Vol. 12 // The wild tale of the bird that came back from extinction 🦤

Coworker: Big plans this weekend?

Me:

(via @humdaddy / Tiktok)

Found in Guam

In Guam, you won’t hear the usually familiar sound of bird calls, because there are almost no birds there at all. :-/

After WWII, United States military planes flew in and out of Guam, and brought invasive species with them. Somehow the brown tree snake snuck into transports from the South Pacific, and it quickly devastated Guam’s ecosystem. The snake found easy prey in the island’s birds, and caused 10 out of 12 native forest-bird species to go extinct within decades, according to The Atlantic.

And yet! The noble and hardy Guam Rail remains. After intense conservation efforts, the flightless bird once again happily roams in the wild on the islands of Rota and Cocos. 

Crazily enough, the Guam Rail was actually extinct in the wild for 40 years, but it was promoted to “critically endangered” in 2019. It is only the second bird to claim this kind of epic comeback, along with the California Condor.

Give a Hoot

Birding bits you should know about this week

🌵 Desert dreaming
The best bird-watching hikes in Arizona
Where to see Trogons, Owls, Tanagers and more in the Grand Canyon state

👾 Bit by bit
Pixel birds (and other animals)
Pixellated flyers from artist Syosa, via Kottke

🌼 Spring cleaning
But seriously: Why you should clean your birdfeeder
It’s a simple way to keep our feathered friends disease-free. You can report any House Finch eye disease you spot at Project Feederwatch.

🌲 This forest is one of Africa’s most famous birding forests
Planning your next birding destination? Why not go looking for the 500 bird species in Kenya’s Kakamega Forest?

A Product We Love

Unique and worthy products from the wide world of birding you might enjoy

Bird observer wall decor. Go birding indoors too with these eye-catching cutouts of flora and fauna made from recycled cardboard. $55

Your Shot

An amazing bird photo taken by one of our community members. Submit yours to hello@flyingcolors.co to be considered for an upcoming edition!

No Fillers or Mess, Only the Good Stuff

We now offer Flying Colors premium organic wild bird food in a beautiful three-gallon carton, perfect for easy pouring, storing, and recycling.

Choose from three custom blends — all made with 100% USDA certified organic ingredients and hand-mixed with love in New York's Hudson Valley.

If you subscribe for regular FREE shipments, you receive 10% off. There’s no commitment, and you can cancel at any time. ✨

That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees

In some melodious plot

Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,

Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

– “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats

Thank you for being part of our flock! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, and if a friend forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here & view our archive.

Questions? Ideas? Epic bird photos? Reach out at hello@flyingcolors.co

About Us

Flying Colors makes premium organic wild bird food, offering ethically sourced, toxin-free seeds and nuts of the highest quality to nourish wild birds of all types and inspire birders of all ages. Each specialty blend and single origin creation is rigorously sourced & researched, and every jar is produced with love & packaged by hand in small batches in New York's Hudson Valley and tested in our own backyards.