From the Editor
The best birds
Mountain Chickadee makes a wonderful study subject for researching bird intelligence — and for a magazine cover!
Features
Buyers guide to spotting scopes
Tips for shoppers and recommendations for the best models at numerous price points.
Are you as smart as a chickadee?
Researchers studying Mountain Chickadees work to uncover the secrets of a surprisingly clever bird.
Birding festivals on tap
A roundup of 82 birdwatching events slated for this spring and summer.
The Romeo Error
When bird extinctions resemble Shakespearean tragedy. Plus, reports of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in this century.
Columns
Attracting Birds
An out-of-range gift
A winter hummingbird at our feeders comes fraught with responsibilities due to cold weather.
Birder at Large
ID Tips
Kenn Kaufman
Tips for identifying this widespread "grasspiper."
ID Toolkit
Variability in songbirds
Why the appearance of first-year birds in the same species can differ significantly.
Photographing birds
Breeding season bonanza
The intense courtship rituals of Ruddy Ducks and other waterfowl offer dramatic scenes for photographers.
Hotspots Near You
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321. Coon Bluff, Tonto National Forest, Arizona
This spot near Phoenix is great for spring and fall migrants as well as common birds of the Arizona desert.
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322. Bear Divide, San Gabriel Mountains, California
Tens of thousands of birds migrate past this site in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County each spring.
Also in Every Issue
Birding Briefs
Recent news about Whooping Cranes, a rare tanager, tool-using crows, a push to find lost birds, and more.
On the Wire
A film about a rare stork, books about avian scent and more, and the YouTube series "The Birders Show."