From the Editor
Your year in review
What were your birding highlights in 2019?
Features
Welcoming owls home
The restoration of Burrowing Owls on an old Army base is a hopeful sign for the future of the species.
The last Ruby-throat
Reflections on a tardy hummingbird that found fuel for its journey in a Mississippi farmyard.
Great birds with bad names
Ten North American species whose names just don’t pass the sniff test.
Directory of birding-tour providers
More than 175 organizations worldwide that offer trips designed to find lots of birds.
Columns
Since You Asked
Answers to your questions
House Wrens and crow vocalizations, and how to legally share bird nests with preschool children.
Birder at Large
My take on listing
Not every birdwatcher keeps a life list — and that’s OK.
Attracting Birds
Counting chickadees
Why it’s difficult to tally your backyard chickadees.
Amazing Birds
Storage masters
Clark’s Nutcracker and Pinyon Jay cache food — and remember its location with astonishing accuracy
ID Tips
American Tree Sparrow
How to tell it apart from Chipping, Field, and Swamp Sparrows.
ID Toolkit
Waterbirds in winter
How sleeping postures can help you identify distant waterbirds.
Hotspots Near You
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297. Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, California
A site in the San Francisco Bay Area where you can see bitterns, rails, shorebirds, raptors, and many other birds.
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298. Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Cheney, Washington
This refuge protects nearly 30 square miles of bird-rich ponds, wetlands, and marshes south of Spokane.
Also in Every Issue
Birding Briefs
Important news about birds, birdwatching, and conservation.