February 2013

One of the best things about birds, writes Editor Chuck Hagner, is that so much continues to be learned about them. Our February 2013 issue is filled with surprising examples.

Where and when you can spot stunning Roseate Spoonbills in Florida, and why the fate of the Everglades is directly tied to the pink bird's fortunes.

Why crossbills, chickadees, turkeys, and especially hummingbirds eat ashes, and what you can do to help them satisfy their nutritional needs.

Learn three characteristics that create the general shape of a gull and why you should always look for them first to identify gulls.

How the coffee you buy determines the fate of the migratory birds you love, and what to look for when shopping for coffee.

One of four sanctuaries maintained by Houston Audubon on High Island, site of an annual spring migration spectacle and a waterbird rookery.

A Globally Important Bird Area on the central California coast that attracts Long-billed Curlew, Whimbrel, godwits, and more than 300 other birds.

A wastewater-treatment facility east of Bend, Oregon, that is a magnet for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.

A bird-rich preserve built from scratch on the site of a former 18-hole golf course along Lake Michigan.

The many ways that gulls invite comparison, and reasons why common, widespread Ring-billed Gull deserves consideration as your favorite bird.

Steps to take if a Merlin, Cooper's Hawk, or other bird of prey is terrorizing the birds at your feeders.

The Emperor Penguin's annual trek to its frigid breeding grounds on Antarctica and the extraordinary steps it takes to keep its offspring warm and well fed.

How to distinguish Ruby-crowned Kinglet from Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hutton's Vireo, and the surprising secret of how many eggs both kinglets lay.

Why you should look at the secondary feathers first when trying to identify a fast-flying duck.

January and February are a great time to see Bald Eagle, a snow-colored wanderer from the north, and a blackbird from the south.

A rundown of the parks and refuges that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and how long you can expect your favorite birding sites to remain closed.

The first family tree linking all the world's living birds, and what it reveals about the families in which species are evolving quickly.

How a drying trend in the Bahamas is affecting how many Kirtland's Warblers fledge in Michigan, and why a population of Hudsonian Godwits is arriving on its breeding grounds later than ever.

Why Emperor Penguins wait before making their first dive, and the amazing way the birds use tiny air bubbles to swim fast enough underwater to leap to safety on the ice above.

Why it's often difficult to tell how far you are from a drumming Ruffed Grouse.

Photos of Canada's first Citrine Wagtail, New York's first Virginia's Warbler, and four more stunning rare birds.

How tests being conducted in a unique tunnel at the Powdermill Avian Research Center promise to reduce a major source of bird mortality: collisions with glass.

See the winner of our most recent photo contest, plus a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Red-shouldered Hawk, Tricolored Heron, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

How a bird-friendly yard helped a subscriber in Saskatchewan photograph a Dark-eyed Junco as it fanned its white-edged tail against a backdrop of pink blossoms.

Readers respond to recent articles about California's Mono Lake, Canoe Creek Road in Florida, and the Pacific Golden-Plover's circular migration route, and they share their feelings about Madavor Media's purchase of BirdWatching magazine.