When I arrived at the desert field station and stepped out onto the gravel, I was hit all at once by the heat, the quiet, and a thrilling sight: a slender jet-black bird, perched on a twisted tree.

The bird is still easily overlooked as it runs about on the desert floor or flies from bush to bush, but its sweet, melodious song is quite distinctive. With its relatively small bill, it does less ...

This long-tailed little insect-eater is at home in the desert southwest, even in arid scrub and creosote bush flats where there are few other birds. Black-tailed Gnatcatchers live in pairs all year, ...

Deb Haaland: Learn from the past | Miyoko Chu: Desert birds at risk | Scott Weidensaul: Changes in migration | Clay Henderson: Bird count warnings | Rodney Siegel: The value of parks | Amy Davis ...