From the Editor
A diving duck from a frozen lake
It’s not every day that you look out the living-room windows of a house in suburban Milwaukee and see a Red-breasted Merganser waddling down the sidewalk.
Features
Frozen
Why last winter’s near-total ice cover on the Great Lakes wasn’t enough to harm populations of diving ducks.
Ghost bird
Ten years after Ivory-bill fever swept the nation, a scientist assesses the hope, hype, and disappointment.
Make your birdwatching count!
60+ citizen-science projects taking place between now and July 31.
Tablet Extras
See the articles from BirdWatching and other online resources that we added to our February issue.
Columns
Since You Asked
Answers to your questions
How nestlings find water, whether nuthatches use bluebird boxes, and more.
Birder at Large
Just the facts
Why Cape May might be the best birding location anywhere.
Attracting Birds
Soul food
Comparing the comforts of home and the thrills of a Big Year.
Amazing Birds
What goes up
The well-coordinated movements that bring flight to a safe end.
ID Tips
Common Merganser
Tips for distinguishing female Common and Red-breasted Mergansers.
ID Toolkit
Back streaking
ID streaky sparrows by their back patterns.
Hotspots Near You
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201. Morro Bay State Park, Morro Bay, California
A park where thousands of shorebirds and Brant spend the winter and where a terrific birding festival is held each January.
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202. Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Arthur, Louisiana
A southwestern Louisiana refuge, home of huge flocks of waterfowl, whistling-ducks, and herons.
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203. Agua Fria National Monument, Black Canyon City, Arizona
A protected area north of Phoenix that is home to several species of conservation concern, including Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
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204. Julia Butler Hansen Refuge, Cathlamet, Washington
Where to look for Bald Eagles, Wood Ducks, and other birds on Washington’s Columbia River.
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.