Anna’s Hummingbird | Shravan Sundaram | Audubon Photography Awards

This article was originally published in our Spring 2026 Issue of EarthCare Northwest, Birds Connect Seattle’s quarterly member newsletter. Read the full issue and become a member today. 

by Ariel Shiley

It’s easy to miss a hummingbird nest tucked into a tree branch, and even easier to overlook the spider silk holding it all together. About the size of a walnut, a hummingbird nest is a compact cup carefully built from plant fibers, lichen, moss, twigs, and bits of leaves. What truly binds these materials into a sturdy, flexible home is spider silk. 

Female hummingbirds are solely in charge of nest construction. They deliberately collect spiderwebs, weaving the sticky strands throughout their nests like a natural glue. Using their beaks and breasts, they gather spider silk and stretch it around both the nest and the supporting branch as an anchor. Spider silk is an ideal building material, as it is lightweight, incredibly strong, and elastic. This stretchiness is especially important because hummingbird nests aren’t static structures. As eggs hatch and chicks grow, the nest must expand without falling apart. Spider silk allows the nest to stretch gradually, accommodating growing chicks while maintaining its shape and grip on the branch. 

Anna’s Hummingbird nest stretching as chicks grow.
Shravan Sundaram | Audubon Photography Awards

Beyond its flexibility, spider silk is one of the toughest materials found in nature. Pound for pound, spider silk is considered 5-times stronger than the strength of steel. Its fibers can bend and stretch extensively without snapping, which helps hummingbird nests withstand the wind, rain of the Pacific Northwest, and the constant movement of active chick. This durability ensures the nest remains secure throughout the nesting season (February – April), despite being exposed to the elements. 

Humans have long recognized the remarkable properties of spider silk as well. In ancient times, spider webs were used as bandages to help stop bleeding. Today, scientists study spider silk for applications ranging from medical sutures to biodegradable materials. Hummingbirds, however, figured out its usefulness long before modern research caught up. 

By using spider silk, hummingbirds demonstrate a remarkable understanding of their environment, selecting materials that perfectly suit their needs. Their nests, while delicate, are also engineering marvels. The next time you spot a hummingbird darting through the trees, take a closer look nearby. You may just find a camouflaged, silk-bound nest, holding the next generation of Anna’s or Rufous Hummingbirds. 

References and Additional Resources

• Birds and Blooms: Everything You Need to Know About Hummingbird Nests
• Branković, M., Zivic, F., Grujovic, N., Stojadinovic, I., Milenkovic, S., & Kotorcevic, N. (2024). Review of Spider Silk Applications in Biomedical and Tissue Engineering. Biomimetics, 9(3), 169. 
• Goel, A. Surgical Sutures—A Review. Off. Sci. J. Delhi Ophthalmol. Soc. 2015, 26, 159–162.
• Science: Spider Silk is Five Times Stronger than Steel
• Treehugger: How Hummingbirds Use Spider Silk to Build Better Nests
• Xu, G.; Toh, G.W.; Du, N.; Liu, X.Y. Spider Silk: The Toughest Natural Polymer. In Natural Polymers. 1: Composites; RSC Green Chemistry; RSC Publishing: Cambridge, UK, 2012; ISBN 978-1-84973-402-8.

Barn Swallow | Pauliina Saarinen | Audubon Photography Awards 

by Joshua Morris, Conservation Director

Swallows, swifts, flycatchers, and nightjars are aerial insectivores—birds that hunt insects on the wing. These birds have been identified as species of concern due to steeply declining populations across North America in recent decades.  

Tough data to swallow

Our local aerial insectivores appear to be declining, too. Thanks to the data collected by hundreds of Birds Connect Seattle community volunteers from 2005 to 2023, we’ve been able to analyze trends from the Neighborhood Bird Project counts for 115 species. Among landbirds, counts of aerial insectivores declined fastest, at an average rate of 7.3% per year, with nine out of ten species showing negative trends.

Cliff Swallows fared the worst. Counts fell by 20% annually, for a cumulative decline of 98% since 2005. Barn Swallow and Vaux’s Swift also declined precipitously at 95% and 91%, respectively. 

OSFL = Olive-sided Flycatcher;
WEWP = Western Wood-pewee;
NRWS = Northern Rough-winged Swallow;
WIFL = Willow Flycatcher;
TRES = Tree Swallow;
VGSW = Violet-green Swallow;
VASW = Vaux’s Swift;
BARS = Barn Swallow;
CLSW = Cliff Swallow

What is behind the sharp declines?

Pesticide use may be driving declines, either through direct ingestion or by depleting the insect prey base. Reducing pesticide use at homes, gardens, and greenspaces is an important way to help these species. Pet owners should be aware that many topical flea and tick medications are neonicotinoid-based and can enter the environment when animals go outside or are washed. Choosing food grown without pesticides also makes a difference. This extends to birdseed, much of which is grown with intensive pesticide use. 

Habitat loss, including loss of nesting sites, is another driver. Modern buildings are often designed without eaves, with bird exclusion purposely in mind. This can reduce local nesting opportunities for species like Barn Swallows. If aerial insectivores are nesting on your building, consider yourself lucky and do what you can to protect them. 

One species is bucking the trend

The one bright spot is the Western Flycatcher, counts of which have grown exponentially along nearly every forested NBP survey loop in recent years, with overall counts up 572%. Why this species booms while close relatives like Western Wood-pewee or Olive-sided Flycatcher bust isn’t entirely clear. Western Flycatchers make a shorter migration and favor shaded interior forests, so fewer threats along the way, maturing forest at NBP sites, or both may help explain their success. 

WEFL = Western Flycatcher

The only aerial insectivore species analyzed that had upward population trends.

Photo by Jason C Scoggins, Audubon Photo Awards

Why this matters

Local, long-term community science like the Neighborhood Bird Project turns observations into insight. By comparing our regional trends with broader North American datasets, we can see where Seattle’s birds mirror national declines, and where they diverge. This clarity is essential for scientists and conservationists to understand which species are in trouble so we can prioritize habitat protection, reduce harmful practices, or mobilize community action in time. Neighborhood Bird Project data ensures we’re not guessing—it gives us the evidence needed to protect vulnerable species before declines become irreversible.

Purple Martins | Keith Kingdon | Audubon Photography Awards

This article was originally published in our Spring 2026 Issue of EarthCare Northwest, Birds Connect Seattle’s quarterly member newsletter. Read the full issue and become a member today. 

by Carol Roll, Development Director

On a summer evening, just a few feet above the surface of Greenlake in North Seattle, it can look almost alive with swooping birds and clouds of insects. At first glance it seems like chaos. But look closer, and you’ll see something far more impressive: a team of specialists, each with its own perfectly designed anatomy for catching insects. 

We have birds to thank for being our natural pest control network as they are constantly foraging in air, beneath bark, or amongst the leaves for insects. Each bird brings its own specialized bug snatching anatomy to the job. 

Hunters of the Air

Built-in Bug Nets 

Flycaters like the Pacific-slope Flycatcher and the Black Pheobe sit quietly on a branch, looking almost bored. Then in the blink of an eye they’re gone, snapping an insect right out of the air before returning to the same perch like nothing happened. 

Their secret weapon is rictal bristles, a fringe of stiff feathers that lines their flat bills. They act like a catcher’s mitt, helping guide insects straight into the mouth. Add in excellent vision and lightning-fast reflexes, and you’ve got a bird that can snag a mosquito mid-flight. 

Speed and Agility 

Violet-green, Barn, and Tree Swallows spend nearly all day in flight, twisting through the sky like tiny Blue Angels. Their aerodynamic body in combination with long narrow wings give them speed and the ability to make sharp turns. As they fly, they open their mouths very wide, as insects simply get swallowed up midair turning them into aerial insect vacuum cleaners. 

Then there are Vaux’s Swifts, that spend even more of their day airborne, effortlessly gliding and barely stopping to perch. They catch insects the same way swallows do, but on an even bigger scale—often high above forests and cities, sweeping the sky clean of flying bugs.  

A single swallow or swift family can eat tens of thousands of insects in one nesting season. 

Excavation Hunters 

Superhero Tongues 

When you think of a Woodpecker, you often think of their specialized shock absorption skull anatomy that allows them to go knock, knock, knock all day long without damaging their brain. This helps them drill into trees (and telephone poles) to find tasty larvae to feed on. But it is their tongue that really allows them to be effective insectivores. A Downy Woodpecker uses its tongue like a fishing pole, extending it well past the end of its bill and utilizing the sticky saliva and barbed tip to snag beetle larvae.  

Climbing Gear 

Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers search deeper still into a tree’s bark. They both have powerful feet and long toes that allow them to grip the bark as they spiral downward (Nuthatch) or upward (Creeper) along a tree trunk, probing cracks and crevices with their bills. 

Canopy Hunters 

Surgical tools 

The bill of a warbler is perfectly shaped for precision work. Thin and pointed like tweezers, they slip easily between leaves to pluck or snatch caterpillars, aphids, and spiders hiding in plain sight. This surface-feeding style often utilized by Warblers is called gleaning. 

If you’ve ever tried to focus your binoculars on a migrating Wilson’s or Townsend’s Warbler you know they never stay still for long—hopping, hovering, and peering under leaves—always searching for their next insect snack. While they both use a similar technique, the Townsen’s Warbler uses its stronger beak for larger caterpillars, whereas the Wilson’s Warbler snags tiny insects and spiders with its finer bill. This subtle variation in anatomy allows them to feed at the same tree without competing for the same food source. 

Magnuson Park Wetlands | Virginia Bound

After more than a year of sustained community advocacy, we’re celebrating a conservation victory at Magnuson Park. Seattle Parks and Recreation has confirmed that it will no longer pursue building outdoor pickleball courts near the restored wetlands in Magnuson Park—a decision that protects vital urban habitat while supporting thoughtful recreation planning across the park.

Instead, Seattle Parks and Recreation is now exploring alternative locations near the Arena Sports building, a site better suited for active recreation and one that minimizes impacts to wildlife, nearby residents, and city resources. This outcome reflects what our community has said all along: we can support recreation without sacrificing restored wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them.

Preferred Pickleball Court Locations at Magnuson Park.

This conservation win didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of more than a year of dedicated advocacy by community members who showed up again and again to protect the ecological and social value of the Magnuson Park wetlands.

Throughout the campaign, thousands of supporters:

• • Signed petitions calling for wetland protection

  • Testified at public meetings and hearings

  • Wrote to Seattle City Councilmembers and Parks leadership

  • Donated to support advocacy and outreach efforts

  • Distributed informational flyers to neighbors and park users

  • Joined guided outings through the wetlands to better understand what was at stake

Together, these actions made it clear that the restored wetlands are not “unused space,” but a carefully rehabilitated ecosystem that provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, improves water quality, and offers quiet nature access in a dense urban area.

Magnuson Park Advocacy Statistics

The Magnuson Park restored wetlands represent years of ecological restoration work and community investment. They support migratory and resident birds, amphibians, and pollinators, while also serving as a natural buffer that improves stormwater management and climate resilience.

From the beginning, our advocacy emphasized that placing noise-intensive courts adjacent to this sensitive habitat would undermine restoration goals and diminish the quality of life for both wildlife and nearby residents. The decision to step back from the wetland site affirms the importance of planning recreation in harmony with nature.

Advocacy Outing | Elaine Chuang

We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood up for the wetlands at Magnuson Park. This victory belongs to the people who took time out of busy lives to speak up for birds, green space, and future generations.

Advocacy doesn’t end with a decision, it continues through connection, stewardship, and care. We invite you to join us for a Wetland Appreciation Outing with our Conservation Director on Saturday, February 21 at 10:00 a.m.

This gathering is a chance to celebrate what we’ve protected, reflect on the power of community action, and spend time together in the very place that inspired this year-long campaign.

Protecting the Magnuson Park wetlands shows what’s possible when people come together with a shared vision for conservation and community well-being. As Seattle continues to grow, this win sets an important precedent: urban nature is not expendable.

Thank you for being part of this effort. We look forward to continuing the work together.

Osprey | Harry Collins | Audubon Photography Awards 

As the Seattle Seahawks head to the Super Bowl, excitement is rippling across the region. Even though there is no bird actually called a Seahawk, the most similar raptor in the Seattle region is the Osprey. Ospreys are a familiar sight throughout the Puget Sound region during the breeding and nesting season (late March through September). They often nest on tall structures such as snags, platforms, utility poles, and channel markers, frequently returning to the same nest site year after year.

Seahawks Football, Pixabay

Ospreys are highly specialized raptors built almost entirely for catching fish. Unlike many birds of prey that eat a varied diet, Ospreys rely almost exclusively on fish for food.

Key adaptations include:

• Rough, spiny foot pads that help grip slippery fish

• Reversible outer toes, allowing two toes to face forward and two backward for a stronger hold

• Long, curved talons designed specifically for grasping prey

These adaptations make Ospreys one of the most efficient fishing birds in North America.

Osprey | Jim Verhagen | Audubon Photography Awards

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been mentioned as a birder, a fun reminder that an interest in birds shows up in all kinds of places. From professional athletes to casual backyard observers, birds connect people across backgrounds and interests. Whether you are watching an osprey dive for fish, following migration news, or just noticing the birds outside your window, there are countless ways birds are woven into daily life and into our community.

NextGen Council | Seattle Christmas Bird Count

The 2025 Seattle Christmas Bird Count took place on December 14 and delivered another strong year of data, community participation, and insight into bird populations across the region. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and observations to this long-standing citizen science effort. This year’s count recorded 130 bird species, slightly above the 10-year average of 127 species. Observers also tallied 54,086 individual birds, making 2025 the second-highest bird total of the past decade and more than 1,000 birds higher than last year’s count.

The 2025 Seattle Christmas Bird Count was powered by an impressive 322 participants, including:

• 281 observers in the field

• 46 at-home counters

With more than 300 participants, this marks only the third time in over 100 years that the Seattle CBC has reached this level of engagement.

For detailed species accounts, trends, and analysis, explore the full 2025 Christmas Bird Count report, compiled and written by longtime data compiler Matt Bartels.

Read the full report here.

American Wigeon | Eric Ashman | Audubon Photography Awards 

by Wren Wagenbach, NextGen Councilmember

American Wigeon – Mareca americana

Large flocks of Wigeons have descended on Seattle lakes and coastal areas for the winter! American Wigeons spend the summer on the inland marshes of the midwest and Canadian prairies, but opt for lakes and coastal estuaries during the colder months. These ducks are versatile foragers, they can be found in flocks on land or dabbling in the water, and often steal food from other ducks when they come to the surface. While they’re spending time here the birds will begin to pair off, with most older individuals finding their mate before spring migration (so, keep an eye out for breeding displays)! 

Males are quite distinctive with their prominent, white foreheads, green ear patches, blue bill, and pinkish brown chest and sides. Females are more drab in comparison, but also have a distinct forehead bulge, grey head, and pinkish body. 

When you consider their baby blue bills, adorable name, and winsome face I think it’s safe to say that Wigeons are the world’s cutest duck. They even sound sweet. The males are calling right now, so if you’re near water make sure to keep an ear out for “whee-whee-whee-whew” that sounds like it’s coming from a kid’s rubber ducky. 

Here’s a visual description of what they sound like:

Recording of a male Wigeon wistle by Mike Anderson (2006) via ebird.

American Wigeons are some of the most vocal dabbling ducks, the male’s three-part whistling call also sounds sort of like a high pitched, nasally kazoo. Females don’t whistle in the same way but may be making harsh grunts or growls during courtship. 

Recording of female Wigeon growls by Gerrit Vyn (2007) via ebird.

Sonograms, or spectrograms, are visual depictions of sound that help scientists visualize natural noises. Recordings are measured by frequency, or pitch, (Y-axis) over time (X-axis), and read from left to right. These images can reveal complexities within a sound that the human ears are unable to distinguish. Learning bird calls can feel like trying to learn another language, and I find it super helpful to try to visualize the shapes that the sounds make – especially when there is not a clear phonetic spelling or saying to transcribe the song into. 

I hope you enjoy getting out in the rain with dabbling ducks this winter, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for the ever charming American Wigeon. Happy birding!

Explore Feathers, Fossils, and Flight, our hands-on exhibit uncovering how the first birds took to the sky. See feathers, fossils, skeletons, and a life-size Archaeopteryx reproduction up close—then decide for yourself: could the earliest birds truly fly?

Perfect for bird enthusiasts, families, students, and anyone curious about natural history, Feathers, Fossils, and Flight blends science, discovery, and hands-on learning. You’ll leave with a new appreciation for how feathers, bones, and evolutionary innovation shaped the birds we see today. 

Plan your visit and experience Feathers, Fossils, and Flight in person.