Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Reporter, Audubon magazine
About

Ryan F. Mandelbaum is a science writer and birder living in Brooklyn.

Articles by Ryan F. Mandelbaum

A green caterpillar on a leaf close-up in the foreground with a house on a suburban street in the background.
An Introduction to Insect Photography
June 23, 2026 — Many of the skills and tools of bird photography translate well to smaller subjects, but getting great pictures of insects and other arthropods can also require special considerations.
Photography Tips and How-Tos
A Hummingbird Clearwing moth hovers at a yellow flower.
Love Birdwatching? Give Bugwatching a Go This Summer
June 23, 2026 — While birds take it easy during the hottest months, set your sights on smaller wonders: insects and other arthropods all around you.
Birding Advice
A large flock of Redpolls flies around a snowy field of dried grasses in heavy falling snow.
Buckle Up, Birders—This Winter Is Looking Finchy
October 22, 2025 — Good numbers of siskins, grosbeaks, and other favorites could be headed your way, according to the latest edition of the annual Winter Finch Forecast.
Birding Advice
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 “befriended” an elusive antpitta, they pioneered a new path for ecotourism.
Conservation News
A Cedar Waxwing and a Bohemian Waxwing perched on a branch, both holding a berry in their mouth.
Stylish and Social, Winter Waxwings Provide a Wonderful ID Challenge
December 16, 2022 — Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings look very similar and are more likely to intermingle in the colder months. Here’s how to tell them apart.
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Why Did the Siskin Cross the Continent?
July 21, 2022 — A bird banded in Maryland two years ago turned up this spring in British Columbia, highlighting the nomadic lifestyle of one finch species.
News
Oldest Ring-billed Gull on Record Discovered by Cleveland Birder
March 23, 2021 — At 28, the gull is a year older than the previous title holder, further expanding our knowledge of the species' longevity.
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This Winter Marks an Incredible 'Superflight' of Hungry Winter Finches
December 11, 2020 — Across the country, birders are being treated to one of the biggest irruption years of boreal birds in recent memory.
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Researchers Reveal the Mysterious Fall Movements of a Familiar Backyard Bird
October 30, 2020 — New studies suggest that northern populations of White-breasted Nuthatches might also have irruptive years—and 2020 is one of them.
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The Man Behind the Brilliant Winter Finch Forecast Is Passing the Torch
September 17, 2020 — Ron Pittaway might be retiring, but fear not, finch fans: His collaborator Tyler Hoar will continue the highly anticipated reports.
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