Hey! I'm Alexandre Lajeunesse and welcome to my author page.
I'm a Canadian birder and trained ornithologist, and the founder of The Birding Insights. This is where I dig into the stories behind rare sightings, range expansions, and the everyday lives of the birds around us. My birding started in Quebec and has taken me all the way to the far end of Patagonia, but honestly the birds close to home surprise and delight me just as much as anything I find halfway across the world. They brighten every adventure, and if you're looking for me, I'm probably somewhere scanning for my favorite, the Long-tailed Jaeger.
My articles
Bird Vagrancy and Range Expansion: Why Birds Turn Up Where They Shouldn't
A lost Tropical Kingbird in a city park and a Glossy Ibis nesting in Maine look like the same story. They are not. Here is how vagrancy and range expansion actually differ, and why both are showing up more often.
What to Do When a Bird Hits a Window
A bird hit your window and you want to help. Here is what to do, from watching and waiting to boxing a stunned bird, releasing it, and when to call a rehabilitator.
How to Stop Birds From Hitting Windows (What Actually Works)
Two simple rules decide whether any fix works. Here is how to stop birds from hitting windows, ranked from dot tape and paracord curtains to cheap DIY, with what to skip.
How to Avoid Hitting Birds With Your Car
Never risk a person to save a bird. Within safe driving, here is how to avoid hitting birds with your car, from easing off early to keeping food out of the window.
How to Stop Cats Killing Birds at Your Feeder
A few changes turn a feeder from a hunting blind into a safe station. Here is how to keep cats away from bird feeders, including the neighborhood and feral cats you don't own.
How to Stop Your Cat From Killing Birds
You cannot switch off the hunting instinct, but you control the opportunity. Here is how to stop your cat killing birds, ranked from the most effective fix down.
Why Birds Fly Into Lights at Night, and How Lights Out Helps
Most songbirds migrate at night and navigate by the stars. We explain how artificial light disorients them, why strikes spike in spring and fall, and the one thing you can do.
Why Birds Fly in Front of Cars, and Why They Cannot Get Out of the Way
Birds do not have a death wish. We explain why birds fly in front of cars, why they cannot dodge fast vehicles, and what keeps drawing them to the road.
Why Cats Kill Wild Birds, Even Well Fed Ones
Cats hunt birds on instinct, not hunger, which is why even a well fed pet kills. We explain the drive behind it, the scale, and the birds most at risk.
Why Birds Fly Into Windows, and What to Do When One Does
Glass is an invisible trap to a bird. We explain why birds fly into windows, the spring bird that attacks its reflection, and what to do when one hits the glass.
The Causes of Bird Deaths in North America
What actually kills the most birds, from outdoor cats to glass and traffic, and the small changes at home that add up across a continent.
Birds That Hit Windows Most Often in North America
Some birds turn up at the glass far more than others. We name the species most often found after window strikes across North America, and how to recognize them.
Why Do Birds Peck at Windows? The Rival That Isn't There
The bird battering your window every spring is fighting its own reflection, not you. Here is why it happens, which birds do it, and how to break the cycle humanely.
How to Stop Woodpeckers Pecking on Your Chimney (What Works)
An honest, ranked guide to stopping a woodpecker on your chimney. Diagnose why first, then work from the cheapest reflective deterrents to the durable fixes that actually last.
Why Do Woodpeckers Peck on Telephone Poles? Trees in Disguise
A wooden utility pole is a dead, soft, insect-filled snag standing alone in the open, which is exactly what a woodpecker wants. Here is what they do to poles, and the wildlife that benefits.
