Birding News

A Red-flanked Bluetail perches on a thin branch against a green background.
How Rare Is That Rare Bird?
September 23, 2024 — When you consider all the factors that go into the unlikeliest vagrant sightings, it makes you wonder ...
A Redpoll perches on a pink plant eating its fuzzy white flowers.
Lumping Redpolls and Splitting Seabirds: This Year's Updates to North American Bird Names
August 07, 2024 — The American Ornithological Society recently announced its checklist changes for 2024鈥攁nd there鈥檚 quite a bit for birders to catch up on.
Bird Names & Taxonomy
A drab white and brown bird stands on a branch giving side-eye.
Yes, You Can Identify Flycatchers. These New Field Guides Are Sure of It.
June 13, 2024 — The creators of a series of meticulous but approachable flycatcher guides advocate鈥攁nd teach鈥攁 鈥渉olistic鈥 approach to the seemingly impossible task of distinguishing these enigmatic avians.
Field Guides
Illustration of people watching birds next to a lake.
A New Birding Club Wants to Help COVID Long-Haulers Safely Enjoy Nature Together
April 12, 2024 — Ed Yong, an award-winning science journalist who widely covered the pandemic, recently launched The Spoonbill Club to provide community鈥攁nd an accessible hobby鈥攆or folks with long COVID.
Three flamingos wade in shallow blue water among plants.
Flamingo Fever, Limpkins on the Loose, 鈥楳ega鈥 Rare Terns鈥攖he Biggest Bird Events of 2023
December 19, 2023 — Birding highlights of a remarkable year included three U.S. firsts, a surprisingly happening Midwest, and, of course, flamingos everywhere!
A rust and gray-colored bird stands on a mossy surface and looks at the camera.
How Training Secretive Birds Became a Boon for Tropical Forest Conservation
August 10, 2023 — When a farming family in Ecuador 鈥渂efriended鈥 an elusive antpitta, they pioneered a new path for ecotourism.
Conservation News
An illustration of a robot reaching up with one arm towards a hovering red bird.
Can New AI Chatbots Like ChatGPT Help You Identify Birds?
April 04, 2023 — 鈥樃＠悠碘 magazine鈥檚 intrepid AI expert pushed the cutting-edge technology to its limits on field marks, native plants, and ... Mr. Bean?
A woman and young girl in raincoats stand outside smiling at the camera.
Everyone Should Have a Mother's Day Birding Tradition Like This
January 30, 2023 — Mother, daughter, and granddaughter take joy in learning the spring migrant birds who show up to their annual May ritual.
Essays
A man walks down a grassy trail in a field, towards a forested area. There is a railing made of rope to one side. We see the man from behind, and he has his hands on a rope.
Birding As a Blind Person Is Now Easier in Colombia, Thanks to a Tourism Project
November 30, 2022 — The unique effort, consisting of six trails and trained guides, is a showcase for ideas that make birds and nature more accessible.
A bat drinks from a hummingbird feeder at night with its long tongue, two more bats flying up behind it.
How Hummingbird Fans Are Helping to Protect a Border-Crossing Bat
October 28, 2022 — By observing nighttime visitors to their feeders, community scientists in Arizona have been central to the recovery of lesser long-nosed bats.
Conservation News