From the Editor
Taking stock
Minnesota’s icebox, terns in the Dry Tortugas, and Ireland’s first woodpeckers.
Features
Hurricane terns
Researchers are finally learning where Sooty Terns go after they leave the Dry Tortugas.
Icebox bird count
For participants in Minnesota’s northernmost Christmas Bird Counts, every bird is a good bird.
Ireland's Great Spots
The amazing story of the first woodpeckers to nest on the Emerald Isle.
New books
Our year-end roundup of recommended books about birds and birding.
Tablet Extras
See the articles from BirdWatching and other online resources that we added to our December issue.
Columns
Since You Asked
Answers to your questions
A potential hazard in your backyard, quinoa for birds, and more.
Birder at Large
Christmas counting
How to count more birds during this year’s Christmas Bird Count.
Attracting Birds
Amazing Birds
What birds can smell
Birds use scents to find food, mates, even their way home.
ID Tips
Bushtit
This small songbird shows a remarkable amount of subtle variation.
ID Toolkit
Movement clues
You can recognize groups of birds by the way they move.
Hotspots Near You
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221. Tanque Verde Wash, Tucson, Arizona
A tucked-away gem that attracts hawks, warblers, hummingbirds, and more.
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222. Sax-Zim Bog, Meadowlands, Minnesota
About 200 square miles of black spruce and tamarack peatlands that features a mix of winter birds unmatched by any other North American location.
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223. San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, La Porte, Texas
Look for shorebirds, warblers, sparrows, ducks, and other birds at this historic site east of Houston.
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224. Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto, California
A great place to look for Ridgway's Rail, avocets, and stilts on San Francisco Bay.
Also in Every Issue
Birding Briefs
Important news about birds, birdwatching, and conservation.
Your View
Reader-submitted photographs, including the winner of our regular Photo of the Week contest.