Birding

A portrait of the author standing in a pine forest in Maine.
This Psychologist Wants to Hear About the Moment You Fell in Love with Birds
September 19, 2025 — By collecting “spark bird stories,” Jenn Lodi-Smith aims to understand why people get hooked on birds—and how to encourage those experiences.
People sit on a bench in an urban park and look through binoculars.
A New Program Helps New York’s Public-Housing Residents Discover the Nature Right Outside Their Doors
September 19, 2025 — The city’s housing authority houses half a million people on campuses rich in green space. Advocates see that as a big opportunity to bring birding’s benefits to more New Yorkers.
Birding News
Illustration of kids building bird houses at a table and looking out the window at birds.
How Educators Are Fostering the Next Generation of Avian Advocates
September 18, 2025 — Experts say it isn’t hard to get kids excited about birds—and conservation action.
Birding Advice
A chickadee perched on a thin branch with its beak open, vocalizing.
Want to Find Fall Warblers? Listen for Chickadees
September 04, 2025 — The calls of these resident stalwarts serve as an alarm bell for migrating songbirds—and a helpful beacon for birders.
Birding Advice
A colorful, iridescent pigeon preens its mate, standing on a wood railing with a black background.
What Birding Can Teach Us About Living
July 18, 2025 — After an inspiring pigeon encounter with her son, a mother discovered a new appreciation for birds and the everyday wonders around us.
Essays
A roadrunner leaps off the edge of a rock with its long tail pointed straight up.
A Bird You Need to See: the Greater Roadrunner
July 01, 2025 — Spotting this speedy desert dweller in the wild is about as surreal as birding gets.
Birding Advice
Smart Bird Feeders Are Connecting Us to Wildlife —and Each Other—Like Never Before
June 20, 2025 — The increasingly popular gadgets, which take photos of avian visitors, are turning at-home birding into a shared experience.
Bird Feeding and Care
A person looks up at a tree with binoculars while the person next to her points up at it.
How to Help Others Quickly Locate a Bird in a Tree
June 10, 2025 — Follow these simple steps to avoid a miscommunication meltdown and ensure everyone gets a look.
Birding Advice
A woman stands outside with her eyes closed holding her phone up to her ear.
A First-of-Its-Kind Event Helps Blind Birders Build Community
June 05, 2025 — We spoke with some of the more than 150 blind and visually impaired birders who participated in the celebration to learn about the challenges they face and the joy they find in the outdoors.
Birding News
An aerial landscape dotted with small bodies of water.
Birding Bucket List: Tour America's ‘Duck Factory' in the Bird-Packed Prairie Pothole Region
March 25, 2025 — Glacier-carved fields and ephemeral wetlands provide a crucial stopover for long-distance migrants and prolific breeding grounds for a wide variety of duck species and other waterfowl.
Destinations