Higgins, age 15, of St. Louis, Helene Missouri, for her question:

Where do birds go after dark?

When day is done, most members of the bird world find a sheltered roost perched high above the ground and doze until the dawn. However, there are thousands of species and each has its own particular sleeping preferences. Grouse and other ground birds may spend the night sitting on the ground under low growing shrubbery. Wild ducks may hide among the rushes and sleep with their legs dangling in the water. Or they may doze off standing on the muddy brink. Herons and other wading birds may sleep in the whispering sedges, often standing on one leg with their long beaks tucked under a wing.

Even the best bird books often forget to include these interesting details. But this may be good because it coaxes us to investigate for ourselves. Watching the world of nature at twilight is very rewarding. The swallows swoop silently under the eaves, a woodpecker hops quietly into a hollow tree. With luck you may find a favorite old roosting tree and watch dozens of birds fly home and lose themselves in the shadowy foliage.