I’m not a bird watcher, but I’ve become a bird listener ever since downloading a bionic ear app to my phone. It lets me enter a different world, one where I’m surrounded not just by chirping but by ...

Merlin was on the job at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park one recent day, helping birders identify bird songs. Not Merlin the storied magician, although what was happening could be ...

A painted bunting perches in Texas. The bird’s song reminded the author of a purple finch, a familiar backyard species in Maine. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne It’s getting loud out there. The ...