residents.

Chipping Sparrows usually nest low in trees but have been recorded nesting on the ground or in unusual spots like inside buildings and among decorative foliage. They typically lay 3-4 eggs per clutch.

During the time when horses were more commonly used as transportation, Chipping Sparrows would be observed gathering horse hair to line their nests. This behavior gave them the old colloquial name of "hair bird."

Tomorrow we'll add a species of myna to Birdorable. These birds are known for their exceptional ability to mimic sounds. Do you know the species?

Today's new bird is an endangered raptor from South America: the Black-and-chestnut Eagle!

The Black-and-chestnut Eagle is a large species of eagle found in mountain habitat across a small range in South America, from Argentina to Venezuela. They are named for their striking black and chestnut plumage, which is complemented by white under the wings and a white stripe on the tail. These birds also have a head crest which is typically in the raised position, even while in flight. The crest may be lowered if the bird is experiencing stress or fear.

Black-and-chestnut Eagles are considered to be Endangered, mainly due to habitat loss. As they are known to eat large birds, including domestic fowl, they also face persecution from farmers.

Tomorrow's new bird will be a small sparrow with a widespread distribution over much of North America. Can you guess the species?

Today we are revealing our 700th Birdorable species: the Emu! This species has been our most requested bird since we started Birdorable.

The Emu is the world's second largest bird species, just after the Ostrich. These flightless birds are endemic to Australia. They are known for having powerful legs, allowing them to run up to 30 MPH and jump as high as 7 feet. They use their legs to defend themselves as well, pairing a powerful kick with their sharply-clawed toes.

Male Emus take on breeding duties like nest-building and egg incubation. The female may lay up to 15 avocado-sized eggs before leaving them with her partner. Young Emus stay with their father for around 18 months before taking off on their own.

Tomorrow's new bird is a very large species of raptor found in South America. Some consider it to be the most endangered bird of prey in the New World. Can you guess the species?

Today's new bird is an Old World species and the largest type of pigeon or dove found in Europe: the Common Wood Pigeon!

The Common Wood Pigeon is a large species of pigeon native to parts of Europe and Asia. They are fairly common and abundant throughout their natural range. They can be found in a variety of habitats, including wild woodlands, as well as rural, suburban and urban areas.

Tomorrow's new bird will be Birdorable #700! This is our all-time most requested bird ever. Can you guess what it will be?

Today our 2018 Bonanza continues with a Hawaiian species of honeycreeper: the Palila!

Many species of Hawaiian honeycreeper are endangered or face threats, and the Palila is no different, unfortunately. The Palila is considered to be critically endangered, due in part to loss of habitat.

Palilas are highly dependent on the Mamane tree. This association includes using the tree as a food source and nesting habitat.

Tomorrow's new bird is Europe's largest species of pigeon. Can you guess which species it is?

Thanks for tuning in to our 2018 Birdorable Bonanza. We're kicking off this burst of new Birdorable birds with a species of New World woodpecker: the Acorn Woodpecker.

Acorn Woodpeckers have an unmistakable adult plumage of black and white with a deep red crown. These social birds breed cooperatively.

They also gather and hoard their namesake food communally, using dead trees or utility poles to store thousands of acorns.

Tomorrow's new bird is an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper finch. This specialized bird lives on the Big Island and is closely associated with the Mamane tree. Do you know the species?

Back in November 2016, we celebrated the 10th year of Birdorable by kicking off our 8th annual Birdorable Bonanza. This Friday, November 23, we're kicking off our 10th Bonanza!

Each year we reveal a new batch of birds in a burst -- our Birdorable Bonanza. You can check out what the previous years were like here: 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010; 2009.

In 2009, our first bird was the Scarlet Ibis and last year's bonanza ended with the Superb Lyrebird. 

During this year's ten-day-long event, we'll reveal a new bird each day. 10 new birds for our 10th Bonanza! The new birds will include our 700th species, the most requested Birdorable of all time! Join us starting this friday to see what new birds will join Birdorable in our 10th annual Bonanza!

Here's a sneak peek at Friday's new species, a medium-sized woodpecker with an appearance some compare to that of a clown. Can you guess which species will start things off?

Researchers in Oregon are working on a huge survey of birds in the state: Oregon 2020. Data from field observations is being compiled to determine the abundance and distribution of Oregon's bird species.

The study in part uses data collected by citizen scientists who bird the state and enter their findings into eBird.

In a presentation given at a bird symposium last year, Birdorable cartoon birds were used to help visualize concepts in field observation data collection, like "imperfect detection" and "detection probability".

The project aims to compile its data on the birds of Oregon by the year 2020. While data collection occurs year-round, County Birding Blitzes are used to collect data in hotspots over a short period of time by a lot of different observers (kind of like Christmas Bird Counts).

To learn more about the project and maybe even contribute data, check it out at Oregon 2020.

Thank you to Tyler Hallman for sharing his presentation with us.

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr Creative Commons) of the Piping Plover.

When it comes to cute baby birds, it's hard to beat precocial shorebird chicks. Precocial chicks are ready and able to leave the nest soon after hatching. So they are covered in downy feathers, their eyes are open, but they are still tiny.

Piping Plovers are threatened, so their nests are monitored in several locations, leading to some spectacular photos of the extremely adorable chicks as they first make their way in the world.

Piping Plovers use a scrape on open beach habitat to nest. The scrape may be lined with small pebbles and shells. Incubation is performed by both the male and female, and takes around 26 to 28 days. They can walk away from the nest within hours of hatching.

NATUWA Macaw Sanctuary works to protect native wildlife in Costa Rica. In this guest post, Rodolfo Orozco Vega from the project shares some of the important conservation work they perform with two species of bird.

The Macaw Sanctuary NATUWA is an organization formed by Costa Ricans for the conservation of Costa Rica's biodiversity. Mainly NATUWA has worked with two species of Costa Rican macaw: the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) since 1994.

18 years ago in the community of Aranjuez de Puntarenas, NATUWA created a program to release Scarlet Macaws. With great success, and under the protection of the community of Aranjuez, the birds released by NATUWA are procreating by themselves and increasing the population of wild macaws.

The people of the community understand that with the arrival of the macaws, there are economic benefits for their families -- ecotourism activities focused on the protection of the species. If the birds are protected in the wild, everyone wins: the tourist; the local people; and the macaws.

In addition, NATUWA has a reproduction program of Great Green Macaws for their release in the wild. Currently, it provides the largest enclosure in Central America in donut shape (200 meters in circumference) where they prepare the birds for their future release in the Atlantic zone of Costa Rica. If you want to know more about this beautiful project, visit http://www.natuwa.org

- Rodolfo Orozco Vega